Resourcing Ourselves Through Challenge and Change

A Message to Our Network

February 27, 2025

By Bianca Casanova Anderson | CEO, ProInspire 

I had the unique opportunity to spend the first two weeks of the Trump administration in Tanzania with a group of friends. I embarked on the trip filled with expectation, knowing I would not return the same—and indeed, I did not. I left feeling changed and inspired by how unapologetically we embraced our true selves. We were human together, outside of the white gaze, allowing ourselves to embody freedom more boldly than we often do in the States, particularly in our workplaces, where we are frequently expected to wear a mask and leave our authenticity at the door.

Upon my return to the U.S., I was met with a slew of executive orders I am still working to understand and an overwhelming spirit of fear and anxiety that felt all too familiar. It sent chills up my spine—quite literally, as I also contracted COVID a few days after my return. Over the past few weeks, as I’ve been recovering, reflecting and making meaning with colleagues, I’ve been reminded of our unified strength. While this moment feels both different and familiar, it is clear to me that with our collective wisdom, power, and resources, we can and will win. 

During a recent check-in with the ProInspire team, we discussed the question: “How are we resourcing ourselves?” When we think of resources, we aren’t just talking about finances. As our Thriving Leaders & Communities (TLC) research has shown, resources are expansive. They include tools, knowledge, relationships, and opportunities that help us care for ourselves, build power, and create the conditions for thriving. 

As we navigate this season, here are some practical strategies from self to systems to resource ourselves and each other in this moment:

1. Ground in Purpose and Share Your Stories

Change is constant. We will either emerge from the attacks on our sector stronger and more collaborative or we will be scattered and struggling, recreating the models of competition we’ve been working so diligently to dismantle. One way to mitigate falling into scarcity and competition traps is to ground ourselves in our organizational purpose. Not every organization has to do everything. At ProInspire, we are collaborating with our peers to better understand their niches and unique contributions to the sector. While there will always be overlap, clarity about our respective roles allows us to collaborate more strategically. 

Now is the time to ask ourselves: Why does our organization exist in today’s context? Whom does our work serve, and what difference does our work make on a day-to-day basis? The clearer we are about our purpose, the more effectively we can communicate the tangible impact of our work. Clarity of purpose helps us explain the impact of our work in concrete and relatable ways. As a sector we must amplify the value of social impact work and how this work benefits us all. We must invest in storytelling that illustrates how the social sector serves as a vital safety net. Now is the time to be clear, confident, and unwavering about our work and its importance. As you engage with friends and family, educate them about the impact of the social sector and why our work is essential to creating a world where all people can thrive. 

Grounding in purpose will not only strengthen our messaging but also foster more reciprocal and cooperative ways of working, ensuring that we show up for one another in meaningful and sustainable ways. Doing so may also reveal additional areas where technical assistance and capacity building are needed. Many organizations are currently wrestling with decisions regarding word choice and external communications. Strengthening your financial systems, accounting practices, cybersecurity, and board governance are all critical areas that could benefit from more robust resources. Take time to engage in strategy triage and scenario planning to navigate uncertainty and prepare for upcoming challenges. Equity in The Center, CompassPoint, and IISC are other capacity building intermediaries who provide consulting services. 

2. Check on Your People

As our purpose becomes clearer, so too does our accountability. For ProInspire, our people are leaders in the social sector committed to racial and social justice. We know that leaders and organizations are feeling the deep impact of this administration, and jobs and livelihoods are under threat right now. ProInspire is here to hold space in community with you. As an intermediary, our role is to uplift and serve as a bridge between nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. We would love to explore ways we can partner with you.

We’ve got us. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We have what it takes to resource ourselves and each other. So, check on your people and talk to your peers. Some of the peer organizations we look to for wisdom and guidance include Leadership Learning Community, AORTA, and BoardSource. Let’s read, share, and amplify each other’s resources*. 

Equity, justice, and liberation are not idealistic dreams; they are the result of generations of struggle. People have bled and died for us to be where we are today, and we have come too far to turn back now. The brilliance, expertise, and creativity in our field are unmatched, and this moment calls us to uplift, learn from, and support one another. Now is the time for intersectionality and solidarity in our sector. In our work we have noticed increased interest and understanding of the value of racial affinity groups, cross-racial dialogues, and applying a power analysis in ways that honor intersectionality and the nuanced experiences of BIPOC-communities.

