Nonprofit Case Study
Rebuilding Trust at a Civil Rights Nonprofit
When the Executive Director of a national civil rights nonprofit reached out through our intake form, her message was brief but telling.
She marked interest in all of our services and wrote, “We’re in trouble. We need help—and a partner we can trust for the long haul.”
We scheduled a virtual consultation right away.
On screen, we met a senior leader whose exhaustion was visible—eyes kind but clouded with worry. After introductions, we asked what led her to reach out.
She paused, then shared the truth: staff morale was crumbling.
Employees felt dismissed or disrespected. Managers didn’t feel equipped to lead through conflict. A recent termination, though procedurally sound, had inflamed tensions with the union. Leadership was burnt out and bewildered, unable to trace the path from their values to this moment of crisis. “We’ve lost something,” she said. “And we don’t know how to get it back.”
We listened. Carefully. Compassionately.
We reflected her words and mirrored her hopes: a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. A workplace of trust, clarity, and shared purpose. Then we mapped a way forward—an intentional, trust-building process rooted in reflection, assessment, learning, and repair.
Leadership
We started where all culture work should: with the leadership team.
What we found were good people overwhelmed by competing diagnoses, unresolved tensions, and a profound sense of disconnection. We invited them into storytelling—what brought them to this work, what still inspires them, what kind of leaders they want to be. From there, we explored both personal and organizational pain points. Common threads emerged: broken trust, inconsistent accountability, a fraying sense of shared purpose. And yet, a vision for something better was alive in the room. Words like trusting, collaborative, joyful, and impactful rose to the surface. We ended the session co-creating talking points for an “organizational reset” and prepared leaders to message the moment to staff with humility, hope, and transparency.
Assessment
Next, we held confidential listening sessions with staff—some by role, others by affinity.
We heard honest, courageous feedback: long hours, inequitable practices, fear of retaliation, and a profound lack of psychological safety. Staff didn’t just want better policies—they wanted dignity. We synthesized what we heard into key themes and presented findings to leadership, then to staff. Each time, we invited feedback. This wasn't a data dump; it was a dialogue. The result was a shared diagnosis, co-owned by staff and leaders alike.
Strategy
Together, we translated insight into action.
We built a year-long strategic plan that addressed root issues: from inconsistent communication and inequitable pay to the absence of trust-building structures. Each recommendation came with a timeline, accountability lead, and feedback loop. Staff helped refine the plan, leadership endorsed it, and—perhaps for the first time in years—the organization moved forward together.
Learning & Development
Policy change wasn’t enough. People needed tools, language, and practice.
We launched monthly, scenario-based workshops on core skills: giving and receiving feedback, navigating conflict with dignity, bridging across difference. Some sessions brought teams together; others held space for identity-specific learning. We modeled courageous conversation, mutual accountability, and emotional intelligence in action. Over time, the culture began to shift—not just in what people did, but in how they showed up.
Dialogue and Repair
As trust deepened, it was time to repair fractured relationships.
We convened a dialogue circle with union reps and leadership using a structured, dignity-based protocol. Participants explored breakdowns, owned their roles, and articulated commitments to a healthier way forward. The atmosphere was real—raw, at times—but also redemptive. People brought their learning into the room. The very behaviors they had practiced were now in motion.
Today
The organization is more stable, aligned, and hopeful.
The Executive Director, once drained and unsure, now leads with clarity and calm. Staff report feeling more included, respected, and energized. Conflict hasn’t disappeared—but it is now met with skill, empathy, and process.
This is what we do at Perception Strategies: help mission-driven organizations transform themselves from the inside out—with honesty, courage, and care.
Details of the story above have been changed to preserve annonyimity