Non-profits are mission driven. Most people who work for non-profits are doing it at least in part because of belief in the mission (especially since non-profits typically pay less than market rate).

The problem with technology non-profits is that the world around them changes pretty rapidly, and with substantial discontinuities.

So if you're an employee and you've signed on to an org with an understanding of why your job and your project matters for The Mission, of course change can appear scary and confusing.

On the other hand, especially when there is rapid turn over, or the ground keeps shifting under the org, there's a strong incentive by execs to try and find new territory one can set up upon.

The tensions seem pretty obvious. This is the same issue that's come up with Wikipedia's search project too.