Nonprofit organizations are often built around powerful words.

Dignity. Equity. Compassion. Opportunity. Belonging. Community.

We place those words in strategic plans, annual reports, grant applications, fundraising campaigns, and carefully written value statements. We use them to invite donors into the mission and assure the community that our organizations are safe places for people who need support.

But there is a question every nonprofit leader should be willing to ask:

Do the people working inside the organization experience those same values?

It is possible for an organization to do meaningful work in the community while creating an unhealthy culture for its employees.

Both things can be true.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it really means to be known.

Not known in the surface way. Not the “I’ve seen your posts” kind of known. Not the “I know your name, your job title, and where you live” kind of known.

I mean really known.

The kind of known where someone remembers the things that matter to you.

The little things. The heavy things. The parts of your story that shaped you. The parts you may not say out loud every day, but they still help explain why you are the way you are.

And I realized something.

Most of us don’t need someone to remember every word we’ve ever said.

We just want someone to remember enough to understand us better.

Hello, dear readers,

Today, I want to discuss a topic that lies close to my heart: the critical role of parents in preventing peer-to-peer abuse, including bullying, harassment, and relational aggression. Moreover, we’ll explore the connection between open and trusting communication within the family and child safety.

In our fast-paced, technology-driven world, family connections can weaken. The lack of communication, excessive work commitments, and the ever-encroaching digital world can erode the bonds that hold families together. It’s crucial to recognize that when family connections weaken, children may be at an increased risk of various challenges, including peer-to-peer abuse.

Bullying, harassment, and relational aggression can have a profound impact on a child’s