Business Analysis for Nonprofit Leaders: Why You’ve Been Doing It All Along
- Roseanna Galindo, CCBA, CAVS
- 11 minutes ago
- 7 min read
When I stepped into my new role as Executive Director of a regional nonprofit foundation this summer, one of my first responsibilities was to create a strategic plan. On the surface, it looked like a typical leadership task: review what exists, understand where we want to go, and chart the course forward.
But as I work through this process, I realize that I am not simply “strategic planning.” What I am doing is business analysis in action. In this article, I explore how nonprofit leaders have been practicing business analysis all along, why naming it matters, and how embracing this perspective can strengthen strategy, decision-making, and impact.
Seeing My Leadership Through a Business Analysis Lens
In practice, the work involves clarifying the organization’s strengths, identifying opportunities, and defining the initiatives that will move us toward greater impact. I consider the trusted legacy of a 50-year-old nonprofit, its reputation for financial stability, and its dedicated board of healthcare leaders. I also examine where visibility, donor engagement, and infrastructure must grow to support our mission across the 15 counties we seek to serve.
Business analysis gives me more than a plan. It provides a structure, a language, and a framework that ensures nothing essential is overlooked. It also helps me stay objective. Outcomes, whether they meet expectations or require adjustment, are measurable and explainable. The process separates my leadership identity from the performance of any single initiative. Business analysis is an approachable framework for nonprofit sector work.
This perspective feels different because I can now name it. I see clearly that the tools of business analysis are guiding my leadership. And in this recognition, I realize something bigger: nonprofit leaders everywhere have been practicing business analysis all along.
Business Analysis as the Work for Nonprofit Leaders
For many years, I did not recognize this connection myself. I served for 16 years as a Director of Volunteer Services in a large healthcare setting. My work included developing volunteer programs, piloting new initiatives, evaluating impact, and engaging stakeholders across the organization. At the time, I thought of it as program development and volunteer management. It was only later, when I pursued formal education and training in business analysis, that I saw what I had truly been doing.
In 2022, I earned the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA®). In 2024, I advanced to the Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA®). That education has illuminated something I had instinctively known but never fully articulated: the work of volunteer leaders and nonprofit executives is deeply rooted in business analysis.
Volunteer programs are solutions. They address people-centered problems with people-centered answers. Pilots are prototypes. Evaluations are forms of solution assessment. What nonprofit leaders have long called “program development” is, in the language of business analysis, a structured approach to enabling change, defining needs, and delivering value.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) highlights this truth through their campaign #AnalysisEverywhere. It emphasizes that BA is not confined to technical projects or software implementation. Instead, it is a framework that can be applied anywhere meaningful change is needed. That includes nonprofits.
Common BA Techniques Nonprofit Leaders Already Use
If you are a nonprofit leader, chances are you already apply many of the same techniques business analysts rely on. These approaches may feel like “common sense,” but they are also part of a global discipline. Each one has been explored in depth in earlier articles which are linked below.
Business Analysis Process Mapping for Nonprofit Leaders
Whenever you clarify workflows, for example, how volunteers move from application to onboarding, you are using process maps to visualize a process from start to finish. Process mapping is one of the most accessible BA tools for nonprofit leaders.
Stakeholder and Audience Analysis for Nonprofit Leaders
When you carefully consider the needs of donors, volunteers, scholarship recipients, board members, and community partners, you are practicing stakeholder analysis. Understanding who your stakeholders are and how best to engage them is fundamental to making the right decisions.
Prioritization Technique for Nonprofit Leaders
With limited resources, not everything can be a priority. Choosing which initiatives to advance first is a classic BA activity. Frameworks for grouping, ranking, and negotiating priorities help leaders avoid overwhelm and focus on the work that creates the most value.
Program/Solution Evaluation for Nonprofit Leaders
Measuring whether a program or initiative delivers the intended outcomes is business analysis in action. In BA terms, this is called solution evaluation. It ensures that programs achieve their goals and continue to align with organizational strategy.
Prototyping and Piloting for Nonprofit Leaders
Testing a new idea on a small scale before rolling it out more broadly is another BA technique. Nonprofit leaders often call this piloting, but in BA it is known as prototyping. The principle is the same: reduce risk, gather feedback, and refine before scaling.
