2025 Resolution: Find Strategies to Win in the Now.

Happy New Year. I hope that each of you had a few moments to rest and restore over the holidays. 

Like many of you, I used the time to reset and consider the work ahead. As we come back to our work and the coming reality of this new political landscape, I’m more convinced of the crucial role that nonprofit and foundation leaders will play in 2025. 

The truth that we already know is that we are in a new moment with an opposition that is more organized and prepared to undo hard-fought victories across the board. 

And if you’re a leader in any social, racial, economic or environmental justice field, you will need to be ready to inspire, to vision, to navigate, and, yes, communicate — because communicating organizations will forge the way forward. 

We clearly see that need, which is why we have revamped our approach to learning and launched The Cutting Edge, a training program for communicating leaders who want to drive change and make sure they do so with their strongest tool — their voice. 

We know that different leaders have different strengths and growth areas, which is why we’ve organized four in-person, two-day trainings across the country with unique, tailored learning and coaching for each location. Here’s what we have on deck: 

• Foundational skills, Washington, D.C., March: Success in a hostile landscape requires staving off harm in the short term and building power and setting up gains in the long term. This session helps leaders with communications and strategy that do both. We will draw on Spitfire’s recent messaging research and share lessons about how to bridge the gap between your base supporters and those who are persuadable but may not see the connection between your work and their lives. We will also sharpen your critical internal communications and board engagement to set up your organization to be prepared and dynamic in the new political landscape. 
   
• Organizational voice, San Francisco, June: This session prepares leaders to be strong and inspiring advocates by knowing how to prepare for smooth media appearances; give visionary speeches; and inspire and engage their staff, communities and potential supporters with powerful stories. In the training, you will learn how to write powerful stories and speeches and then deliver them across your platforms and media and to the audiences that need to hear them most.
   
• Sticky and tricky communication, New York, September: From preventing the opposition from derailing your strategy with disinformation to questions you need to answer before deciding whether and how you should use artificial intelligence, this training will provide leaders with the understanding and strategy needed to lead your organization through the noise to reach new supporters despite your opposition.
   
• Navigate crises, Chicago, November: This training will prepare you to navigate internal and external crises in addition to moving through a polarized landscape impacting your mission, staff and donors. Leaders will gain the understanding and strategy you need to preserve trust, maintain credibility and protect your organization’s reputation.

No matter where you are in the movement, one thing is clear: We need to get back in the lab and develop better strategies. That space — building through learning — is in our bones here at Spitfire, and we know it is only one but a huge piece of the puzzle for how we move forward in this moment. 

And it is clear that we need each other and the collective smarts to protect our messages from disinformation and learn how to find strategic opportunities to build plans, messages and communities that can protect progress in the near term and win. 

So, if you’re a communicating leader or aspire to be one and you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, we invite you to one or all of these trainings because the next step for your organization depends on the tone and vision you set.