Nonprofits are asked constantly to plan for scale, and most of us answer with ambitions to get bigger. But what if the right answer has nothing to do with size?

Hillary reframes the scale question entirely: scale isn't about growth, it's about influence. And sometimes the most influential thing an organization can do is change how it operates, not how large it becomes.

Hillary is joined by Sarah Cryder, Executive Director of City Kids Wilderness Project, who brings her own definition of scale to the table — one that has nothing to do with serving more people and everything to do with doing the work better. You'll hear them talk about:

How to answer the scale question without promising to expand
The difference between getting bigger and getting smarter — and why Sarah calls growth "getting fatter"
How a shared staffing model with Outward Bound could change who gets to work in the outdoor industry

Not every organization should grow, but every organization should know what role it intends to play in the long arc of change.

Guest: Sarah Cryder is the Executive Director of City Kids Wilderness Project. She has an extensive strategic business planning and project management background. Prior to joining City Kids, she worked with local and national charter and district schools, foundations, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit service providers with a mission focused on improving education and life outcomes for underserved children. Sarah has also consulted with the D.C. Public Schools to implement evidence-based mental health intervention pilot programs, research successful national pilot interventions, and evaluate program outcomes through data-driven metrics. Sarah holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s degree from Boston College.

Mentioned:

Big Bet Bummer, Kevin Starr

Scale Really Matters, Kevin Starr

What’s your Endgame, Alice Gugelev & Andrew Stern

Stages of Startups, Y Combinator

Against Rushing to Scale, Randy Moore

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