What If We Replaced Informational Meetings with Something That Actually Inspires?

Let’s be honest. Most meetings in nonprofit land are the equivalent of rewatching a movie you didn’t like the first time. You show up, stare at a shared screen full of bullet points, hear a recap of things you already know, and leave feeling uninspired. Informational meetings are the tofu of professional gatherings—bland, squishy, and entirely dependent on someone else bringing the flavor.

But what if we stopped this madness? What if, instead of defaulting to “meetings for information,” nonprofit leaders reimagined them as platforms for innovation, inspiration, and impact?

Here’s the deal: We’re in the business of generosity. That means we should lead with purpose, not PowerPoint. The Donor Relations Group exists to disrupt the status quo, and nothing screams “status quo” louder than a 60-minute meeting that could’ve been an email.

Let’s start with why this matters. Meetings are expensive. Not just in dollars (though, hey, staff time ain’t free), but in energy. Every hour you spend passively listening in a meeting is an hour you’re not spending cultivating donor relationships, creating impact reports, or reimagining donor experiences. When we reduce meetings to info dumps, we disrespect our colleagues’ talents, time, and capacity for brilliance.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Information matters. But inspiration matters more. Innovation matters more. And when you combine those with intention? That’s when you get transformation.

Imagine walking into a meeting and feeling jazzed instead of drained. Imagine if every meeting was an opportunity to co-create something meaningful. What if the goal wasn’t to update people on tasks, but to unlock new ideas, challenge assumptions, and make bold decisions?

Inspirational meetings don’t just happen—they’re thoughtfully designed. They start with clarity of purpose. They’re led by someone who says, “We are here to build, not just brief.” And most importantly, they’re designed with the donor experience in mind.

Yes, even internal meetings should have a donor-centered focus. Why? Because everything we do—every process we improve, every decision we make—ultimately impacts the people who fund our missions. If your meeting doesn’t tie back to how you’re making life better for donors and the people you serve, you’re missing the point.

Now let’s talk about innovative meetings. These aren’t brainstorms with sticky notes that end up in the recycling bin. These are structured, high-energy sessions where people bring ideas, not just status updates. Where risk is welcomed, not punished. Where someone says, “What if we…” and everyone leans in instead of rolling their eyes.

Innovation doesn’t come from consensus—it comes from courage. And meetings should be safe spaces for courageous thinking. Want to know what kills creativity faster than anything else? A rigid agenda and a clock-watching facilitator. Innovation needs room to breathe.

Of course, changing the way we meet means challenging some deeply embedded cultural habits.

Many of us were taught that a good meeting is one where “everyone is informed.” But that’s a low bar, y’all. Informing isn’t leading. And leading is what we’re here to do.

So, let’s raise the bar. Here’s my challenge to you: The next time you’re invited to lead a meeting, ask yourself three questions.

• First: “What is the purpose of this gathering?”Purpose is everything. If you don’t know why you’re meeting, your team certainly won’t. Meetings without purpose are like emails without a subject line—pointless and usually ignored. If your meeting exists solely to share updates, stop. Record a quick video or write a concise recap. Let people absorb it on their time. Purpose-driven meetings are focused, meaningful, and always tied to an outcome. They start with vision and end with action. Your team should walk out of the room (or log off Zoom) with a clear sense of how the meeting moved your mission forward.
  

• Second: “How can this meeting inspire action?”Inspiration fuels execution. Meetings that inspire don’t just talk about the “what”—they clarify the “why,” and energize the “how.” Start with a donor story. Share an unexpected win. Ask someone to reflect on what they’re most proud of from the past month. Humans are wired for emotion and meaning—so use that wiring to ignite everyone’s passion and drive. When people are emotionally connected to the work, they give more, try harder, and stay longer. That’s not fluff. That’s neuroscience. Dopamine. Oxytocin. All the good brain juice. And guess what? It’s free. Inspiration is a renewable resource—so long as we’re intentional about cultivating it.
  

• Third: “What is the innovation opportunity here?”Every meeting—yes, every single one—is a chance to do something better, smarter, or more donor-centric. Maybe it’s rethinking your thank-you process. Maybe it’s finding a way to surprise and delight first-time donors. Maybe it’s finally fixing the broken form on your giving page. But here’s the kicker: if your meetings don’t make space for new ideas, you’re not innovating. You’re surviving. And we didn’t get into this work to survive. We got into it to make change. Innovation requires curiosity, trust, and permission to fail forward. Let’s build meetings that reward creativity, not compliance. Pose a problem. Let your team design the solution. And when someone brings a crazy idea to the table? Don’t shut it down. Say, “Tell me more.”
  

If you do this—even just once—you’ll feel the shift. Your colleagues will feel the shift. And most importantly, your donors will benefit from the ripple effect of your renewed focus, creativity, and intentionality.

The world doesn’t need more meetings. It needs more movement. So, let’s stop having meetings that merely inform and start having meetings that transform.

And to those of you still clinging to the comfort of the status update? Bless your heart. But I’m over here leading a revolution.

Written by Lynne Wester