The nonprofit sector is stretched thin — and the people powering it are feeling it. The 2026 Nonprofit Organizational Health Study found that 51% of nonprofits report moderate burnout, 53% struggle to offer competitive compensation, and demand for services keeps rising with staffing expected to stay flat.
Join Brighter Strategies for a live conversation digging into the human side of these challenges: how organizations are retaining talent, supporting volunteers, preventing burnout, and planning for leadership transitions — even with limited resources.
This conversation features nonprofit leaders and practitioners sharing what’s working on the ground right now. It’s designed for executive directors, HR leaders, board members, and anyone working to build and sustain strong nonprofit teams.
What To Expect From This Discussion:
- Real-world perspective from the field
We’ll begin with insights from our guest’s organization to ground the conversation in lived experience and sector expertise. - Rethinking recruitment and retention
Discover creative, mission-aligned strategies organizations are using to attract and keep talent beyond salary alone. - Preventing burnout in a high-demand environment
Learn how leaders are addressing rising workloads, limited staffing, and team wellbeing before challenges escalate into crisis.
- The future of volunteer engagement
Explore how managing volunteer-driven teams is evolving — and what it takes to build sustainable, engaged support networks. - What’s working (and what’s not)
Hear real examples of success, along with common pitfalls organizations face when tackling staffing and burnout challenges. - Leading with resilience and intention
Walk away with practical advice, a renewed sense of possibility, and one key action you can take to support your team right now.
Why This Matters
Nonprofits are essential infrastructure for our communities. Understanding the realities organizations are facing, and the strategies that are helping them adapt, is critical to ensuring long-term impact.
This is more than a data release. It’s a call to collective leadership.
Panelist Include:
Glen O’Gilvie, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, Center for Nonprofit Advancement
Glen O’Gilvie has served as the Center’s CEO since 2008, providing leadership in education, networking, advocacy and funding to support nonprofits throughout our region. A leader with more than 20 years of management experience in the National Capital region’s nonprofit sector, Glen is passionate about addressing the issues affecting people and communities.
Before joining the Center, Glen served as President and CEO of Earth Conservation Corps, Program Officer at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and National Coordinator at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. During his tenure at each organization, he strengthened programmatic and administrative infrastructure and forged partnerships with nonprofits, government, foundations and corporations to advance each mission and increase outcomes.
Glen holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master’s of education and has completed various nonprofit management and leadership training and certification programs, including Harvard University Kennedy School’s Leadership in the 21st Century. In 2015, he accomplished the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. He also serves as a nonprofit management, fundraising, and leadership and management adjunct professor.
Glen resides with his wife and two children, Delaney and AJ, and is active in youth sports and education enrichment.
Mike Curtin, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer, DC Central Kitchen
Mike Curtin, Jr. joined DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) in 2004, taking over as Chief Executive Officer of the country’s first community kitchen from founder Robert Egger in 2007. He came to the organization after a 20-year career in the hospitality sector that included owning and operating his own restaurant, The Broad Street Grill, in Falls Church, Virginia. Drawing on that industry expertise, Mike has grown DCCK’s social enterprise portfolio into thriving initiatives that generate more than $10 million in annual earnings, allowing DC Central Kitchen to match every donation it receives with earned revenue.
Mike has led the organization through the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and significant periods of organizational growth and expansion. His focus on ‘good business’ solutions that created meaningful careers for DC Central Kitchen culinary graduates has helped the Kitchen consistently earn half its annual budget through social enterprise activities and sustain over 300 full-time, living wage jobs in the District of Columbia. Along the way, he has championed industry-leading, innovative practices around internal staff development and accessible career tracks, comprehensive benefits and fair schedules that sustain pathways out of poverty and undertook an eight-day public fast to call attention to the often undervalued role of nonprofits in our community.
Jalisa Johnson, SPHR, PHR, SHRM-SCP
Director of People Strategy at Brighter Strategies
Jalisa Johnson is a seasoned human resources professional with nearly 15 years of experience guiding organizations through complex people challenges. As Team Lead, Client Services People Strategy, Jalisa partners with clients across industries—including technology, healthcare, government contracting, transportation, and media—to deliver forward-thinking, practical HR solutions.
Jalisa’s expertise spans the full spectrum of human capital management, from strategic planning and talent assessment to compliance, employee relations, and performance management. She has led global HR teams and business partnerships in the US, India, Europe, and Canada, bringing a global perspective to every engagement. Known for her hands-on approach and high standards, Jalisa excels at designing and implementing creative solutions that align HR strategy with business objectives.
Clients value Jalisa’s ability to navigate both the tactical and strategic aspects of HR, whether advising on employment law, developing policies, or supporting day-to-day operations. Her collaborative style fosters innovative, inclusive cultures and empowers organizations to achieve their goals.
Jalisa holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology (with a concentration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology) and Sociology (with a concentration in Organizations and Institutions) from the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as a certificate in Diversity. She is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Jalisa is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR).
Jalisa is passionate about helping organizations build strong, effective HR practices that drive business success.
Elizabeth Scott, PHD, Moderator
CEO/President Brighter Strategies
Liz founded Brighter Strategies and has over 20 years of expertise in change management, strategic planning, and human capital development. Prior to founding Brighter Strategies, Liz served as the vice president of strategy and performance development for a large human service agency. Liz also provided a wide range of management consulting services to federal, state, and local government clients through her earlier career experience.
Liz is a respected and sought-after speaker on the topics of culture, leadership, and strategy. She has taught graduate-level courses in organizational diagnosis and assessment, change management, and culture, as well as statistics, data collection, and evaluation design.
Liz has a doctorate and a master’s in human and organizational systems from Fielding University. She also holds a bachelor’s in sociology and a master’s in organizational management from George Washington University. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Ripple Effect.