When Everything is Urgent There’s No “Right” Way
Guest Post – Gabriela Robles, Chief Executive
If you’re like me, you might be feeling overwhelmed at the urgent needs our communities are facing. I keep asking myself, “When everything feels urgent, how can we best support our grantees and our communities?” I’ve also wondered how I can be the one to determine which urgent needs take priority.
Our communities are at a breaking point. We’re hearing from partners with deep experience and strong infrastructure that have weathered previous storms, who are concerned about their long-term viability. Many have already made painful cuts, and they are still coming up short. These are not new or struggling nonprofits. These are seasoned leaders facing a heartbreaking paradox. The more sophisticated and strategic the organization, the larger the hole they’re now trying to climb out of.
Their success has become their liability in this moment because their scale requires resources. Available reserves can’t be stretched any further. And for those who have worked hard to build financial cushions, face hurdles from funders who may feel that since they have this cushion, additional or new support isn’t necessary.
As a capacity-building funder, we discuss sustainability and support organizations’ infrastructure needs. However, our partners are currently cutting to the bone, and there is nothing left for them to trim. When they come to funders, it’s not for strategic planning or leadership coaching. It’s for urgent needs such as rent, payroll, and electricity. These basic needs can sometimes make leaders feel judged.
That frustrates me on their behalf. In our disaster relief and resilience work, we have championed a proactive approach, rather than responding reactively to urgent needs, by supporting long-term resilience. But what happens when the emergency doesn’t end? What happens when there’s no rebuilding in sight because the disasters (literal and figurative) keep coming?
I feel a growing sense of helplessness as so many foundations are being asked to cut or pause their giving. We can sit with our partners, listen, and offer advice, but conversations don’t pay the bills. The brutal truth we must face today is that we weren’t prepared for this environment. Not this scale, speed, or with this kind of whiplash.
Despite the chaos and fleeting feelings of despair, I still believe we have a vital role to play. When everything is urgent, there is no right way forward. But there is a way.
We must align our values with our current reality. If our values include equity and justice, we can’t expect our grantees to pretzel themselves into our frameworks. We must be brave enough to support the unglamorous and find ways to keep organizations alive, not just to scale impact.
We must also advocate even though it takes time. We can advocate while acknowledging that our partners are drowning now. This means pushing for systems that do not collapse the moment there’s a disruption in federal funding or policy change.
Most of all, we need to bring love back into this work. Radical and practical love. The kind that says I will stand with you, not just as a listener, but as a partner, and we can figure it out together.
Because while fear feels loud right now, I believe hope can be louder.