3. Leverage the Power of Partnerships

As we navigate a time of decreased government spending and the closing of critical federal agencies, we must brace for further challenges. We know that donor and philanthropic dollars cannot match the scale of government funding, and while the immediate effects of the federal funding freeze have been somewhat delayed, the cascading impact of recent executive orders continues to wreak havoc in communities. We must simultaneously care for ourselves and support one another. 

It is more essential than ever that we prioritize relationships across the sector. Now is the time for authentic partnership–one that actively dismantles the invisible hierarchies between grantmakers, service providers, and intermediaries. Let’s commit to practicing principled struggle and engage in honest, values-driven dialogue, even when it’s difficult. The challenges ahead require collaboration, not competition, and a collective commitment to remain steadfast in our values of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. We must ensure that these principles are not just aspirations but are deeply embedded in our partnerships to drive meaningful and lasting change in our communities. 

Consider ways you can partner with members in your professional networks, and if you are not connected, consider joining your local nonprofit and foundation councils and connect with Independent Sector, United Philanthropy Forum, and ABFE to find partnership opportunities. Stay tapped in and connected—both locally and nationally.

We are creating a world where all people can thrive—and all really does mean all. We need each other right now, and we are so much stronger together. This reminds me of the African saying Ubuntu, meaning “humanity to others.” It is often described as “I am because we are.” We are here because we see it as our right and our duty to fight for our freedom, and we will win if we fight together. 

4. Remain Informed and Exercise Your Influence

Take the time to absorb trustworthy information, reflect, and process, but don’t disengage. The gravity of this moment demands our attention and urgency. Share reliable information, and help others see how these issues impact their everyday lives.

Embrace your power, and honor your expertise. The work you do every day to redistribute access, safety, power and resources to under-resourced communities is valuable. Building leadership skills and competencies to advance racial equity in your work is no small feat. Here at ProInspire, we often say that this work requires head, heart, and hands. These rapidly changing times will require leaders to deepen our inner work, emotional agility, technical knowledge, and adaptive leadership. Cultivating workplaces where people feel a true sense of belonging, agency, and empowerment also calls for discipline, rigor, and sustained practice. The nonprofit workforce is a critical force for social change. Independent Sector’s recent research on the health of the nonprofit sector offers compelling data on its impact and the challenges ahead.

We have what it takes to meet the demands of this moment. We are building on legacies of transformation and ancestral power. Our leaders have changed the world time and time again, and we will continue to do so. Be bold.

5. Invest in Flexible Funding and Advocacy 

The Urban Institute’s new data visualization tool sheds light on the financial risks nonprofits face if they lose government grants. This tool allows users to explore data nationally, by state, subsector, and nonprofit size, offering valuable insights into the vulnerabilities within the sector. It is clear that nonprofits need flexible funding to navigate the complex conditions and challenges we are facing. 

Rigid programmatic funding with low overhead allowances or no room for indirect costs exacerbates the challenges nonprofit leaders face. Funding instability leads to higher turnover preventing organizations from building a thriving workforce, and it creates service inconsistencies that are harmful to communities. Resources are meant to be shared, not hoarded. If your foundation prioritizes existing in perpetuity, take a moment to grapple with why that is. Philanthropy must shift its focus from growing endowments to creating lasting change in communities. In short, fund as if you truly believe we can win.

Now is also the time to advocate for policies that strengthen our sector and ensure resources flow where they are needed most. One way is to continue to advocate for federal policies like The Charitable Act, which is critical in expanding philanthropic engagement. This legislation would allow taxpayers who do not itemize to deduct up to $5,000 annually in charitable donations. Currently, fewer than 8% of taxpayers are eligible for a charitable contribution benefit. When more people receive incentives to give, more people give—creating a broader base of philanthropy that benefits nonprofits and the communities they serve. 

ProInspire’s Commitment

At ProInspire, we remain unwavering in our mission to create a world free of racism and systemic oppression where all people thrive. Our work focuses on embedding racial equity into leadership development and organizational culture capacity-building. We aim for our impact to go beyond individual leadership growth, creating systemic conditions that enable BIPOC leaders and their communities to experience racial equity as a lived reality in the workplace and beyond.

ProInspire wants to partner and collaborate with you whether that is through working directly with your leaders, organizations, grantees or through a research initiative. Together, we can create a world where we can embody freedom. Let us carry, nurture, and fight for it together.

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