What Sweet Treat Do You Need Today?
Being a nonprofit leader means many things. One of them is needing at least one sweet treat to make it through the day.
And sometimes the hardest decision isn’t the work. It’s standing in front of a brownie and a cookie and wondering which one will actually get you through the next meeting.
This quiz exists for that exact moment.
Answer a few questions and we’ll tell you which treat you need today and what that choice says about how you show up in the world. Consider it a throwback to the golden age of BuzzFeed quizzes, with slightly higher stakes.
Take the quiz. Embrace the result. Use it to justify your next snack and maybe running out the work clock for a few minutes.
It's Tuesday. You've got a grant due at 5pm, a board report due at 6pm, and 3 back-to-back meetings starting now. Suddenly, your computer crashes. You....
A well-meaning board member and/or donor suggests you should "run your organization like a business." You react by...
A funder asks you to detail every line item in your application budget for $1000. You are at the point where you're about to list the brand, relative cost, and supply code of every pen and notebook you are asking for. What do you do?
You’re planning a high profile gala and going over the guest list. You desperately need a coffee. You walk to the fridge and there's no milk (nut, cow, goat, ostritch, NOTHING). You dramatically collapse to the floor. What is going through your mind?
You haven't slept in days, you've been putting fires out left and right, HR crises, funder pulled out, staff shortages, and yet the board is STILL not understanding the crisis at hand. You...
A board member suggests you “just ask MacKenzie Scott.” How are you responding?
Trying to schedule a meeting with 12 people feels like:
You spent hours on a board report upon their request. However, you suspect that....
A donor withdraws support because you did not send them a hand-written, pigeon carried thank you note for their $10 donation.
What should I call you?
Here's a cat as a thank you.
Mostly A’s — You need Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans
(a little bitter, very caffeinated, secretly comforting).
You are the executive director who keeps going on sheer willpower and care for others. From the outside, you look energized, sharp, and productive. Inside, you’re running on adrenaline, deadlines, and the quiet pressure of being the one everyone relies on.
Like chocolate-covered espresso beans, you’re intense in a small package. You don’t take breaks easily. You tell yourself you’ll rest “after this grant,” “after this board meeting,” “after the campaign wraps.” And somehow, there’s always one more thing...
Mostly B’s — You need 80% Dark Chocolate
(intense, serious, unapologetically passionate)
You are the executive director who does not dilute the truth to make it easier to swallow. You lead with depth, integrity, and a clear-eyed understanding of what is actually at stake. You are not here for performative optimism or shallow fixes. You are here because the work matters, and you take that responsibility seriously.
Like bitter dark chocolate, you are rich, complex, and not for everyone. You have strong boundaries around your values, even when you don’t always have enough around your time or energy. You would rather sit with discomfort than rush toward false hope. You name what others avoid.
Mostly C’s — You need a Vanilla Cupcake with a Blueberry Buttercream frosting
(dreamy, imaginative, lives in a world of fantasy)
You are the executive director who leads with vision. You see what could be long before the systems, budgets, or boards are ready to catch up. You are fueled by imagination, values, and a deep belief that the world can be gentler, more just, more beautiful than it is now.
Like a vanilla cupcake piled high with buttercream and sprinkles, you bring lightness and delight into heavy spaces (plus health because...blueberries). You know how to make people feel hopeful. You can turn a meeting into a moment of magic. You are often the one reminding everyone why the work matters in the first place.
Mostly D’s — You need a Baked Alaska
(extravagant, dramatic, a little over-the-top and fully aware of it).
You are not accidentally extra. You know exactly how much this is. You understand spectacle, timing, and impact, and you use them on purpose. When the moment calls for gravity, you bring fire. When the room needs belief, you give them something unforgettable.
Like Baked Alaska, you are theatrical by design. A dessert that requires flames, precision, and nerve. You understand that leadership is not just decision-making. It is performance, containment, and choreography. You do all three at once.
Mostly E’s — You need a handful of cookies that accidentally became dinner.
(sweet, inadequate, doing its best).
You are the executive director who fully intended to eat something balanced.
Instead, it’s 7:43 p.m., you’re still answering emails, and somehow three cookies have become a meal. Is this ideal? No. Is it what happened? Yes.
Like cookies-for-dinner, you are running on comfort rather than nourishment.
Sugar for survival. Small hits of pleasure to get you through one more task, one more decision, one more “quick thing.” You know this isn’t sustainable. You’re not in denial. You’re just tired. And hungry. And doing your best.
