Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast: Micro-Series Pt3

Episode Title: How To Start Fixing Your Design Deficits
Host: Brooke Richie-Babbage
Date: February 5, 2026

Overview

In this third installment of her micro-series, Brooke Richie-Babbage addresses the common struggles nonprofit leaders face when their organization's "design" begins to buckle under growth—manifesting as chaos, exhaustion, and near-burnout. She lays out simple, practical steps for moving beyond constant hustle toward building resilient internal infrastructure. The episode is an actionable guide for moving from “grit” to intentional organizational design, focusing on the first steps leaders can take to fix what she calls “design deficits.”

Key Discussion Points & Action Steps

1. Recognizing Design Deficits

• What Is a Design Deficit?
  Brooke refers listeners to the previous two episodes for breakdowns but recaps the concept: design deficits appear when the way an organization is structured and operates no longer fits its size and needs, leading to chaos and burnout. (01:00)

• The Need for Change
  “If your current design has hit its ceiling and it’s translating into chaos, exhaustion, and teetering on the edge of burnout, the good news is there is an answer.”
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage (00:05)

2. Replace Hustle with Infrastructure (02:20)

• Why Infrastructure Is Essential
  Brooke emphasizes that as organizations grow, “energy and grit and hustle and organic, evolved relationships” aren’t enough—they must be replaced by “simple, repeatable systems.” (02:41)

  “Replace energy and hustle and grit with infrastructure. It’s not sexy, it’s not fun, but that’s the answer.”
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage (02:41)

• What Infrastructure Might Look Like

  • Standard Operating Procedures and documented priorities.
  • Defined Ownership Models: RACI or MOCA frameworks.
  • Dashboards: For leadership to track the same metrics together.
  • Meeting Rhythms: Regularly assessing and adapting information-sharing practices.

  Brooke notes investment in infrastructure isn’t always about money—it might mean hiring for operations, but often starts with building repeatable systems with the current team.

3. Shift Leadership from Execution to Oversight (05:53)

• The Importance of “Flying at a Higher Altitude”
  Leaders must transition from “doing things, holding things” to designing oversight systems that inform them about organizational health at a glance.

  “You’re not going to fly the plane by feel. What you actually are going to do is set up your cockpit so that you can see what’s healthy in your organization, where you need to step in, what needs your support, what’s going well, what’s not, at this higher level of altitude.”
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage (06:25)

• Results of This Shift

  • Leaders gain time for high-leverage work: fundraising, relationship-building, strategy.
  • Reduces micromanagement and burnout.

4. Run Regular Capacity Checks (08:09)

• What & How
  Every quarter (or at minimum, twice a year), leaders should conduct a capacity check—preferably with the whole team—to ask:

  • Are we clear on our goals and what success looks like?
  • Who is accountable for each goal?
  • Do we have the time, energy, tools, and resources to deliver?

  “If the answer to any of those is ‘not really,’ that’s where you start.”
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage (09:20)

• Impact
  Keeps organizations aligned with reality and helps spot gaps before they become crises.

5. “What is Still Relying on Me?” (10:11)

• The Key Practitioner's Question As a nonprofit leader, pinpoint what parts of your organization still depend on you as the “glue.” Name that part.

  • Then ask: “What would need to be true for that part to run without me?”
    This question reveals the root of design deficits and identifies the best place to focus initial design work.

  “That’s your design work first, because freeing you up means it becomes a forcing function for the other three things I mentioned.”
  — Brooke Richie-Babbage (10:52)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tension and Transition:
  “Moving beyond grit to design...is about building organizations that have the systems, structures and leadership capacity to truly hold the weight of their mission.” (00:35)

• On Investment:
  “And when I say invest, I don’t just mean money. Sometimes it’s not about money...Start with the simple things, repeatable systems that you and your team can build together.” (04:05)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:05 – 01:00: Establishing the episode’s problem: design deficits in growing nonprofits
• 02:20 – 05:53: The necessity of replacing hustle with infrastructure and examples of simple systems
• 05:53 – 08:09: Shifting from execution to oversight as a leader
• 08:09 – 10:11: How to run a quarterly capacity check and why it matters
• 10:11 – 11:15: The core question for uncovering design deficits and setting design priorities

Final Thoughts

Brooke closes the episode by urging listeners to move from “grit” to “good design,” recommending a self-assessment quiz for diagnosing unique design deficits. She normalizes the presence of these deficits in growing organizations and frames their resolution as both a challenge and opportunity for leadership growth.

For further diagnosis and practical guidance, Brooke directs nonprofit leaders to her website for a quick assessment tool.