Never Have I Ever Been More Grateful for Our Community Leaders

Never have I ever looked around and thought, “If commitment were money, we’d finally be able to fully fund everything..” And yet, here we are.

I’m talking about community leaders who show up early, stay late, and somehow still answer emails that start with, “Quick question…” (It is never quick. EVER). Leaders who hold grief and hope in the same hand, who can pivot from a board meeting to a community crisis without changing shoes or tone. Leaders who know the work don't pause just because the world feels like it’s on fire and somebody keeps adding gasoline.

The timing? Impeccable. Because this moment we’re living in is doing the absolute most. Budgets are tight. Patience is at its thinnest. The news cycle feels like a group chat that should’ve been muted months ago. Folks are tired, capital “T” tired, but still committed. Still believing. Still pushing forward with a mix of grit, grace, and a little side-eye.

What I’m seeing right now is leadership that isn’t performative. It’s not loud for likes or dressed up for panels. It’s quiet consistency. It’s people who don’t need a spotlight because they are too busy building the infrastructure and safety nets that hold communities together when systems fail (again). It’s leaders who know the difference between being visible and being effective, and choose effective every time.

And can we talk about the multitasking? Because community leaders today are expected to be strategists, therapists, fundraisers, budget analysts, translators of philanthropy-speak, and miracle workers. All while being told to “do more with less” – like less ever paid the rent.

Still, they show up.

They show up for elders, for youth, for families, for futures that haven’t even fully formed yet. They show up when the funding is late, when the rules change in the middle of the game, when hope feels fragile. They show up because walking away would cost too much, not just to them but to all of us.

Never have I ever been more grateful for the people who understand that this work is not a trend, a phase, or a side project. It’s a calling. It’s stewardship. It’s love in action.

This is exactly why the BRIC Fund remains deeply committed to supporting leaders of color and the work they lead, especially in moments like this. Through the Executive Directors of Color Institute (EDCI) and our broader capacity-building efforts, we invest in strengthening and expanding the leadership pipeline so leaders aren’t carrying the weight alone. Because committed leaders deserve more than applause. They deserve real support, shared learning, trusted community, and resources that help them sustain the work for the long haul. Because communities thrive when leaders are resourced, connected, and not doing this work alone.

And right now? We need them. We need their courage, their clarity, their refusal to shrink in a moment that demands intentional presence (and expansion). We need leaders who are grounded, connected, and unafraid to tell the truth, even when it makes folks uncomfortable.

So here’s to the community leaders who are still standing, still laughing when they can, still doing the work even when it’s heavy. You are seen. You are necessary. And yes, you are exactly who this moment requires. Never have I ever been more certain of that.