Change is constant in the nonprofit world. Funding landscapes shift, community needs evolve, and new challenges can emerge quickly. For organizations like Christopher House, the question is not simply how we respond to change—but how we prepare for it.
Christopher House CEO Julie Dakers recently joined nonprofit leaders Shannon Bennett of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization and Grace Araya of Concordia Place on WVON’s “Meeting the Moment”, powered by The Chicago Community Trust, for a conversation about moving from reaction to readiness.
For Julie, readiness starts with staying grounded in our mission.
“Our families need us to be steady and focused and not distracted by the environment around us.”
She shared that readiness means maintaining “mission continuity” and “mission fidelity” while preparing for both the challenges we can anticipate and those we cannot.
That preparation starts with people. Julie spoke about empowering staff to make decisions, building a resilient workforce, and remembering to care for those who spend each day caring for others. As she asked during the conversation, “How do you nurture the nurturers?”
Readiness also means recognizing that we cannot do this work alone.
“The reality is we cannot be everything we need to be for those that we’re serving.”
Instead, Julie emphasized the importance of strong partnerships—leaning into the relationships and resources around us so that Christopher House can remain focused on what we do best while working with others to ensure families have the support they need.
In uncertain times, readiness doesn’t mean having every answer. It means staying connected to our mission, investing in our people, and strengthening the relationships that allow us to move forward—together.
Hear more from Julie and the full conversation on WVON’s “Meeting the Moment” podcast.
