Social Current

06/17/2026

“We often assume that change happens when a goal is announced, or when a policy is adopted, or even when a decision is made. But in reality, those moments are often just the beginning. What truly matters is whether the change reaches the people it was intended to reach.“

When enslaved people in Texas finally learned of their freedom on June 19, 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation had already been signed more than two years earlier. That gap between what is promised and what is delivered is one of the most important lessons history has ever offered us. Its also one that anyone working in human services knows well.

As Juneteenth approaches, I’ve found myself thinking about a simple question: Why do we observe it? I don’t mean why it’s nationally recognized or why organizations close their offices for […]

06/16/2026

A newly proposed rule threatens to make the federal grants process needlessly difficult. If implemented, it would disincentivize community organizations from seeking federal grants and create a chilling effect across the human services sector.

Learn more and make your voice heard by submitting comments:

06/12/2026

Leadership growth does not happen overnight. It happens through experience, reflection, and the willingness to keep learning. Our newest cohort of Executive Leadership Institute (ELI)students will spend the next year refining their leadership skills with the support of peer mentors and our team of experts. Congratulations on being accepted into the program!

Social Current is excited to introduce the newest cohort of our Executive Leadership Institute, our yearlong leadership development program held in partnership with Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business.  […]

06/11/2026

Leadership growth does not happen overnight. It happens through experience, reflection, and the willingness to keep learning. Our newest cohort of Executive Leadership Institute (ELI)students will spend the next year refining their leadership skills with the support of peer mentors and our team of experts. Congratulations on being accepted into the program!

06/10/2026

Devon Goetze is the director of housing at Auberle and recently completed our Executive Leadership Institute.

Learn how the ELI program supported her leadership journey:

Social Current’s Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) is a yearlong leadership development program offered in partnership with Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan School of Business. Through ELI, executives and senior managers learn how to lead […]

06/09/2026

New ideas need strong leadership to succeed.

Social Current’s on-demand Innovation Leadership course helps professionals build the skills needed to guide change and support creative problem-solving.

This helps participants learn how to:

✅ Frame problems clearly
✅Test and improve ideas
✅ Put plans into action

Enroll and start learning today: https://ow.ly/asPi50Z9BtL

06/08/2026

Our latest book recommendations from our Knowledge and Insights Center focus on workplace retention through the lens of leadership, organizational culture, and human connection. For leaders trying to build healthier workplace cultures, the reading list offers fresh ideas that feel practical and relevant.

Check it out:

Workforce retention is one of the Social Current network’s most often reported concerns, and recent sector-wide reports illuminate the reality. The sector’s turnover rate is approximately 19%, significantly higher than the 12% seen in the private sector, and one in three nonprofits....

06/05/2026

Behavioral health challenges are becoming more complex for children and families, and no single organization can solve them alone. That is why the new Children’s Behavioral Health Collective stands out as an emerging leader in the human services sector.

The initiative brings organizations together to improve coordination, strengthen services, and create better outcomes for young people and caregivers.

A new Children’s Behavioral Health Collective (the CBH Collective), of which Social Current is a founding member, was formed to leverage the extensive national expertise of its partners to foster […]

06/04/2026

The House has unanimously passed the bipartisan Fostering the Future Act, legislation designed to strengthen support for youth transitioning out of foster care. The bill would expand education and workforce training opportunities, improve access to housing and legal services, and increase educational support for foster youth pursuing postsecondary pathways.

Read more about the legislation and its potential impact on foster youth in our latest federal update:

06/03/2026

Fundraising isn’t something that belongs to the development team alone. The strongest organizations treat board members as relationship builders, storytellers, and partners in major giving. The Nonprofit Quarterly outlines how boards can be supported as active partnership in major gifts work:

In this installment of Ask Rhea, Rhea answers a reader’s question about board members, fundraising, and building lasting partnerships.