Theme-Inspired Tools, Resources, & More
What tools, resources, materials, and/or practices have you used to shift power, open doors, and/or manage life “Up in the Air”?
We asked, you answered. Here’s what many of you shared have been helpful to you in navigating the extra-unpredictable nature life has taken on these last few years.

Books/Publications.
- Change or Die by Alan Deutschman
- Power, A User’s Guide by Julie Diamond
- Scaling Altruism: A Proven Pathway for Accelerating Nonprofit Growth and Impact by Donald Summers
- Shine
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Neurodiversity Edge by Maureen Dunne
- Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than They Expect by Will Guidara
- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Nonprofit Quarterly Magazine
- Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships by David Bradford, Ph.D. & Carole Robin, Ph.D.
- The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni
- All About Love by bell hooks
- Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being by Shawn Anchor
- Impact Networks: Create Connections, Spark Collaboration, and Catalyze Systems Change by David Ehrlichman
Podcasts/Websites.
- Nonprofits are Messy with Joan Garry
- How to Be a Better Human with Chris Duffy
- Marketing Against the Grain with Kipp Bodnar & Kieran Flanagan
- Typeology with Ian Morgan Cron
- Successful Nonprofits with Dolph Goldenburg
- WorkLife with Adam Grant
- Our organization, Reuniting Family Bail Fund, creates Purely Speculation, a live podcast exposing the oppressive nature of the criminal legal system and highlighting the resiliency of people/communities as they recover from the trauma of incarceration—https://bailfundmontco.org/our-podcast/
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- https://www.nonprofitsnapshot.org/
- Joan Garry Consulting – https://joangarry.com/
In their own words.
- “I actively seek out conferences like this one, which offer fresh perspectives and the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals. These events provide invaluable insights into shifting dynamics in leadership and open up avenues for collaboration and innovation.”
- “Professional development – learning to see more opportunity than I see alone.”
- “This is a survival skill for small nonprofits: finding people to help.”
- “Partnerships with other like-minded peer support providers.”
- “Work closely with HR reps, consider boundaries, set up a system where voices are heard and decisions are respected.”
- “Spiritual practices/staying grounded in what I know.”
- Liberating Structures | Compression planning | Outreach/Social media | Networking | AI
- “Following the example Huma Abedin said they practiced while working with Hilary Clinton—amplifying women’s voices, suggestions, comments, and questions in meetings. We did something similar to ensure newer staff voices were heard and credited.”
- “Mentors within our firm and community. The world feels like a totally new place, but those more experienced than myself always seem to have a great perspective on how similar situations have been overcome in the past or how it could have been handled differently. The past always has something to teach us about the future.”
The Wisdom is in the Room.
We firmly believe the wisdom is already in the room – we are all experts in our own right, figuring out what works best for our organizations, our communities, and beyond. Sometimes we get stuck, bogged down even, by all that’s up in the air, and could use a sounding board, a fresh perspective, an example of a promising new practice. That’s where the wisdom in the room can help! Come draw out the wisdom in the room with us, and be part of the wisdom in the room for someone else.