Leading for the Long Run: Building a Sustainable Nonprofit (Janelle Miller Moravek)

Special thanks to TowneBank for bringing these conversations to life, and for their commitment to strengthening nonprofit organizations. Learn more about how they can help you at TowneBank.com/NonprofitBanking.

Nonprofit leadership can feel like a marathon of competing priorities, unexpected fires, and constant pressure to do more with less - yet it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing balance or long-term impact. In episode 337 of Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership, lifelong nonprofit leader Jannell Miller Moravek shares practical ways to lead with resilience: set boundaries (“it’ll still be there tomorrow”), use the Eisenhower Matrix to decide what gets done, delegated, delayed, or dropped, and calendar project time with a buffer for “fires.” She shares why development literacy matters for every ED, how to hire people smarter than you, and why team “vibe” and curiosity beat credentials alone. Plus, a refreshingly doable take on succession planning and building a sustainable 40-hour culture for the long run.

"Leadership is about setting boundaries, focusing on what truly matters, and building a team that’s smarter than you - because sustainable impact is a marathon, not a sprint."

ABOUT JANELLE

Janelle Miller Moravek is a nonprofit leader & mental health advocate. She has led Youth & Family Counseling as Executive Director since 2009, driving its growth and impact across Lake County, Illinois. With a deep commitment to increasing access to mental health services, she oversees strategy, programming, and operations while fostering strong partnerships throughout the community. Janelle plays a key leadership role in the region, serving on the board of the Lake County Alliance for Human Services and co-chairing the Lake County Behavioral Health Action Team. Her prior experience includes development roles at Carmel Catholic High School and Barat College. She holds a BA in French Studies from Wesleyan University.

EPISODE TOPICS & RESOURCES

• Ready for your next leadership opportunity? Visit our partners at Armstrong McGuire
• The Talent Development Platform by Heather Carpentar & Tara Qualls
• Want to chat leadership 24/7?  Go to delphi.ai/pattonmcdowell
• Have you gotten Patton’s book Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: Seven Keys to Advancing Your Career in the Philanthropic Sector – Now available on Audible

Leave us a comment below! We would love to hear from you!