Date of Conferral

3-17-2026

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Gwendolyn Dooley

Abstract

A lack of effective funding strategies can negatively affect nonprofit program sustainability and growth. Nonprofit leaders are concerned with inadequate funding practices as they lessen organizational sustainability, donor trust, and reliable program delivery. Grounded in deontological ethical theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore funding strategies nonprofit leaders use to expand and sustain programs and services. The participants were eight nonprofit leaders from the West Coast of the United States with 10+ years of leadership experience. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and peer-reviewed journals. Through thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (a) research and data observations, (b) obtaining and maintaining long-term support, (c) ethical leadership and transparency, (d) sustainability and turnover, and (e) community communications. A key recommendation for nonprofit leaders is to strengthen ethical and sustainable funding practices to support long-term organizational stability and program growth. The implications for positive social change include the potential for nonprofit leaders to implement ethical and transparent funding strategies that strengthen donor trust, improve organizational sustainability, and expand services for underserved communities.

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