There Are No Sidelines

Now what? 

I’ve quickly learned over the past 80 days not to ask how this could get any worse. In the current context the answer too often has been ‘just wait for it’. This weekend proved no exception. As I watched $10 trillion of the U.S. economy evaporate in a matter of days, two questions rose to the forefront: what additional pain will our communities experience as a consequence of the latest DC developments, and what can philanthropy do to confront this continuing series of setbacks to democracy, our economy, and civil society?  

The multiple assaults on our sense of justice, desire for equitable governance, and belief in basic decency leave most of us personally exhausted and professionally challenged. What we truly value has been laid bare – our families, our communities, a semblance of compassionate society. If this sector was searching for the All Hands moment, we found it.  

Our task now is to be the best versions of ourselves. At our best, we can allow space to feel and to grieve, while leaning into action. At our best, we can fulfill the potential of philanthropy to invest in building the equitable future we deserve even when the headwinds are at their strongest.  

Our path through the madness is our humanity. I spoke recently with a CEO who reminded us that the integrity ingrained in the values we uphold will guide us through the storm. They are our superpower. They will help us find the strategy, ingenuity, endurance, and creativity that can preserve democracy, protect communities, and build a meaningful vision for an inclusive future. 

I’ve seen these values show up as bright spots in the chaos – one is seeing much of the sector spring into action. Another is the field’s network of supporting PSOs doing their thing with recommendations for philanthropy aplenty. And the brightest spot is the coherent organizing and movement work on the ground in communities which is building momentum by the day.