Next Stage

04/23/2026

24 Hours, 10,000+ beds built!

Last week, Next Stage's Josh Jacobson and Caylin Haldeman participated in the Lowe's Companies, Inc. 24-Hour Bed Build to benefit Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Thousands of volunteers came together and built a record number of beds for children, supporting the important work of 110 Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapters across 36 states.

It's been our pleasure to work alongside the Lowe's Foundation for the past 3 years, and we thank Lowe's and Sleep in Heavenly Peace for the opportunity to participate in this event!

04/16/2026

When Charlotte Community Health Clinic reached a critical inflection point in its growth trajectory, the organization turned to Next Stage for strategic planning support to chart its path forward.

Through external data analysis, community engagement, and collaborative planning, Next Stage helped CCHC reframe its role in Charlotte's health landscape, positioning the clinic as a foundational partner in the city's broader community development ecosystem.

Read the full case study for more: https://bit.ly/4vw8sdn

And to learn more about CCHC’s important work, visit https://bit.ly/48640I9.

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Interested in learning how Next Stage can support your organization's strategic planning efforts?
🧑‍💻 Reach out today: https://bit.ly/48P7LC1

When Charlotte Community Health Clinic (CCHC) reached a critical inflection point in its growth trajectory, the organization turned to Next Stage for strategic planning support to chart its path forward. The engagement evolved into a comprehensive partnership, encompassing innovative brand marketing...

03/19/2026

Most social good organizations make their case through a familiar set of metrics: quality of programming, cost efficiency, and measurable outcomes. Those things matter. But they typically only describe what happens inside an organization's walls.

As federal funding contracts and the safety net frays, communities will likely lose individual programs. They'll also lose the connective tissue between them. A workforce pipeline feeds a housing initiative, which depends on a healthcare provider, which relies on a childcare system. When one piece disappears, the stress doesn't stay contained.

This month's blog explores what it means to evaluate your organization's role in the broader ecosystem and communicate it to the people who need to hear it.

Check out this month's blog for more!
🔗 Link in the comments

02/25/2026

When GreenLight Fund Charlotte sought to identify its next strategic investment, the organization partnered with Next Stage to conduct a comprehensive, community voice-driven needs assessment to surface insights directly from residents.

By combining rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies with human-centered design tools, Next Stage helped GreenLight Fund Charlotte ensure that its investment decisions would be grounded in community-identified needs.

Want to learn more? Read the full case study today: https://bit.ly/4sAw2El

GreenLight Fund Charlotte partnered with Next Stage to conduct a community voice needs assessment to help identify its next investment.

02/19/2026

Things are not alright. And the communities your organization serves are feeling it.

While a lot of the sector conversation right now is rightly focused on financial planning and operational resilience, this month's blog makes the case that community voice deserves equal urgency. When the ground feels unsteady, people notice who shows up, who listens, and who creates space for real dialogue.

Check out our latest blog post for a primer on how to stay proximate to the people at the heart of your mission. 🔗 Link in comments.

02/18/2026

Today, we're celebrating two milestones: 12 years of partnership with the social good community, and the launch of our new website.

Our digital home has been rebuilt to better reflect who we are and the work we do alongside nonprofits, foundations, healthcare organizations, and government and corporate partners. We invite you to take a look around and explore our services, our approach, and stories from the organizations we've had the privilege of supporting.

None of this happens without the right people. Thank you to Wendy Orrego for the beautiful visual design that tells our story, Nora Hines for crafting every word with intention, Caylin Haldeman for keeping it all moving, and Edwin Xico and team for bringing it to life technically.

It's a big day for us, and we are thrilled to share this with you, our friends, colleagues, and clients. This work is shaped by yours, and we're grateful you're here.

Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4qIgNXA.

01/22/2026

Although the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill won't be fully felt until 2027, the impending wave of spending cuts poses a real threat to every social good organization (regardless of service area).

So rather than drop anchor and attempt to weather the storm, the time is now to embark on a strategic planning effort to ensure sustainability for your organization, its mission, and the communities you serve.

Check out this month's blog for more: https://bit.ly/4jyAuiI

Federal spending cuts are poised to create social good's greatest challenge in our lifetime. Strategic planning is the sector's path forward.

12/11/2025

Every December, the Next Stage team looks back across the year’s retreats, board meetings, listening sessions, late-night conversations, and messy whiteboards to help forecast what's to come in the year ahead.

Because that’s where the real story lives — in the patterns that emerge from the lived experiences of leaders trying to navigate an increasingly complex landscape.

Check out this month's blog for 10 trends we believe will shape social good in the coming year:

Discover 10 trends set to shape social good in 2026 through this annual forecast from the team at Next Stage.

11/19/2025

UrbanPromise Charlotte has been investing in Charlotte’s youth for more than a decade, guiding children and young adults on a 20-year leadership journey from ages 5 to 25.

Following a decade of rapid growth, the organization recognized that investing in board governance was essential heading into 2026.

The nonprofit turned to Next Stage to design a full-day retreat that would engage staff and board members in shared learning and build consensus around a path forward.

Want to learn more?

Read the full case study today:

Discover how Next Stage designed a board retreat for UrbanPromise Charlotte to support the nonprofit's next phase of growth.

11/13/2025

As organizations begin their end-of-year planning, one thing is certain: It’s not easy to plan when the ground feels like it’s shifting beneath your feet.

But the truth is, sitting on the fence until the dust settles is the surest way to get left behind.

That's why we've prepared this practical checklist to help you navigate uncertainty with confidence and get your nonprofit ready for 2026.

Check out this month's blog for more: https://bit.ly/47xMX1S

Use this practical checklist to help navigate uncertainty with confidence and get your nonprofit ready for 2026.

10/15/2025

Arts+ partnered with Next Stage to conduct a comprehensive market analysis to inform its strategic planning and revenue programming.

Serving 4,000 students annually with diverse arts education offerings, the nonprofit sought to understand its competitive position and growth opportunities in an evolving market.

Next Stage deployed a multifaceted research approach, including surveys, stakeholder interviews, focus groups, competitive pricing analysis, and demographic profiling to answer key questions about market share, competition, and untapped opportunities.

The study identified significant growth potential and uncovered valuable insights about post-pandemic trends — including increased demand for arts-based mental health support, skill-building programs, and corporate team-building opportunities.

What's more, Next Stage's analysis provided Arts+ with data-driven recommendations to guide program development, pricing strategies, and marketing approaches to empower the nonprofit to expand its reach while maintaining its mission of accessible, high-quality arts education for diverse communities.

Read the full case study today: https://bit.ly/46QC9LT

10/09/2025

Nonprofits are facing competing pressures: preserving relationships with major donors and policymakers by steering clear of politics vs. responding to supporters who expect them to be vocal champions for change.

And in today's highly polarized environment, sometimes even stating facts can feel like picking sides...

But the reality is, neutrality isn't cost-free. It can alienate passionate supporters and normalize policies that damage the most vulnerable.

Ready for some actionable tips to help your organization get started on its advocacy journey?

Check out this month's blog for more: https://bit.ly/42rBmOY

Explore key factors your social good institution should consider as part of your efforts to establish an advocacy strategy for 2026.