Stability Was the Strategy: Why 51% of Nonprofits Maintained Headcount in 2025, and What’s Trending for 2026
After years of disruption, nonprofit leaders entered 2025 with a different priority: stability.
According to our 2026 Nonprofit Salaries & Staffing Trends Report, 51% of nonprofits maintained their headcount in 2025. Rather than expanding or contracting, many organizations chose to hold steady — a decision shaped by funding uncertainty, rising costs, and mission risk.
Why Holding Headcount Was a Strategic Choice
Maintaining headcount wasn’t passive. It was deliberate.
Nonprofit leaders weighed the risks of growth against the risks of contraction and landed on stability as the most responsible option. Holding the line helped organizations preserve institutional knowledge, maintain program continuity, and protect financial sustainability during an unpredictable year.
Flat Teams, Higher Stakes
When teams don’t grow, every role carries more weight. In many organizations, responsibilities expanded even as staffing levels stayed the same. That reality made compensation, role clarity, and retention strategy more critical than ever.
The question for leaders became less about how many people to hire — and more about whether existing roles were supported appropriately.
What This Means for 2026 Planning
Organizations that maintained headcount in 2025 now face a new challenge: ensuring their teams are sustainable, fairly compensated, and positioned for future growth.
The 2026 Nonprofit Salaries & Staffing Trends Report explores how nonprofits navigated compensation decisions during a year of stability and what that signals for the year ahead.
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https://info.careersinnonprofits.com/2026-nonprofit-salaries-and-staffing-trends-report-cnp