Blog

Freya explores her upcoming sabbatical journey to reconnect with ancestral roots, explore inner development, and integrate these insights into Rotary Charities' systems change work.
 

Lasting impacts rarely happen when people are expected to network, advance interests, or blindly produce. They happen when good humans doing important and encouraged to come in quietly and connect. And sometimes, they happen on a Wednesday over waffles.

As we look back on the five-year milestone of the Systems Change Community of Practice, it's worth celebrating that the CoP has not only fostered a supportive community of changemakers but has also amplified our collective capacity to drive meaningful transformation. Looking ahead, we are inspired by the potential for even greater impact as we continue to grow and deepen our practice together. 

What does love have to do with systems change? It could be its very purpose. A different paradigm from which to consider the individual, relational, and community work needed to create healthier, more equitable, and regenerative systems. 

In this interview, Jennifer Hricik shares her candid experiences, growth moments, and the authentic story of her leadership evolution—revealing the genuine, human side of our coaching program.

To help turn new insight into action, we developed three new reflection and discussion guides that accompany the Stories of Change publication. Learn more about how they can be used for individual reflection or, ideally, individual reflection that is then processed with a group of stakeholders committed to moving from insight to new action. 

Sakura and Freya shared our approach to catalyzing positive change with other funders at the GEO Learning Conference. Our participation at the conference allowed us to connect with like-minded individuals who are curious about adopting a systems change approach in their work and funding.

If organized philanthropy aims to make progress on complex, systemic issues, philanthropy itself must transform.

Five key insights emerged across the four case studies featured in Stories of Change that point to the practices that have accelerated changemakers’ progress in transforming the systems at the heart of complex community issues. These insights are for anyone working to change the odds in favor of communities where everyone can thrive.

This final installment in Freya's four-part systems change series explores two systemic learning questions, potential indicators of change to look for, and methods we might use to capture signs of change all along our journeys.