In Challenging Times, Our Well-Being Is Non-Negotiable

May 13, 2025

At the National Human Services Assembly, we’re proud to count among our members organizations that lead with “humanity”—grounding their services in compassion and care.

I was recently honored to speak on a panel of communications leaders at the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance’s Elevate 2025 Conference. In the past, these conversations may have prioritized best practices for social media or donor engagement. Even today, many conversations might lean towards future opportunities to leverage AI for storytelling. While those topics were certainly addressed, one theme saturated the entire discussion: the heightened importance of clear, compassionate internal communication to mitigate elevated organizational stress.

Why did this resonate so deeply with the 500+ attendees?

It’s no secret that we are living and leading in a time of deep uncertainty—socially, politically, and economically. The demands on our organizations have never been greater, and the pressure for practitioners to do more with less is relentless. Yet amidst it all, there’s a truth we cannot afford to overlook: our well-being is essential to our impact. Effectively communicating with staff means transparency, consistency and understanding as we navigate unforeseen changes. Even if all these tenants are met, the trepidation many feel remains.

For leaders, we carry a different but equally heavy load—often holding space for others while struggling to hold space for ourselves. But we cannot build resilient communities if we neglect the resilience of the people doing the work. We must normalize rest, model boundaries, and foster workplace cultures where asking for help is not met with stigma, but with support. This shift begins with leadership. It begins with culture. It begins with the recognition that caring for ourselves and our teams is not separate from our mission—it is the very foundation of it.

This isn’t about perfection.
It’s about permission—
Permission to pause.
Permission to protect your peace.
Permission to, as I shared in my closing panel remarks… breathe.

In solidarity,

Victor S. Valentine
Chief Executive Officer
National Human Services Assembly