Reflection Time, 2026
Reflection Time, 2026
Can a calendar year be a wild thing?
In our case, yes. These past six months have been a ‘hang on to your hats’ adventure of sorts. Most nonprofit executives have been on the same roller coaster ride with thrills and stomach dropping moments.
This is my reflection on the first six months of our year.
One Thing That Really Stands Out - my task lists don't get shorter, they become more strategic. In earlier years, my tasks were primarily individual deliverables.
Now, we are redesigning how sectors work together by …
creating new operating frameworks
building match-making model
engaging top Idaho leaders
Building a statewide collaboration strategy
Redesign the way governance is taught and supported
Building a regional healthcare model
Designing architectures for new partnership models.
We fundamentally shifted the way we work. Here are some of the key shifts:
The work shifted from building programs to building systems. This kind of work rarely produces immediate wins, but it dramatically increases my cognitive load because everything depends on getting the systems right.
Nearly every week required switching between visionary and operational work. One day I’m asking: "How do we reinvent philanthropy in Idaho?" to doing daily deep administrative/operational work. This kind of continual context switching is intense!
Relationships multiplied dramatically. Very little of my work is solitary -my role increasingly became connector, convener, coach, fundraiser, strategist, and project manager—all at once.
I experienced both major wins and major disappointments. The wins became bigger and so did the setbacks.
Idaho Partners for Good’s role has changed dramatically.
Six months ago much of our focus was on consulting. Today we're functioning more like a backbone organization, and this shift influences every future project we take on.
It’s been a Roller Coaster.
We are looking back with gratitude, and recognize the highs and lows make more sense.
Here are a few of those highs:
New partnerships formed almost weekly.
Major ideas became tangible initiatives.
Increasing statewide visibility.
New invitations to lead.
Recognition of our leadership.
Development of new intellectual property.
Growing confidence in IP4G's model.
The Biggest Insight
The first half of 2026 marked the transition from building an organization to building a movement. That transition explains the roller coaster we have felt we were on. We weren't just delivering programs—we were simultaneously developing new operating systems, creating intellectual property, strengthening governance, pursuing federal funding, expanding statewide partnerships, and convening leaders around a shared vision for Idaho's future.
The work became broader, more interconnected, and more influential. That complexity brought real pressure, but it also revealed the organization's growing capacity to lead at a systems level.
We are looking forward to the rest of 2026, and all the opportunities that will continue to reveal themselves!
Ready to get involved? Let’s connect.