Nonprofits and A Strong Civil Society

Not the withered branch - we are the unstoppable root system

Nonprofits are often seen as underfunded, overworked, and running on fumes. We internalize that image — like we’re just barely holding things together.

It’s time we flipped that script. Here’s the truth:

We’re not the withered branch — we’re the root system.
Invisible to some. Indispensable to all. 💪 ❤️

We hold up communities.
We nourish civil society. We save lives.
We create safety, healing, education, art, advocacy, and belonging.

When there’s a social problem business or government can’t solve —
we step in with creativity, heart, and entrepreneurial problem-solving. I share these inspiring stories in my book.

It’s time we saw ourselves clearly. Not as a sector in need of fixing — but as a force that fixes things. If you can’t tell, I’m fired up about this.

We’re not the backup plan.
We’re the original innovators. 💡
We’re the bridge-builders.
We are where heart meets hustle.

Authoritarian regimes know this. That’s why they try to silence, co-opt, or uproot civil society. ⛓️ But roots are resilient.

🌱 You can’t kill what’s underground, intertwined, and growing.
Not when it’s nourished by purpose, powered by people, and reaching toward a better future.

Bravo to the National Council of Nonprofits and many others for shouting this from the rooftops, they are gathering your stories, here is the link.

Community, the wind in our sails

🪴 Community is so important. We encourage each other. Together we are stronger, together we stand up for those we serve, especially the vulnerable. We creatively ideate together.

🛠️ If you are looking for a small group setting to build community, Lori Stanley and I host "Casual Conversations with Lori and Leah." It's free. You set the agenda. Nonprofiteers join from all over the world. Here is what our thoughtful April participants put on the agenda:
🔷Board member recruitment, roles, time commitment, term limits
🔷Replicable best practices, applicable to a wide range of circumstances
🔷National nonprofits, centralized vs decentralized systems and processes
🔷Resources in our sector, communities, conferences

☕ We keep it small and intimate and limit it to six participants.

📌 Upcoming dates: Thursday June 5 noon-1 EST (1 slot left!); Tuesday July 8 4-5 pm EST, Thursday August 14 10-11 am EST. Register using this link.

Loving the Nonprofit Hive!

I love the Nonprofit Hive community. Do you like speed networking? If you aren’t already signed up - run! I’ve been a member for the last year and a half and love the connections I’ve met. It’s easy to sign up, answer 5 questions about yourself, and simply opt in as you have time. You’ll get an email each week with time slots to choose from, and you’ll then be randomly paired with another nonprofiteer for a 30 minute virtual meetup. So many good things have come from my meetups in the Hive. Highly recommend.

What I’ve been up to

Recently I had the honor of speaking with 18 powerhouse nuns from Ghana and Kenya—entrepreneurial social change leaders 🌍 who are part of the Women Faith Leaders Fellowship at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. 🙏🏽

We discussed ideas from my book, Innovation for Social Change 📘—about piloting new ideas, learning through trial and error 🔄, navigating resource constraints 💸, and navigating layers of approval or being told, “this isn’t the right time.” 🚫⏳

Their work with vulnerable communities is full of challenges—and yet they persist, with courage, clarity, and compassion. They are savvy problem solvers. 💪🏾❤️ And their sense of humor and kind spirits completely stole my heart. 💖 Here is a link to learn more or support this important work.

🎙️ 🎧 Enjoyed a conversation about nonprofit innovation culture on the excellent Inspired Nonprofit Leadership podcast with host Sarah Olivieri. Check out our conversation here.

“These metrics are a waste of our time!”
“Management doesn't trust us.”
“We're making no decisions based on all of this data we collect.”

How many times have you heard phrases like these during a staff meeting or retreat❔

🎙️I loved discussing this with the great Carol Hamilton recently on Nonprofit Mission: Impact podcast. We explored what makes nonprofits truly💡innovative. One principle we kept circling back to: people closest to the work often have the best ideas about the right questions and evidence to help us assess if what we are doing is working. But they need a culture that👂listens. Listen in here.

Delighted to be interviewed by brilliant sector experts Julia C. Patrick and Sherry Quam Taylor on The Nonprofit Show about what innovation looks like in the nonprofit world. They had me on the hot seat about experiments, trial and error, risk-taking, and even that big scary word failure. 💡 Loved every minute, check it out via podcast or youtube.

Review of Innovation for Social Change:

An honor! A huge thank you to Jessica Whitmore, PhD(c) for this spot-on review. 📖

I’m so grateful for this community. I love the reader comments and engagement here on substack and on LinkedIn. Thank you for the encouragement, wisdom, and for all that you do to build civil society and lift people up. ❤️