Staff Column | Finding the Zero Line

Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program, Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. To be honest, I almost didn’t go. The idea of leaving DC for a week during budget and legislative season felt impossible. The thought of sitting in class from morning until evening, followed by cohort dinners, was overwhelming. The required reading of fifteen case studies only added to my hesitation.

Nonetheless, I went. And I am grateful I did.

For one week I joined 159 nonprofit leaders from across the globe. They represented organizations working in housing, childcare, small business development, environmental justice, adoption, and so many other critical areas. To be in the room with them was both humbling and inspiring. Each of us carried stories of challenge and resilience, and together we reflected on how leaders make choices in moments of opportunity and crisis.

Though the case study method was time consuming, it pushed us to think differently. Through deep discussions of case studies, we explored how organizations have historically responded to threats, needs, and opportunities and the decisions that led to their success or failure. The Harvard faculty pushed us to wrestle with difficult questions and to identify the critical takeaways before we left the room.

The experience left two strong impressions. First, I was reminded that even in times when the nonprofit sector feels stretched thin, there is an extraordinary community of leaders across the world working tirelessly to hold the line on critical services. Second, it deepened my appreciation for the Coalition’s members. Time after time, as I listened to peers, I thought: Our members are already doing that. Our members are already leading in that space. It made me proud to be part of this community and grateful for the work we do together.

The program also challenged me with a concept I can’t stop thinking about the “zero line.” The zero line is your organization’s core reason for existing, your guiding purpose. It’s how you discern whether you’re staying true to your mission or drifting into areas that don’t serve it. At a time when so many of us in the nonprofit sector feel like the ground is shifting beneath us as we face cuts to safety net programs, declining funding, and political attacks, this reminder to focus on our zero line feels more urgent than ever.

What my week at Harvard reinforced is that learning never stops. Even when the challenges feel greater than the resources, continued education gives us the clarity and strength to keep moving forward. This fall, we will be hosting a Coalition Membership Summit to reflect on our collective purpose and explore the questions that guide our work. I hope it will be an opportunity for all of us to reconnect with our zero line and think together about the path ahead.