The corporate giving recession, cancel culture, and how communities are shaping and wielding narrative power.

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Happy happy fall y’all! I’m in disbelief that it’s the close of the year. As you may remember, I took a step back here in preparation for my fall magic show tour, and closed our calendar for new clients. Now, we’re gearing up for a new year, and sharing the latest tools and resources to help you do the same.

We only have two learning opportunities on the calendar this month: Conflict 101 on Tuesday, and Rupture & Repair on Wednesday. I hope to see you there!

Need something more personalized? Book time to discuss a custom workshop or consulting engagement for spring 2026.

With grace,

Nicole

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“We're trying to build more accountability between peers instead of everything flowing up to management, but honestly, people seem more comfortable complaining to me about their colleagues than addressing issues directly. How do we change this dynamic?"

This is such a common challenge, and it happens because giving feedback to peers feels riskier than complaining to managers. When someone comes to you with a complaint about a colleague, they're essentially asking you to take the relationship risk for them.

Start by changing how you respond to these complaints. Instead of immediately problem-solving, ask: "Have you talked to them about this?" If the answer is no, your next question should be: "What would make that conversation feel more manageable for you?" Then help them practice.

Create structure for peer feedback. Maybe it's regular team retrospectives where people share appreciations and concerns, or buddy systems where people are explicitly paired to give each other ongoing feedback. Make it clear that addressing issues directly with colleagues isn't just encouraged, it's expected.

Most importantly, model this yourself. When someone complains to you about a colleague, be transparent: "I'm going to help you figure out how to address this with them directly, and I may also follow up to make sure the conversation happened and went well." You're not being punitive—you're being supportive of everyone's growth.

Cost of living remains high — and wages haven’t kept up. “Coupled with today’s high costs, low wages leave many working people unable to afford basics such as groceries and gas — much less get ahead,” researchers with The Century Foundation said. HR Dive >

Starbucks workers kick off 65-store US strike on company’s busy Red Cup Day. More than 1,000 unionized Starbucks workers went on strike on what is typically one of the company’s busiest days of the year to protest a lack of progress in labor negotiations with the company. AP News >

More than half of companies surveyed say federal pressure on DEI affected philanthropy. In a recent survey by The Conference Board, 55% of corporate philanthropy leaders say federal scrutiny on DEI has affected their corporate giving strategies. Los Angeles Times >

Judge allows lawsuit over Trump's anti-DEI grant policy despite Supreme Court ruling. Eight Democratic-led states can pursue a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Department of Education policy that led to the cancellations of millions of dollars in teacher-training grants despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed President Donald Trump's administration to terminate the funding. Reuters >

White House official says October jobs and inflation data are likely to never be released. The White House has suggested the inflation and jobs data skipped during the shutdown may be permanently lost, just a few weeks before the Federal Reserve will weigh in on December rate cuts. Fortune >

Fewer Americans see diversity as a business priority. Sixty-nine percent of U.S. adults say it is extremely or somewhat important for businesses to promote DEI, the lowest level since tracking began in 2022. Gallup >

Women in games industry paid 24% less than men. Women working in the video-game industry earn 24% less than their male colleagues on average, according to a new survey — a wider gap than in the US at large that suggests the sector is still struggling to shed its male-dominated culture. Bloomberg >

So DEI doesn’t work. Okay, what would be better? “Rather than truly attempt to problem-solve, diminish discrimination, and allow institutions to draw on the broadest pool of talent available, today’s DEI opponents have only resurrected the discriminatory policies of the past.” The Fulcrum >

Trump Administration removes report on missing and murdered Native Americans, calling it DEI content. The Trump administration took down a congressionally mandated report on missing and murdered Native Americans from the Department of Justice’s website nearly 300 days ago. It’s still not back online, and the senators who worked to pass the law are furious. Duncan Banner >

Museums had a rough 2025. After the administrations arts funding cuts, a new report finds that after-school programs and programming for seniors and veterans were canceled, new exhibitions and maintenance projects were stalled, and more than half of the museums surveyed are seeing fewer visitors than in 2019. NPR >

How Communities are Shaping and Wielding Narrative Power. Convergence Partnerships shares how to move from theory to practice by showcasing how community-led organizations are building and exercising narrative power to advance systemic change. Learn More >

Introducing the Impact Collaborative. Soren Kaplan shares a new nonprofit alliance model shows how previously siloed organizations can collaborate to scale services while retaining autonomy. Learn More >

Aging and re-engaging: Volunteer participation post-pandemic. Yvonne Rodney looks at how organizations are responding to the aging factor in volunteerism and what they’re doing to encourage volunteers to engage and re-engage. Learn More >

Because We Need Each Other: Conversations on Cancel Culture. Convergence Magazine’s four-part series on the phenomenon known as “cancel culture” helps movement leaders and grassroots organizations learn how to work through tension and conflict, and offers viable pathways for recognition, prevention, intervention, and healing. Read >

We turn workplace disagreements into your company's invitation to foster inclusion and build psychological safety. Instead of just putting out fires, we help your teams see conflict as a powerful tool that strengthens relationships rather than damages them.

A typical engagement includes an assessment of your current conflict patterns, a hands-on workshop with real-world scenarios, and follow-up coaching to make sure these new approaches stick when things get tough.

Book a free, 15-minute consultation to see how we can help.

Learn is the consultancy arm of Reclamation Ventures, an award-winning venture studio that’s created well-known brands like Reimagined, Banned Books Book Club, and the RV Fund. Over the past five years, we’ve helped organizations create more inclusive and equitable spaces through trainings, workshops and hands-on consulting.

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