Root Cause Analysis for Nonprofit Leaders
When you dig into the underlying reasons for challenges, such as why donor engagement has stalled or why volunteers are leaving, you are applying root cause analysis. Techniques like the “Five Why’s” or the Fishbone Diagram help you uncover what is really happening.
KPI Development for Nonprofit Leaders
Finally, when you define clear measures of success that tie directly to your mission and strategy, you are developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Setting KPIs ensures that progress is not only felt but also tracked and communicated.
These are not abstract tools. They are techniques you already use to strengthen your nonprofit every day. By naming them as business analysis, you gain both validation and a structure to refine them further.
Why Naming the Work Matters
Calling this work business analysis, rather than simply program development or leadership, matters for several reasons.
First, it provides validation. What may feel like instinct or experience is also reflected in a global body of knowledge. For me, discovering this gave new weight to the skills I had honed over decades.
Second, it adds clarity. A structured approach ensures that critical steps are not missed. Whether analyzing stakeholders, setting criteria for prioritization, or defining KPIs, a framework keeps the process deliberate and consistent.
Third, it provides objectivity. When results are measured against defined metrics, the outcome is no longer simply personal. Successes are documented, and setbacks are explainable. This perspective allows leaders to avoid tying their personal identity to the fate of any single initiative.
Finally, it elevates credibility. Using the language of business analysis communicates to boards, funders, and partners that nonprofit decisions are grounded in professional standards. It signals rigor and enhances trust.
For me, adopting the BA mindset has changed how I view my own leadership. What I once called program design or volunteer management is now part of a recognized discipline. It gives me confidence, a checklist to ensure thoroughness, and a framework that makes outcomes easier to explain.
Bringing BA Into the Executive Role
In my current role as an Executive Director, I find myself drawing heavily on stakeholder analysis and prioritization. Understanding who we serve, who supports us, and how to position our mission is essential. Equally essential is prioritizing initiatives so that the daily work connects directly to measurable strategic objectives.
The temptation for any nonprofit is to try to do everything at once. Business analysis helps me resist that impulse. It guides me to focus on the work that will deliver the greatest value first, while setting aside ideas that are less aligned with strategic goals.
This discipline ensures that resources are directed toward outcomes that matter most to the mission.
As I apply these principles in my current role, I'm beginning to see their impact each day with the North Valley Health Education Foundation (NVHEF). NVHEF is a scholarship-conferring organization dedicated to advancing regional healthcare through education. Our mission is to inspire, nurture, and support students pursuing healthcare careers across a 15-county California North State region. Business analysis helps ensure that every decision, from scholarships to outreach, is focused on creating the greatest value for our students and communities.
Business Analysis Everywhere
The beauty of business analysis is that it is not bound by industry. It is not limited to IT projects or corporate environments. It is equally powerful in healthcare, education, and the nonprofit sector.
Every time a nonprofit leader launches a new initiative, engages a board, evaluates donor engagement, or develops a program, they are applying business analysis. Recognizing that fact elevates the work you are already doing and equips you to do it with greater impact.
This is the heart of #AnalysisEverywhere. Business analysis is not just about software, data, or systems. It is about change, need, value, context, solutions, and stakeholders. It is about aligning mission with action and creating measurable value in the process.
Summary
Nonprofit leaders have been doing business analysis all along. The difference now is that we can name it, refine it, and leverage it more intentionally.
For me, this recognition has come full circle — from years of volunteer leadership, to formal BA education, to applying these tools as an Executive Director. I see clearly how business analysis validates and strengthens the work of nonprofit leaders.
The invitation is simple: begin to view your leadership through the lens of business analysis. Recognize that the skills you use every day are part of a respected global discipline. Embrace the clarity and structure it offers. And use it to lead with confidence, ensuring that your work delivers not only heartfelt impact but also measurable, lasting value.
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Explore Roseanna’s expertise and insights on her blog, The Periscope Insighter, starting with the opening post.
Roseanna offers a range of professional development services, including training workshops, keynote speaking, and executive coaching.
She is dedicated to advancing data literacy, enhancing healthcare experiences, and empowering nonprofit leaders.