Holiday Musing of a Nonprofit Executive

Running a nonprofit is like raising a child. Every failure is a reflection on my competence. Every win is for them.  When nonprofit work reaches many communities and places, wins represent actual lives of clearly improved opportunity and dignity, yet we sit there just feeling relief - relief that we could continue giving scholarships and supports, relief they found a well-paid job after our programs, relief that they felt valued and heard. Relief. Because for every great day, and they do come, we pay for it with an ocean of worry.

Grit? Please, we eat grit for breakfast. People say that, unless you're a parent, you wouldn't understand what it takes to raise a child... it’s the same with running a nonprofit. You have to do it to know it. So, fellow nonprofit executives, why do we do it? Simple. We have the gall to think we can make our world a kinder place.

Wishing you an extra portion of grit in 2026!