701. 93% of Funding Gone Overnight: A Case Study in Crisis Leadership - Jennifer Rupp

At 4am on April 3, 2025, Jennifer Rupp's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. 93% of Michigan Humanities' budget. Gone overnight. What happened next is a story about crisis leadership, radical transparency, and why connection isn't a soft strategy. It's the only strategy. 🙏In this episode, you'll hear:What Jennifer did in the first 24 hours after losing 93% of her budget, and why transparency was her most important toolHow she decided which programs to cut and which were non-negotiable (and the framework you can use to make those calls)Why "when division is the crisis, connection is the strategy" isn't just a philosophy at Michigan Humanities, it's their entire operating modelJennifer’s One Good Thing: flip the funding triangle. 85% of your money comes from individuals. Are you spending 85% of your time there?This one's going to stay with you. 🩵Episode Highlights:Meet Jennifer Rupp (00:48)The 4am email that changed everything (09:44)How federal humanities funding actually works (10:46)The pivot: transparency, triage, and staying mission-aligned (13:55)What programs fell and which were non-negotiable (17:09)Crisis leadership lessons you can only learn by walking through it (22:28)From front porches to back decks: why we've lost the art of gathering (25:15)The Great Michigan Gathering: a three-year plan to rebuild community (26:43)A powerful story of generosity in Jennifer's life (33:10)Jennifer's One Good Thing: flip the funding triangle (35:05)Episode Show Notes: https://www.weareforgood.com/episode/701//Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.comSay hi 👋LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter