November 26, 2025
Building Revenue Streams to Help Fund Your Nonprofit MBA 8.27
For decades, nonprofits have relied heavily on a mix of grants, donations, and government funding to sustain their missions. But as global philanthropy evolves, those traditional sources are becoming less predictable. According to The Nonprofit Finance Fund’s 2024 State of the Nonprofit Sector Report, nearly 56% of nonprofit leaders said funding uncertainty is their biggest operational challenge.
On a recent episode of the Nonprofit MBA Podcast, host Stephen Halasnik, Managing Partner at Financing Solutions (The largest provider of lines of credit for nonprofits) and guest Joe Reed, founder of the Exponent Group and SolveLine, discussed an urgent question: What happens when your biggest grant disappears? Their answer—nonprofits must begin to think like startups, diversifying income streams and even launching mission-aligned for-profit ventures to ensure long-term impact.
Both Reed and Halasnik agree that funding uncertainty is one of the major reasons nonprofits must rethink their revenue models. “We don’t have the luxury to not have this conversation anymore,” Reed emphasized. “Healthy nonprofits must start thinking creatively about how they generate revenue.”
Read an Executive Summary or Listen to the Podcast HERE:
About Joe Reed, Exponent Group
Joe Reed is a social entrepreneur and founder of Exponent Group, where he helps leaders restore and strengthen their communities. Through its newly launched impact studio, Exponent Studios, he equips nonprofit leaders to innovate like startups—building mission-aligned revenue models that create financial sustainability and lasting community transformation. Their latest venture, SolveLine, exemplifies how scalable, mission-driven solutions can fuel both growth and greater impact.
About Stephen Halasnik, Financing Solutions
Stephen Halasnik is a Managing Partner at Financing Solutions and host of The Nonprofit MBA Podcast. Financing Solutions has been the largest provider of lines of credit to small nonprofits in the US since 2012.