It’s still February, so I have a final Valentine to share. I spent two days earlier this week at the Texas Nonprofit Summit – folks across the state who run nonprofit organizations and who support nonprofit organizations. The folks at OneStar did an amazing job organizing the conference, and it went very well, but I think it’s fair to say that the energy was a little muted. Of course it was. It’s a tough time, and there are no easy answers. The chaos of the federal executive orders over the last month has left even the most committed nonprofit and public servants reeling.

But folks were there and engaging together, they were learning and networking and thinking deeply about measurement and impact and storytelling and how to better provide their services. And that deserves celebrating.

I remember more than a decade ago when we were starting the business, one of the first things my father in law who had retired from a career in business law told me was “There will be clients who stiff you.” I am proud to say that in eleven years no client has stiffed us. But that’s a pretty low bar.

More than that, the overwhelming majority of folks that I work with in and around the nonprofit and public sectors are kind, trustworthy, ethical, humble, and not transactional. While there are certainly personalities and power dynamics at play, by and large people care deeply for one another. It is a real community.

Nonprofit and government leaders are challenged right now in so many ways, but the social sector is also strong and resilient because of its people. Just in the past two weeks, I have seen a colleague express real emotion during a call when talking about a loved one’s passing. I was told about a respectful conversation in which an organization felt left out of another organization’s event and called the person in to discuss it. I heard about a meeting in which a government official facing a lot of pressure right now could speak honestly and openly with a group of peers about those challenges.

It’s a hard time, but I’m so grateful for the people who make up the social sector. Thank you for what you do and who you are. Keep up the fight, and when you need support, look to your colleagues across the social sector. Our solidarity, strength, and humanity are our most important assets right now.