By Dr. Virginia Lacayo
Non-profits today face unprecedented complexities. The challenges we address—poverty, climate change, health disparities, gender and race-based discrimination—are more interconnected than ever. These systemic issues cannot be solved in isolation, and as the political ground shifts beneath us, we are called to stand together. Interconnection is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. Without it, we can’t create systemic change or push back against the oppressive systems that perpetuate the issues we fight. Change, real change, is a collective act.
This moment demands something more. It calls for the third critical shift non-profits must embrace to adapt and thrive under the realities of a new administration—one that likely opposes many of their efforts. The first shift is moving from outrage and despair to purposeful action: grounding our work in strategy rather than reactivity. The second shift focuses on long-term transformation by addressing systemic root causes rather than settling for temporary fixes. Now, the third shift asks us to break free from isolation and embrace interconnection—to build alliances, amplify collective power, and foster collaboration across every boundary.
