Why Nonprofits Struggle to Network — And How That’s Holding Us Back

The nonprofit sector thrives on relationships —  including among organizations, funders and the communities they serve. Yet despite being rooted in collaboration, many nonprofit professionals operate in isolation, lacking the networking culture common in the for-profit world.

This isn’t just a missed opportunity — I believe it’s actively limiting innovation, funding and sector-wide impact.

Why Nonprofits Struggle With Networking

To understand why networking hasn’t become second nature in our field, we need to look at the environmental and cultural barriers that shape nonprofit work.

Scarcity Mindset and Competition for Funding

Let’s be honest — many nonprofits still see one another as competitors, not collaborators. This is largely due to the nature of philanthropy and grantmaking, which often rewards isolated success instead of collaborative approaches. This scarcity mindset discourages organizations from sharing ideas, resources or lessons learned. Why hand your playbook to someone who might get the next grant you need?

Grantees frequently feel pressure to perform, leading to guardedness and reluctance to share what’s working — or not, according to a report from The Center for Effective Philanthropy.

This fear-based dynamic keeps organizations from co-creating or exchanging resources, and reinforces a scarcity mindset that limits sector-wide progress. Innovation suffers. So does morale.

Overwork and Lack of Time

Nonprofit professionals are some of the hardest-working people out there. We’re juggling it all — program delivery, fundraising, operations, storytelling, etc.

Unlike the corporate world, where networking might be baked into team offsites or leadership training, most nonprofit staff simply don’t have the time or the organizational culture that supports it. If it’s not tied to an immediate funding opportunity or deliverable, it falls off the to-do list. In a field that depends so deeply on human relationships, this is a quiet but significant cost.

Lack of Infrastructure for Peer Connection

There’s no shortage of amazing people in the sector — but there is a shortage of intentional spaces to meet them. Conferences and webinars exist, but access is uneven, and relationships built at events often fade without follow-up infrastructure.

We don’t need more panels — we need mechanisms for ongoing, meaningful interaction. We grow when we connect outside of our immediate circles, not just within them.

Fear of Transparency and Vulnerability

Many nonprofit leaders feel pressure to present a polished, perfect image — to funders, boards and each other. There’s an unspoken fear: If I share what’s not working, will I lose credibility? This fear stifles the kinds of honest conversations that lead to shared learning and innovation. We can’t grow if we’re too scared to admit where we’re struggling.

The Cost of a Weak Networking Culture

When we don’t invest in authentic connection, we pay the price—not just in missed relationships, but in lost momentum and systemic inefficiencies.

Missed Opportunities for Collaboration

When organizations working on similar missions don’t talk to each other, everyone loses. They miss out on opportunities to co-apply for funding, co-host events or share back-end tools and resources. We end up duplicating efforts instead of multiplying impact.

Slower Career Growth and Development

Mentorship, peer support and knowledge-sharing are critical to growing a career. In the absence of strong professional networks, nonprofit staff are more likely to burn out or stall out. No one should feel like they have to figure it all out alone. (The idea of leading without a title — as Eli Clarke, the director of development for major gifts at the University of Waterloo and the founder of Essential Consulting, describes it — is a good reminder that investing in others doesn’t always require a formal program — just intention.)

Limited Innovation and Cross-Sector Learning

The for-profit sector thrives on idea exchange. Think tech meetups, design sprints and Slack communities. That’s where innovation happens.

In nonprofits, when we don’t have the infrastructure to share ideas across organizations, we move slower. We miss emerging trends. And we’re less likely to adopt smart, people-first technology that could help us grow.

How We Can Build a Culture of Networking in Nonprofits

It’s time to make connection a strategic priority — not an afterthought. Here’s how I feel nonprofit can begin to shift our culture.

Normalize Relationship-Building as Part of the Job

Networking shouldn’t be seen as a luxury — it’s a necessity. Funders can play a huge role here by encouraging (and funding) peer learning, mentorship programs and staff time for professional development.

Leaders, too, need to model this by making space for their teams to build relationships beyond donors.

Facilitate More Intentional Peer-to-Peer Connections

It’s not enough to say, “Go network.” We need structures that make it easy and worthwhile. Think beyond one-off events — regular peer meetups, small group conversations and platforms that foster authentic, ongoing connections. Communities are designed exactly for this — to create low-lift, high-impact opportunities to connect and collaborate.

Shift the Mindset from Competition to Collective Impact

We need a mindset shift — from “we have to win” to “we win together.” When we uplift stories of nonprofit partnerships and funders who reward collaboration, we help normalize working together as the default — not the exception.

Sharing your knowledge and being open about what isn’t working doesn’t make you weaker — it makes the whole sector stronger.

Use Technology to Bridge the Networking Gap

LinkedIn, group chats, virtual coworking, Slack channels — these are simple tools that can keep conversations going year-round. Nonprofit professionals should feel empowered (and encouraged) to show up in these spaces, share insights and ask questions. That’s how the collective wisdom of our sector grows.

The hidden cost of treating nonprofit work as a solo mission? Missed partnerships. Slower innovation. Burned out professionals.

We need to reimagine networking not as an add-on, but as essential infrastructure for a healthy, impactful sector. It’s time to build the culture we deserve — one where connection, collaboration and community are not only valued, but expected.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.