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The world feels heavy: government gridlock, funding cuts, workforce strain, and deep polarization are reshaping the ground beneath us. For nonprofits, funders, collaboratives, system leaders, and communities, this moment feels both relentless and fragile. Leaders and entire ecosystems are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources, while carrying the emotional weight of stretched staff and communities under near-constant threat.

In September 2023, I penned a series of memos to stakeholders that described what I was noticing in the national ecosystem. Specifically, I elevated signals within policy and governance position statements, national policy platforms, program structures, and political ecosystems that had the potential to radically shift federal, state, and local governance and public systems in the years to come. As

In today’s climate, urgency isn’t rare; it’s the norm. Leaders are facing constant pressure: compressed timelines, ambitious mandates, political uncertainty, and growing internal and external demands. And while urgency can be a powerful catalyst, it often masks deeper organizational issues that hinder progress. What we’re seeing at is that urgency itself isn’t what derails transformation. It’s misalignment across strategy, structure,

For many nonprofits, coalitions, and foundations, June 30th marks not just the close of a fiscal year, but a quiet invitation to pause. It’s a natural hinge point in the calendar. Budgets reset. Strategic plans enter a new phase. Team capacity gets reassessed. And often, without fully naming it, organizations begin asking: Are we aligned for what’s ahead? At The