Non-profit crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic in India and the United States

During extreme crises, governments' capacity is compromised, and they need support from non-profits, especially to reach the vulnerable and marginalised. Our qualitative study examines leadership response to the COVID-19 pandemic at four US and Indian non-profits; they paused their mission-related activities to focus on crisis leadership tasks. Our key findings reveal the importance of obtaining reliable information, balancing service delivery and stakeholder safety, communication with stakeholders, accepting the new normal and adopting creative solutions. These findings can inform training non-profit leaders on a number of key issues.