What drives your mission?
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Thursday was We Are For Good's virtual summit, ImpactUp: Possible. When I tell you that I come away inspired and full of joy every time I interact with this crew, it's no lie. And ImpactUp: Possible was that feeling, ten fold. Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve, declared: Hope is the decision to make something possible. Whew, I didn't know Hala was gonna take us to church. And her keynote got me thinking, Reader, the scarcity mindset has permeated the nonprofit sector for far too long. We feel like we need permission to make things possible. We've normalized struggling to hope for something when we've had agency all along. We keep waiting for the "right" donor to swoop in and take care of our problems. But the truth is, it's not a supporter's job to swoop in and save the day. It's your (and your team's - including your board!) job to decide on hope and take your mission on the next step toward a goal. It's your job to invite supporters to belong and do this work alongside you. But how do you expect them to believe in your mission if it isn't clear that you believe in your mission? Your invitation won't land with aligned supporters if you're operating from a scarcity mindset (they can tell). Waiting for permission is keeping your mission stuck. When you decide on hope and invite others in, it will begin to feel like supporters really did swoop in like Superman. This mindset shift opens doors and expands belief. And it starts with the decision to hope instead of staying stuck in a loop of, "Once we can get X funded, Y will happen" with no action attached. I'm encouraging you to switch this in your brain and in your team's morale. What hope are you deciding on this week, Reader? Click reply and let me know so I can cheer you on!
ICYMI: Hannah and I are running a done-for-you Annual Impact Report service between now and the end of the year. You can save 10% on any package if you sign up by EOD tomorrow. Check it out here! |