How to delegate with confidence
and empower a team

Read time: 3-4 Minutes

Trust me, I’ve been there.

Running a nonprofit feels like spinning a hundred plates at once. You’ve got fundraising, program management, communications, board meetings… and somehow, you’re also in charge of snacks for the next event. 🥨🧃

Trying to do it all yourself? That’s a fast track to burnout (I’ve been there, too).

But something I’ve seen time and time again is that the strongest nonprofits are not built by leaders who do everything—they thrive when leaders empower other people to step up.

So how do you delegate with confidence and ensure your team (staff, volunteers, or board members) takes on more responsibility, without feeling like you have to micromanage?

In this issue of Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, we’re going to talk about three key ways to lighten your workload and build a team that works alongside you.

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Delegation is key, but it requires trust and a mindset shift. It’s about letting go of control and empowering your team to build a stronger, more effective organization.

So, here are a few tips that have helped me ask for help. You can try them out with any person in your life - volunteers, employees, committee members on my board, and EVEN life partners at home.
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1. Trust Your Team (You Chose Them for a Reason!) 🤝

Your team is there for a reason—because they bring value! Building trust in small ways helps your team grow into leaders and makes your workload more manageable. Here’s how you can build trust and give your team room to contribute:

• Start small: Hand off a simple, repeatable task that doesn’t require constant oversight—like scheduling social media posts, drafting donor thank-you emails, or setting up event logistics. Let them take full ownership.
• Invite their ideas: Instead of assigning a task with strict instructions, ask “How would you approach this?” or “What do you think is the best way to get this done?” This builds confidence and encourages creative problem-solving.
• Reinforce trust: A simple “I trust you to handle this” or “You’ve got this!” goes a long way in making people feel valued and capable.

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2. Delegate with Purpose & Clarity 🎯

​Delegation isn’t just offloading tasks— it’s about assigning work strategically. When people understand the why, they’re more invested in the how. Match responsibilities to people’s strengths, set clear expectations and give them ownership. Here’s how:

• Match tasks to strengths: People thrive when they work in areas where they feel confident and capable.
• Explain the ‘why’: When people understand the impact of their role, they’re more invested in the work. I’m a firm believer that every role in a nonprofit is important to driving the mission forward, from the person on the front-lines delivering the program to the administrative support team member making sure your organization pays its electric bill. Ever try tackling a major social issue without electricity? (It would be hard.) So articulating the value people bring goes a loooong way.
• Be specific: Define what success looks like with clear deadlines, goals, and outcomes. People are more likely to meet expectations when they know what they are!

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3. Check In, But Don’t Micromanage 👀

Handing off tasks is just the first step—following up the right way ensures success.

A great rule of thumb? As a leader of a social impact team, aim to spend 30% of your time guiding others on your team, 30% managing up to your donors/board, and 30% on your own work.

That last 10% is your doom-scrolling time (Just kidding. Don’t do that. Get outside, take a walk, or have a nice conversation with a human instead.).

If you can achieve this balance, it will keeps things running smoothly while empowering your team to step up. Here’s how to check in without micromanaging:

• Schedule regular check-ins: A check-in every other week helps keep communication open without micromanaging.
• Ask coaching questions: Instead of “Do you need me to take this over?”, try “What’s your next step?”
• Provide feedback, not control: Empowerment leads to better results than hovering ever will.

👉 Here's a challenge:

I dare you to come up with one task you can delegate this week. Not sure how to pick one? I love the Eisenhower Box decision-making tool shared by author James Clear here. Try it!

Don’t forget to hit reply to let me know how it goes!

3 more ways I can help you

1. I have lots of free content for you! Check out my library of 250+ educational videos on nonprofits, social entrepreneurship, fundraising, and more on my YouTube channel. If you like what I'm trying to do, help me reach more people like you - who want to make an impact - by subscribing to the channel and sharing it with a changemaker friend! 😁
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2. Need extra support to build or grow a nonprofit or social enterprise? Check out my Changemaker Accelerator membership. Learn more and join.
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3. Need a speaker or training workshop for your social impact event? I'm currently booking 2025 speaking engagements -- check out my speaking and workshop opportunities to learn how I can help you make your event inspiring and actionable!