A major funder wants to influence your direction. Navigate power dynamics when the money comes with strings attached.
Part of
Social Entrepreneurship →
Building a business that makes money and makes a difference. Navigate the unique tensions of mission-driven work where impact and revenue must coexist. You'll navigate four escalating scenarios — from the mission drift to the scale question — practicing the decisions that matter most when the pressure is real and the stakes are personal. This isn't theory. It's practice for the moments that define how this chapter of your life unfolds.
Skills you'll build
What happens in this story4 scenarios
Your biggest donor requests a meeting and their tone on the phone was not the warm one you are used to. They fund forty percent of your budget and they want to 'discuss direction.'
The donor wants you to pivot toward a population that polls better but needs you less. Their money comes with a new theory of change — theirs, not yours.
They hint at pulling funding if you do not comply, and two staff members hear the conversation. The power dynamic is naked now — and your team is watching how you handle it.
You sit across from someone who holds your organization's survival in their checkbook. Say what needs to be said about whose mission this actually is.
More stories in this course
View all →The Mission Drift
A lucrative opportunity pulls you away from your mission. Navigate the tension between financial sustainability and staying true to your purpose.
4 scenarios →The Impact Report
Your investors want numbers, your beneficiaries want stories. Learn to measure and communicate impact in ways that satisfy both.
4 scenarios →The Scale Question
Growing your impact means growing your organization. But bigger is not always better. Navigate the paradox of purposeful scale.
4 scenarios →The Difficult Donor
A major funder wants to influence your direction. Navigate power dynamics when the money comes with strings attached.
Start free →4 scenarios · 25 min · No account required to try