This feels like a reckoning. What comes next is up to us.

Recently I visited Mo‘okini Heiau on Hawai‘i Island — a sacred temple first built over 1,500 years ago for birth rituals, blessings, and the celebration of life. For centuries, it was a place of joy, community, and continuity.

Then, sometime in the 12th or 13th century, a priest named Pa‘ao arrived and rededicated the Heiau to Kū, the god of war. From that point on, it became a site of human sacrifice — where fear and domination replaced life and creation.

In 1994, the Heiau was cleansed and rededicated to the children of Hawai‘i and the world. Still, Mo‘okini Heiau stands as a stark reminder:

What we dedicate our lives and communities to shapes everything.

We always have a choice — to build from fear and control, or to root in care and connection.
With the federal government shut down and appalling ICE activity unfolding across the country, many nonprofits are once again feeling the ground shift beneath them.

Payments are delayed.
Emails go unanswered.
Services grind to a halt.

And once again, it’s nonprofits holding the line — showing up where systems break down.

To every one of you trying to hold it all together: I see you, and here’s what I want to offer:

Maybe the collapse doesn’t start out there.
Maybe it begins when we finally let go of “how we’ve always done it.”

Here’s how:

• Anchor in your why. Return to the heart of why your work exists. Let that be the ground under your feet.

• Release what isn’t essential. Crisis makes clear what matters most — and what can fall away. No one wants layoffs, so see if you can shift roles to income producing activities while we ride out this crisis.

• Seek support. No one is meant to carry this alone. Surround yourself with the peers,

  mentors, and allies who strengthen you. Invest in these relationships.

• Lead with truth. Speak honestly to your communities. Trust is built through authenticity, not pretense. Especially with funders, there is a way to communicate what you’re experiencing without sounding like you’re begging. State clearly what you need and why. The right people will see themselves in your message and show up.

We don’t have to keep sacrificing ourselves to broken systems.
We get to choose how to live life.
We get to choose connection.
We get to lay a stronger foundation.

If you’re ready for a space to think, feel, and move forward — I’m opening up free consults for nonprofit leaders who need exactly that.

👉Book a Talk Story with Me

We’ll talk through what’s falling away, what’s worth rebuilding, and what your next right step might be.