Susan McPherson ✨

Nonprofit communicators are navigating an era of distrust, division and noise — and that makes our work both harder and more essential. The Trust Playbook, created by The Communications Network and partners, offers a clear, research-informed roadmap for how to build trust and engage across divides. Its 7-Step Framework — from listening to learn to engaging unlikely allies — gives communicators practical ways to move organizations from division to action. Grateful to Sean Gibbons and the team for this resource and the continued leadership they provide our field. 👉 Explore the playbook here: https://lnkd.in/evHccC8H

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Amidst global rollbacks on women’s rights and the assault on gender equity and DEI initiatives, one question has been front and center in conversations I’ve had over the past few months: "Will women philanthropists step in to fill the gap?" So, we asked members of our Women Moving Millions community. We already knew that they were taking action (because that’s what women do). But we wanted a clearer picture of their giving strategies and impact. We found, unsurprisingly, that WMM members are doubling down, giving more and faster, and funding new causes and issues. They are activating their powerful networks and collaborating strategically to scale their impact. Our survey uncovered the following: 🔷 100% of respondents expressed concern about the current political climate’s effect on their grantees, with 74% deeply worried. 🔷 80% of their grantees face shrinking budgets or full funding cuts. More than half (51%) have reduced staff, and 46% are struggling to maintain DEI programs. 🔷 72% reported that recent executive orders and policies have influenced their philanthropy, prompting many to focus more deeply, shift toward local giving, address funding gaps, or recalibrate their strategies to meet urgent needs. 🔷 82% are actively fundraising to fill gaps, while 54% plan to increase their giving in the next 12 months, with many accelerating their grantmaking timelines. 🔷 Two-thirds of respondents are exploring support for new causes, including legal aid, international relations, anti-corruption efforts, and film and media. Several members are funding democracy and legal defense organizations or supporting nonprofits impacted by foreign aid cuts, immigration policies, and threats to vulnerable communities. The truth is that these challenges are too great for any one sector to address alone. But communities like WMM enable donors to amplify their reach and achieve exponential impact. Thank you to The Chronicle of Philanthropy for highlighting our survey and showcasing how women philanthropists are rising to meet this moment. https://lnkd.in/eP75hySS

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📊 McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report shines a spotlight on where progress is slowing — and where intentional support matters most: sponsorship, advocacy, and visible career pathways. Read the full report here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g-wqTMhP Some big takeaways: • For the first time in the study’s history, women are reporting lower ambition to advance than men — largely because they receive less sponsorship and fewer stretch opportunities, not because they lack drive. • Women remain underrepresented at every leadership level — even as some top-performing companies continue to make gains. • Senior women leaders are reporting higher levels of burnout, especially when support isn’t equitable. ⸻ As a former CEO in the beauty industry and now President of @CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women), I know firsthand that momentum doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because someone actively believes in you, advocates for you, and opens the door. For me, that kind of sponsorship made all the difference: ✨ Rich Gersten — formerly a Partner at Tengram Capital Partners and now Co-Founder of @True Beauty Ventures — believed in me enough to hire me twice to scale and sell companies, trusting me with real responsibility and real outcomes. ✨ My father, who in the 70s and 80s told me every day that if I worked hard, I could be whatever I wanted to be — a belief that became the foundation of my confidence. ✨ Alain Concher, my boss in the early ’90s at L'Oréal , who saw a spark in me at 24, promised me a promotion — and then made good on that promise. ✨ And to my husband of nearly 32 years, Claude Szyfer , who exemplifies what real partnership looks like — shared parenting, shared earning, and unwavering support. Equality at work is deeply connected to equity at home. These champions didn’t just support me — they invested in me. And the McKinsey data confirms what many of us know from experience: Talent isn’t the issue. Support is. Sponsorship is. Belief is. 📌 That’s why CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) exists. We are a career development and support network — providing access, community, sponsorship, and knowledge so women can turn potential into leadership. Progress doesn’t stall because women stop caring. It stalls when systems — and people — stop investing. Let’s recommit to doing the work that actually moves the needle. #WomenInLeadership #CEW McKinsey & Company CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) Claude Szyfer Rich Gersten True Beauty Ventures L'Oréal

