Date of Conferral

9-15-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Ashley Riebel

Abstract

Limited resources challenge nonprofit organizations to improve project performance and organizational sustainability. Although agile and lean methodologies can enhance adaptability, efficiency, and continuous improvement, many nonprofit leaders lack effective strategies to implement them in mission-driven environments. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders use to implement agile and lean methodologies to improve project performance and organizational sustainability. The project was grounded in an integrated conceptual framework of agile project management and lean thinking. Participants were nine nonprofit leaders. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and public documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: (a) driving agile and lean implementation through leadership, (b) tailoring agile and lean practices to the nonprofit context, (c) building organizational capacity through continuous learning and coaching, (d) implementing continuous improvement through iterative planning and incremental change, and (e) strengthening stakeholder collaboration and shared ownership. A recommendation from these findings is that nonprofit leaders adopt agile and lean methodologies through a phased, leadership-led approach that pairs sustained executive engagement with structured coaching and stakeholder involvement from the outset of implementation to improve project performance and organizational sustainability. The implications for positive social change include the potential to equip nonprofit leaders with evidence-based strategies to improve organizational effectiveness, enhance service delivery, and strengthen the long-term capacity of mission-driven organizations to address complex societal needs.

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