Nonprofit Leadership
Leading with Purpose. Innovating with Equity.
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** “Courage, Willow!”
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November 18, 2025
Dear Readers,
There’s a scene in the beloved (to me) 1988 film Willow, in which the heroic protagonist, the diminutive Willow, finds himself facing down a whole castleful of evildoers. His job? Antagonize these warlords into lowering their drawbridge to attack. The twist: All around Willow, hidden under cover, is a small army of good guys, ready to exploit the overconfidence of the enemy. As he stands before the fearsome turrets, seemingly alone, our hero says to himself, “Courage, Willow!”
Courage, and a great deal of it, is indeed needed as our sector faces down malevolent forces in the White House, in Congress, and in the private sector—forces that seek to use the current power of the Trump administration to crush values of equity, justice, free speech, and the nonprofits that uphold them.
In this week’s Nonprofit Leadership newsletter, we offer some examples of the kind of courage we need.
As always, we love to hear from you. Email me at
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected]) .
And remember: Courage, Willow!
Isaiah Thompson
Leadership
Editor
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** Must-Read Articles
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Meeting “Flood the Zone” with “Rule-of-Law Shock and Awe”
by Lauren Girardin
“They know what to do with weakness—they don’t know what to do with strength.”
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Leading “Against the Current”: A Conversation with Eveline Shen
by Isaiah Thompson and Eveline Shen
“Courage is a muscle. The more you use it, the more you get. And courage is a collective practice.”
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What’s Next for the Labor Movement? A Conversation with Dave Kamper
by Steve Dubb and Dave Kamper
“I’d rather be going into this fight with the labor movement of 2024–2025 than with…any earlier labor movement of our lifetimes.”
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Broken Promise: Disability, Nonprofits, and the Struggle for Economic Justice
by James A. Lomastro
“This isn’t just about cutting a program; it’s about breaking a promise. Every paycheck stub with social security withholding represents a covenant.”
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Nonprofit Leadership offers timely civic news, equity-centered insights, and innovative frameworks for leaders building a just and thriving civil society. This newsletter delivers field wisdom, leadership strategies, and practical tools to help you lead with intention and create sustainable impact in your organization and community.
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