Barely more than one-quarter (27%) of employees say they intend to stay at their nonprofit due to a lack of clarity regarding a potential career path. That’s compared to 65% of employees with clear career paths saying that they are not considering leaving.

The challenge is that not all employees see a clear career path. Some 64% of professionals surveyed do not see a clear path forward (65% nonprofits; 63% associations), according to data in a new study from Momentive Software. Data in the 2026 State of the Mission-Driven Workforce report released today expands beyond operational trends to focus on the people at mission-driven organizations.

The findings show a sector rich in purpose and belonging yet facing structural gaps in career clarity and technology efficiency that directly affect retention, according to authors of the report.

One surprising element to the data is than those interviewed were already managers. “But when you pair that finding with the fact that 66% of respondents said they’d prefer focused skills development over a pay raise, it tells you that career path clarity and professional growth are deeply connected in how people assess their futures at an organization, regardless of their current title or seniority,” said Tirrah Switzer, vice president of marketing at Momentive Software.

“We would assume that people who are managers and above are on a career path, but this study found that is not the case. Although people have been promoted, it’s not necessarily clear to them what’s next. Clarity is needed on career paths and skills to uplevel,” Switzer told The NonProfit Times. 

“And when asked about compensation, the majority (59%) said salary was a priority, but not the top priority,” said Meaghan Johnston, senior director of marketing communications at Momentive Software.

The frustration appears across all personnel areas. “We found that across all demographics included in the survey that the likelihood of leaving was almost universal across the board,” said Johnston. “Across age, gender, organization type or size, and job title, those who said they were considering exploring other job opportunities ranged between 56% and 61%. That range would increase or decrease depending on their career clarity, technology frustrations, development opportunities, or sense of belonging, but there was no noticeable effect based on the type of respondent,” said Johnston.

A major retention challenge is technology. Here again it works back to career path. Among employees saying that they are experiencing technology burnout, 71% also report lacking clear career paths, demonstrating how inefficiency and development gaps compound each another. Frustration with wasting time on repetitive tasks was reported by 48% of respondents and 46% reported having to manually enter data across platforms.

“In a world where AI is changing the way the way we work (and changing at a rapid pace), I can imagine that more tenured leaders are worried about their own ability to keep up, which means they need more education and development with their skill sets regarding technology,” said Johnston. “For nonprofit leaders specifically, this concern is compounded by real structural constraints. Smaller teams, tighter budgets, and increasing pressure from funding volatility mean less time and fewer resources dedicated to learning and adaptation.”

AI literacy, and digital skills top the list for what these leaders say will be most crucial for the industry, said Johnston. “They must be acutely aware of their own professional development needs, including that of their teams,” said Johnston.

There is opportunity to improve the numbers via re-evaluation of how managers think about technology. “Technology isn’t neutral background work or just a donor/member experience; it’s actively shaping the employee experience,” said Switzer. “Disconnected systems don’t just slow people down. They drain energy, patience, and optimism. When eight in 10 professionals say tech contributes to burnout, we need to stop treating tech choices as back‑office decisions.”

What stands out to Switzer and Johnston when looking at the full skills picture is how much urgency respondents feel around emerging technical capabilities. Johnston cited data analytics (45%), AI and automation literacy (39%), and digital skills (38%) as top ranked skills priorities. “These ranked at the top precisely because they represent areas where mission-driven professionals feel less prepared and where the learning curve is steepest,” said Johnston. “The sector is acutely aware that mastering these capabilities will be essential to sustaining impact in the years ahead, and that’s where professionals are directing their attention.”

The three key priorities derived from the data, according to Switzer and Johnston were: Make career paths visible and measurable; Treat technology as a workforce and retention strategy, not just an IT initiative; and, Protect and leverage workplace belonging as a competitive advantage.

The survey was conducted for Momentive Software this past December by Wakefield Research using an email invitation and an online survey among 500 nonprofit professionals with a minimum seniority of manager at organizations in the United States with a minimum annual revenue of $500,000. To see the full 34-page report click here … the 2026 State of the Mission-Driven Workforce.

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