Move with Purpose: What Nonprofit Leaders Can Learn from Crisis with T. Hampton Dohrman

When a nonprofit hits crisis mode—bank account dwindling, staff morale low, systems in disarray—most leaders panic. T. Hampton Dohrman runs toward the fire. In this episode of the Nonprofit Council Podcast, Hampton shares what it really takes to “right the ship”—from checking if you can even make payroll to teaching boards why losing money on purpose can sometimes be the smartest move an organization makes.

When You Walk Into a Fire

Hampton Dohrman has made a career out of stepping into the mess. As an interim executive and operations consultant, he’s seen organizations on the brink—payroll due in two weeks, lawsuits pending, records scattered, systems neglected. His first move is refreshingly practical: confirm cash in the bank, then scan for immediate compliance risks that could sink the organization (think insurance coverage and workers’ comp status). Only once the “are we going to survive the month?” questions are settled does he widen the lens to diagnose the real problems—not just the loudest ones.

A hard-won lesson he now bakes into day one: kick the tires on insurance. In one engagement, a months-long workers’ comp lapse was quietly compounding risk. Now, it’s a standard part of his intake checklist—right alongside locating the files, validating financials, and mapping core processes.

From Chaos to Cadence

Crisis work isn’t just triage; it’s about restoring rhythm. For Hampton, that means catching up on recurring tasks (financial closes, payables, payroll), re-establishing HR basics, and building a clean handoff. His team approach—splitting focus areas and moving fast—turns “where is everything?” into “here’s how it all works.”

The most satisfying phase, he says, is the long-tail transition: staying on to help a new leader build threshold competencies they won’t learn anywhere else—how insurance works, how payroll flows, how to read what the numbers are saying. That kind of scaffolding opens doors for nontraditional executive candidates and breaks the “only people who’ve already done this get to do this” cycle.

For New Nonprofits: Progress Over Perfection

Early-stage organizations often lead with passion and program savvy—and feel underwater on governance, finance, and ops. Hampton’s advice: know the rules, but don’t let perfection block momentum. Aim for “a little better every month” instead of “flawless from day one.” Perfect financials are never the mission; they’re a tool to run the mission better.

Keep the mission central even in back-office choices. If a sophisticated reporting build-out is too heavy for year one, stage it. Choose systems that your current team can actually maintain. And remember: the goal of operations is not to create paperwork—it’s to sustain your mission and impact.

For Growing Orgs: Look Forward, Not Just Back

As organizations mature, the financial conversation should shift from rear-view to windshield. An annual budget divided by 12 won’t cut it; build seasonality in. Pair cash-flow forecasting with strategy so the numbers reflect the story you’re trying to tell next quarter, not just what happened last quarter.

When leaders connect budgets to strategy—payroll levels to program commitments, supplies to growth plans—financials become a narrative device. You’re not just reporting; you’re aligning resources with intention.

The 990 Is a Story You Control

Both Hampton and host May Harris make a case that too many orgs miss: your Form 990 is public, discoverable, and increasingly crawled by AI. Treat it like part of your brand. Use program accomplishments and Schedule O to contextualize what a funder or journalist will see in the numbers. If you planned to “lose money on purpose” to launch a vital program, say so—clearly.

The Takeaway

Hampton’s through-line is simple and powerful: do everything on purpose. If you’re spending down reserves, do it intentionally. If a program runs at a deficit this year, know why—and how it’s being covered. Build tools that look forward. Prepare transitions that widen the leadership pipeline. And make every operational choice part of a single story—the one where your mission actually gets done.