It's now been a few months since our October 2013 Grant Partner ("GP") Gathering and I've had a chance to reflect further on some of the themes that emerged from our day together.

These should not be surprising to anyone who has worked with nonprofit organizations, especially grass-root efforts.  The challenges and the tensions are somewhat universal for early stages of organizational growth and development for many activists, artists and other nonprofits as they struggle to "professionalize" their approaches and articulate their relevance to audiences more comfortable with hard data.

• Messaging - Several people spoke about the challenge of articulating their work so that more people 'hear' what they are trying to say.  Others talked about this challenge as an 'opportunity' to connect more deeply with constituents.  But -- bottom line -- communication skills are a challenge to many Grant Partners.  Especially the need to lead with "the positive" and not just doomsday messages.  They want to create hope and possibility, and most importantly understand where individuals can fit these actions within the big picture.

• Stickiness - Related to messaging was the challenge of getting stories to go 'mainstream' so that not just ardent followers hear the news, but also more prominent media outlets (print, broadcast, blogoshere, etc.) will cover their stories.  Trying to understand what ideas are spreadable and how can they write/package them to spread beyond their 'tribes' was a common theme.

• Motivation - Grappling with tension inherent in the work - at times GPs are motivated by anger at lack of urgency and the tepid response of general public to this great challenge, and at other times inspired by the small successes and greater food they accomplish.  The Convening and the "Pause" are both seen as ways to refuel and re-energize for hard work ahead.

• Capacity - Not surprisingly, the group share the common challenge of "capacity".  Everyone struggles with enough time to get everything done, enough financial resources to accomplish their desired objectives, and getting staff trained and adding skills -- since hiring more experienced staff is generally not financially feasible.

• Local vs. National - To a lesser degree, some of the GPs shared opportunities and challenges present when trying to build a local constituency first -- versus the desire and/or need to still develop a national presence and/or action plan.  Working with local populations was clearly a worthwhile strategy but it did come at the cost of taking more time.

• Listening vs. Leading - While not necessarily opposites, the fine line of learning when you are done listening and when to take action is a very nuanced process.  The desire and need to talk with those impacted and/or those who need to be engaged in the solutions can bear fruit, but it can also be very cumbersome, even if done well.

I am truly heartened by the passion and compassion the GPs shared for climate change work and its effects, particularly on vulnerable populations.  These GPs are a committed and caring group -- who spoke often of empowering others, community building, and mutual respect -- as well as making connections with each other at this gathering and beyond.

The overall results from our Gathering are inspiring and have allowed for a real exchange of ideas and healthy debate.  We look forward to continuing reconvening another daylong gathering in October this year with our new GPs and many of our existing GPs.