2026 Governance Outlook Survey for Mission-Driven Organizations

Thank you for taking part in the 2026 Governance Outlook survey for mission-driven organizations, led by Diligent Institute. Your voice matters. By sharing your experience, you are contributing to a collective learning effort — helping organizations like yours better understand how peers are setting priorities, allocating resources, navigating risk, and strengthening governance and oversight practices for the year ahead.

Please respond based on your own experience and your board’s current realities. There are no right or wrong answers. All responses are confidential and will be analyzed only in aggregate to ensure insights can be shared without identifying individual organizations.

Diligent Institute will publish a full research report based on the survey findings in September 2026. Please provide your email address at the end of the survey if you would like to receive a copy when it is released.

Question Title

* 1. Which of the following strategies would you identify as top priorities for your organization/agency/nonprofit in the coming year? (Select your top 3 priorities.)

Deploying AI technology across the organization

Embedding a culture of integrity and accountability across the organization

Improving the organization’s crisis preparedness, agility and resilience

Ensuring compliance with open meetings, public records and transparency requirements

Maintaining service and mission delivery amid disruptions

Improving board effectiveness and governance practices (e.g., agenda quality, director education, evaluations)

Navigating economic and funding uncertainty (e.g., tax revenues, grants, donations)

Improving operational efficiency and cost‑effectiveness

Strengthening public trust and organizational reputation

Reviewing the succession plan at the senior executive level

Strengthening cybersecurity and data privacy defenses and incident response

Strengthening our entire risk program

Strengthening oversight of third-party and supply chain risk

Workforce planning below the executive leadership level

Improving board engagement

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. In which areas is your organization planning to focus its investments in the coming year? (Choose up to two.)

Improving service delivery and community impact

Modernizing technology and AI initiatives (e.g., digital records, board portals, case management, analytics)

Strengthening cybersecurity and data privacy

Recruitment and retention (addressing staffing shortages and turnover)

Board development and training (upskilling, leadership development, certifications)

Enhancing transparency, reporting and public engagement

Physical infrastructure, facilities or equipment upgrades

Improving governance processes (e.g., agenda-setting, board education, evaluations)

Resilience and continuity planning (e.g., emergency preparedness)

Revenue diversification or funding stability (e.g., grants, fundraising, levies)

Improving board engagement reporting

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. If you were charged with setting the agenda for your next board meeting, which of the following topics would you include as most pressing to discuss? (Choose up to three)

AI and other digital / technology risks and opportunities (e.g., data use in services, generative AI, automation)

Business continuity/crisis planning

Board development/training

Board and leadership succession planning

Compliance with open meetings, public records and other transparency obligations

Cultural integrity and employee trust

Cybersecurity/data privacy

Environmental sustainability

Establishing or updating policy to meet regulatory or other requirements

Executive leadership compensation and benefits

Financial conditions, funding and grants (including fundraising or access to capital)

Managing risk oversight

Program/service innovation and improvement

Reputational risk

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Talent strategy/Workforce planning

Transparency

Other

Question Title

* 4. Which of the following do you consider to be the biggest risks to your organization? (Select top three.)

A high‑impact event we have not planned for (a ‘black swan’ event)

A health pandemic that shuts down organizations

Breakdown in organizational culture, ethics or staff voice

Changes to environmental / climate regulations

Civic/citizen activism (e.g., protests, campaigns that disrupt operations)

Confidential information leak via unsanctioned AI usage

Culture/reputational scandal

Deteriorating labor market

New technologies that could fundamentally change how we deliver services (e.g., AI, automation)

Exposure from third-party or supply chain compliance failures

Large-scale cybersecurity breach

Legislative or regulatory change impacting our mandate or funding

Misinformation or disinformation affecting stakeholder perception

New or continuing geopolitical conflict

Natural disaster

Economic or funding downturn affecting budgets (e.g., tax revenues, grants, donations)

Reputational damage or loss of public trust

Unplanned key executive leader departure

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Over the past five years, how has your board’s approach to scenario planning changed? (Select all that apply.)

Increased time spent on scenario planning

Incorporated AI tools into scenario planning

Adopted other new tools or technologies to conduct scenario planning

Broadened the range and scope of scenarios considered (e.g., more technological, social, and emerging risks)

We’ve increased the number or frequency of external experts and consultants who come in to help us scenario plan

We’ve increased the number or frequency of internal stakeholders (e.g., counsel, committee chairs, etc.) who come in to help us scenario plan

We conduct more crisis simulations or tabletop exercises (e.g., emergency or outage drills)

Scenario planning is primarily conducted by management, with limited board involvement

Shortened our planning time horizons

We don’t currently do scenario planning as a board

We haven’t done scenario planning previously but are planning to do so this year

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. To what extent does your board use AI-powered technology to support its oversight of risks and strategic decision-making

Extensively: AI is fully embedded in our board’s oversight and decision-making process

Moderately: We use AI technology regularly, but alongside more traditional approaches

Minimally: We use AI on an ad hoc or limited basis

Not at all: Our board does not use AI in this context

Don’t know / not applicable

Question Title

* 7. Which of the following do you believe would most improve your board’s risk oversight? (Select top two)

Enhanced use of AI-powered data and technology tools

More frequent and structured risk discussions at the full-board level

Deeper integration of risk into committee agendas (e.g., audit, risk, strategy committees)

Greater access to external expertise (e.g., advisors, consultants, industry specialists)

Improved management reporting (clearer, timelier or more forward-looking information)

More director education and training on emerging risks

Clearer linkage between risk oversight and strategy setting

Clearer definition of roles between the board, management and (where applicable) elected officials

Other (please specify)

No significant improvement needed

Question Title

* 8. Which external risk do you think is most underestimated by boards today?

Question Title

* 9. If you were asked to optimize your governance oversight process, which of the following actions would you recommend for your board? (Select all that apply.)

Access to AI-powered technology for board work and oversight

Better tools and processes for managing agendas, materials, minutes and follow‑up actions

Clearer governance policies (e.g., bylaws, charters, delegation of authority)

Longer or more frequent full board meetings

Fewer presentations and more discussion

More time for strategic planning or dedicated strategic planning meetings

More lead time to review board materials

More/better structured agendas

Increased exposure to outside parties/experts to discuss specific issues/risks

More structured approach to committee assignments and rotation

Overhaul of board/director evaluations

More or longer direct engagement with other members of executive leadership

More or longer direct engagement with employees at various levels inside the organization

More regular in-person engagement with stakeholders (community, staff, volunteers etc.)

Mandatory director training/continuing education

Other (please specify)

N/A; I don’t see any room for improvement at my board

Question Title

* 10. Which mechanisms does your board use to evaluate board performance? (Select all that apply)

Self-assessments

Peer reviews

External facilitator

Chair-led discussions

Informal feedback discussions between board chair and members

We do not conduct board evaluations