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Donor Spotlight: Cartier Philanthropy Cartier Philanthropy partners with organizations driving lasting impact for vulnerable communities around the world. With a strong focus on women’s social and economic development, access to basic services, sustainable livelihoods, and emergency response, the foundation invests in initiatives that enable people to build more resilient futures. Cartier Philanthropy has invested over $130M in more than 98 partners across 40+ countries, partnering with a diverse range of organizations including One Acre Fund, BOMA.ngo, Educate Girls, IDinsight, Healthy Learners, World Bicycle Relief, Fresh Life, Ashesi University, BRAC, Co-Impact, among others. By supporting bold, local solutions and amplifying their stories, Cartier Philanthropy is helping to shift systems and create opportunities for those most at risk of being left behind. Learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/ddv-MPcg #Philanthropy #Impact #Partnerships

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I recently connected with Emilie Gerber, the voice behind the comms-focused newsletter On Background, for a conversation on how media is evolving and what it really means to show up with intention as a communicator today. A few reflections from our conversation: 💡 “Legacy vs. new media” divide is an outdated distinction - The label we give an outlet doesn’t matter - it’s where meaningful conversations are happening and how we show up in those spaces. The best storytellers today don’t put media into buckets. They listen, participate, and pay attention to the shifting cultural signals. 🔍 Media discovery is part of the craft - Read, listen, and engage always. You’ll encounter new opportunities by reading broadly, listening closely, and paying attention to who is influencing whom. 🎨 Nontraditional channels only work when the story belongs there - If you want to appear in unexpected places, you need to show up in unexpected ways; but the key is to make sure your brand genuinely aligns with the community you're stepping into. Huge thanks to Emilie for giving space to discuss the craft of communications, not just the outcomes. 💜 Comms folks: if you haven’t checked out On Background yet, it’s an essential read full of thoughtful industry analysis with tactical, behind-the-scenes strategy. Check out the story! https://lnkd.in/gXcCDvbe

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💸 "Series B funding is a powerful example of a tool from the private sector that should be repurposed and leveraged by business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs when they engage in philanthropy 💡 By shifting their philanthropy towards investments that resemble Series B funding (a.k.a. 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿), philanthropists can help nonprofits meet this moment and whatever challenges still lie ahead." Thanks ImpactAlpha for featuring this call to action from my colleagues, Cecilia Conrad and Kristen J. Molyneaux, Ph.D. Read the full commentary ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gPWKTj55

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Impact Evaluation Lab is thrilled to announce a strategic investment from entrepreneur, impact investor, and philanthropist Jim Sorenson— a leader whose vision and integrity have shaped the global impact investing landscape for many years. This partnership will accelerate IEL’s mission to make impact investing more transparent, accountable, and accessible to mainstream investors. Over the past two years, the IEL team has developed a rigorous, multidimensional due diligence process to assess both the impact and financial outcomes of investment strategies — bringing the analytical standards of traditional finance into the world of impact. In collaboration with Sorenson Impact at the University of Utah, IEL has also refined their fund assessment framework and launched the Impact Authenticity Score, a new benchmark for evaluating intentionality and transparency in impact investing. As Jim Sorenson put it: “The IEL team brings professionalism and innovation to the critical issue of impact evaluation. Their processes will help ensure greater authenticity and transparency across the impact investing sector.” IEL is deeply grateful for Jim’s support and shared belief that credible measurement and clear language are essential for impact investing to reach its full potential. Learn more about the partnership and our shared vision for authentic impact: 🌐 impactevaluationlab.com 🌐 https://lnkd.in/eq2dGwh6 #ImpactInvesting #AuthenticImpact #Transparency #ImpactMeasurement #JimSorenson #SorensonImpactInstitute #ImpactEvaluationLab

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💬 Gen Z Is Redefining Civic Engagement What does it mean to participate in civic life when the traditional pathways — politics, media, community organizations — feel fragmented? This week on Anchor Change, I spoke with Sarah Stamper, Chief Research Officer at murmuration, about how her team is helping rebuild those connections through research and collaboration. We talked about: 🗣 How Murmuration’s Civic Pulse listens to 500 Americans every day 🏙 Why third spaces — the parks, cafés, and gyms between home and work — are vital for belonging 💻 How Gen Z blends digital and in-person community in entirely new ways 🌍 And what sustainable community power looks like in a fractured information ecosystem Gen Z doesn’t see civic engagement as showing up once every four years — they see it as a daily act of participation. 🎧 Listen to “Gen Z Redefines Civic Engagement” wherever you get your podcasts or at the link in comments.

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