Are you Acting with Courage?

The very first article we wrote this year was titled Entering 2023 With Courage. It was sparked by a trend we’d noticed working with a broad variety of social impact clients across focus areas. The most successful organizations — regardless of size, category, or fundraising model — all share one common theme: Courage. Courage within their leadership team, their brand strategy, and their team culture.

When you stop to think about it, working in the social impact sector is an inherently courageous act.

Identifying and bearing witness to injustice, inequity, or thorny societal problems is an act of courage.

To then say, “No, that’s not right. Let’s do something about it” is an act of courage.

The dedication, sacrifice, and emotional toll required to work within a social impact organization (in any capacity) is an act of courage.

To fight for a more sustainable approach to philanthropy and social impact work (or, as our friends at We Are For Good put it, to join the Impact Uprising) is an act of courage.

Yet, too often, it’s easy to slip back into the familiar comfort of “the way it’s always been done,” “the way it is,” “doing what we can,” etc. Stuff still has to get done, after all. When is it right to do our best within the current constraints and when is it time to rethink the strategy, make a bold bet, and invest in a bigger, better future?

Let’s be real. The last few years haven’t been easy — for anyone. Coming back into a new chapter of society, figuring out how we all fit into the new world, what matters most, what we say “yes” and “no” to, how we can make a true impact — but do so in a sustainable way. This stuff isn’t easy.

But despite a challenging global landscape, a jittery economic outlook, slower/harder funding cycles, and systemic burnout, we are amazed and humbled by the impact we witness through our clients in the sector.

These organizations navigate choppy waters with resolve — powered by empathy, creativity, and a dedication to their mission and their work.

When we partner with clients on their brand and digital strategy, help them navigate a rebrand, redesign and rebuild their website, and design and execute campaigns, we aim to cultivate their inner courage. To help them be the best version of themselves. To dream bigger. To aim higher. To raise the bar. It takes both teams coming together to work. But when it does, it feels like magic.

How have you and your organization acted with courage this year so far? How might you act courageously in the second half of 2023, and beyond?

It’s not easy or comfortable to be courageous. But it’s rarely a decision you regret.