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With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I’ve been thinking about love, not just the kind we celebrate with flowers and cards, but the kind that fuels your mission every single day. You started your organization because you care deeply. You saw a need. You felt called to respond. That kind of love: love for community, for justice, for healing, for hope, is powerful. But here’s what I know after more than 30 years in nonprofit leadership and fundraising: ❤️Even the strongest mi

I lived between two worlds: a board focused on strategy and governance, and a staff focused on operations and outcomes. Aligning those perspectives and keeping everyone moving toward a shared vision rested squarely on my shoulders. I was constantly translating big-picture goals into actionable plans, all while trying to keep morale high and navigating the politics that surfaced when vision and reality didn’t quite align. Setting boundaries, maintaining transparency, and prote