We’re exhausted. What do we do? Moving from outrage to action.

I could say that I’ve been busy, which is somewhat true. I have been knee-deep in research on the risk factors for gang involvement. But the truth is, I haven’t known what to say.

We knew the next few years would be rough in the nonprofit space. Frankly, I’ve been apocalyptic about it. Still, there was no way to predict the details (at least that type of fortune-telling was way outside of my pay grade).  And the details have been, I don’t need to tell you, devastating.  

So I haven’t known what to say. 

What I keep returning to is that it all feels so overwhelming, and, yes, it all deserves the same indignation and outrage because it’s all so horrible but inside I know the next horrible and outrageous thing, the thing we must stand up against and not allow, is going to happen tomorrow (see…apocalyptic).

Outrage is exhausting. Outrage is a combined feeling of shock and anger, usually caused by an afront to our moral code. It can lead us to action, or, if prolonged, can lead us to fatigue and paralysis.

Our community has been burning on the fuel of outrage for so long.

I can’t speak for you, but I feel like even the fumes have run out in my emotional gas tank.

I’m not sure that sentiment does much good in print.

I recently vented my outrage to a close friend and she responded, “I know it’s terrible, but what do we do?”

That’s where I get stuck.

I asked that very question to a politician hosting a fundraiser the same day that Israel and Iran were caught up in missile exchange, the marines were guarding federal buildings in Los Angeles, and masked men were raiding a car wash in Santa Ana.

“What do we do?” I begged, to which he replied, “keep protesting and focus on changing the tide at midterms.” 

I’m sure he manages a thousand spinning plates but his response felt like a deflective version of “stay mad and wait.”

I chose not to repeat his marching orders to my friend.

Instead, I managed to find something to say and this is what came out:  

“We focus on what we can do. We focus at the hyper-local level, where visible change can happen. And we focus on the things we know make a difference – donate, volunteer, and promote.”

There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations that are fighting alongside us, in our neighborhoods and the neighborhoods of our global friends. They need funding, they need volunteers, and they need people to know the work hasn’t stopped.

More specifically, this is what I mean:

They need funding….

Name a single nonprofit that doesn’t need money - especially now, when funding streams are so unpredictable. I’d only amend such a common plea slightly: give what you can to the lesser-known nonprofits doing truly on-the-ground work.

It doesn’t have to be thousands - or even hundreds - of dollars. There is real power in small donations to small organizations directly serving individuals in need.

They need volunteers….

There are countless ways to give your time - and just as many organizations that could really use the help. Sometimes what’s needed is specialized skill – like translation or IT support. Other times, it’s simply an extra set of hands to move boxes, serve meals, or support an event.

Just like with donations, even a small amount of your time can make a big difference - especially to under-resourced, community-based organizations doing the daily work.

They need people to know that the work hasn’t stopped….

Last week, I was on a plane with a chatty woman who thought the ICE raids were over because the media had stopped covering them. They have not stopped (see the incredible daily coverage by L.A. Taco for more details).

In the era of 30-second news cycles, simply sharing what we know helps raise awareness. You don’t need a huge platform—just talking about an issue or an organization helps keep it visible. And for smaller, on-the-ground groups, that kind of visibility can be just as important as money or time.

Donate, volunteer, and promote.

I’m not sure those words are any more inspiring than the politician’s message. They certainly aren’t innovative.

But they are action verbs, and they are tried and true.

It is, of course, possible that there are those among us who are not personally feeling the impact of the daily attacks on human rights, attacks on the democratic process, or the dismantling of basic freedoms. Therefore they feel a bit insulated from the carnage and may not need any words of inspiration. Lucky them. But give it a minute. It will come to their doorstep (see…apocalyptic).