Authentic Passion and a “Get It Done!” Culture: A Five-Minute Wake-Up Call for Nonprofits
- Tom Iselin
- Aug 1, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
Authentic Passion and a “Get It Done!” Culture: A Five-Minute Wake-Up Call for Nonprofits
In this blog and video, you’ll get a concise summary of the Authentic Passion and “Get It Done!” Culture series. In just five minutes, it highlights several critical points your board and staff must keep in mind if they want to stay focused on fulfilling the mission—not just talking about it.
A unified “Get It Done!” culture rooted in authentic passion will put your nonprofit head and shoulders aboveorganizations stuck in lackluster “get by” cultures.
Lip Service Passion: A Costly Reality
As you may recall, I once ran a nonprofit in the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, called Sun Valley Adaptive Sports.
Some board members were incredibly enthusiastic about the mission—at least verbally. They made plenty of noise about how much they cared, but did very little to actually fulfill the mission.
Their passion worked like a faucet. It turned on when it was time to:
Talk with donors
Secure partnerships
Recruit new board members
But when it came to doing the work? It was mostly talk.
That’s lip service passion.
The High Cost of Culture Change
It took two years and an enormous amount of time, energy, and money to replace the board and transform a culture deeply rooted in lip service passion into one of authentic passion.
Imagine how much more Adaptive Sports could have accomplished—programmatically, operationally, and financially—had those resources not been diverted to cultural repair.
Fortunately, Adaptive Sports survived the transformation.
Most nonprofits don’t.
Why Most Nonprofits Fail to Change
Nonprofits stuck in lip service passion typically don’t evolve. Instead, they:
Flail and flounder
Lose funding
Watch talented people walk away
See their mission wither and fade
Like a flower starved of water, the mission slowly wilts.
Authentic Passion Is Non-Negotiable
If you want to be a high-performance, “do something” nonprofit, authentic passion must be front and center in the hearts and minds of everyone connected to your organization.
Authentic passion must be:
A structural cornerstone
A philosophical foundation
One of the first—and strongest—stones you put in place
The success and sustainability of everything your nonprofit does ultimately depends on it.
Startups Have an Advantage
If you’re launching a startup nonprofit, you’re in a strong position.
You can establish authentic passion early by:
Embedding it in your bylaws
Outlining it in your statement of purpose
Hiring staff with a track record of action
Recruiting board members who walk the walk
Building authentic passion early is far easier than trying to retrofit it later.
Established Nonprofits: Expect the Remodel
If you’re part of an established nonprofit, changing culture will take work.
You’ll likely need to:
Revise core governing documents
Inspire staff and board members to change long-standing habits
Adjust management style and operational practices
Think of it like remodeling a house while you’re living in it. It will be messy, inconvenient, cost more than planned, and take longer than expected.
But it’s worth it.
What Happens When Authentic Passion Takes Hold
Once authentic passion becomes the driving force behind your nonprofit, remarkable things begin to happen.
You’ll see:
Donations arriving from unexpected sources
Volunteers offering limitless time, talent, and energy
Businesses providing donated services
Media reaching out to tell your story
Most importantly, there’s a shared, contagious excitement—a Ferris wheel of momentum—where everyone is committed to doing something with pride, excellence, and urgency.
Lip service passion is replaced by full-service, authentic passion.
People don’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk—with honor, humility, and gratitude.
It’s nonprofit bliss.
Takeaways
If your nonprofit wants to thrive:
Lip service passion is not enough
Authentic passion must be intentional and visible
Culture change is costly—but stagnation costs more
Unified action beats enthusiastic talk every time
Authentic passion fuels performance.
Summary
A nonprofit driven by authentic passion and a unified “Get It Done!” culture doesn’t just survive—it thrives. Boards and staff move from talking about the mission to fulfilling it with clarity, energy, and pride.
Watch the video, share it with your board and staff, and use it as a reminder of what truly separates high-performing nonprofits from those that simply get by.
Because when authentic passion takes over, extraordinary things follow.
Additional Resources:
Articles
Tom's Books, Podcasts, and YouTube Channel
About the Author
Tom Iselin is recognized as one of America’s leading authorities on high-performance nonprofits. He has built nine sector-leading nonprofits and two software companies, written six books, sits on multiple boards, and has been rated one of America’s Best Board Retreat and Strategic Planning Facilitators. His work on nonprofit strategy, board leadership, and culture has been featured on CNN, Nightline, and in Newsweek.
Tom is the president of First Things First, a firm specializing in board retreats, strategic planning services, fundraising strategy, and executive coaching for nonprofit CEOs.
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If you’re looking for a board retreat facilitator or strategic planning facilitator who has been in the trenches and understands real-world nonprofit challenges, Tom can help your board gain clarity, build alignment, and create an actionable plan that improves performance and impact. His sessions propel organizations to the next level of performance and impact . . . and they're fun!
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