This study draws on firsthand accounts from nonprofit executives to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how innovation unfolds within nonprofit organizations, particularly in the period following a major disruption such as the COVID pandemic. An exploratory qualitative design was adopted, using an inductive approach based on detailed, in-depth interviews with executives from ten nonprofit organizations operating in the Northeastern United States. The results highlight the central challenges encountered by nonprofit organizations in the post-pandemic landscape. They further demonstrate how these organizations addressed such challenges through various innovative responses. In addition, the study identifies key conditions that facilitate innovation, along with different categories of innovation that enabled nonprofit organizations to continue delivering services and advancing their social missions after the disruption. By incorporating the experiences and perspectives of nonprofit leaders, this study contributes to the literature by shedding light on how nonprofit organizations and their leadership pursue innovation in response to disruptive events that fundamentally reshape routines and established practices.
