Need a Boost? 13 Stories That Inspired Us in 2023

(Illustration by Raffi Marhaba, The Dream Creative)

Your inbox is probably full of year-end lists: the best of this genre or that. SSIR’s editors wanted to go beyond our “top performers” of the year and share stories from 2023 that inspired and encouraged us with creative examples of problem-solving and collaboration. These articles cover innovative approaches to leadership, social enterprises improving people’s lives, healing approaches to social harms, inspiring views on the future of social innovation, and more. We hope you read these stories and come away feeling more optimistic as this year ends, and we look forward to continuing to work together on social change in the next.

1. Leading Together for Systems Change by Sida Ly-Xiong

“Creating systems change lies not in looking to a single person but in engaging people to connect and lead together through the unknown.” Sida Ly-Xiong of Nexus Community Partners examines how connecting people can build critical mass for change within and across systems.

2. A Vision for the Future of Philanthropy by Crystal Hayling

“Shouldn’t philanthropy be in the business of providing David a megaphone and at least a slingshot in the fight against Goliath?” Crystal Hayling, retiring executive director of the Libra Foundation, puts forth a vision for philanthropy with new practices that move toward a more just future.

3. Adventures in Healing by Kathy O. Brozek

Chicago Adventure Therapy is helping young people and families in high-crime communities to heal by connecting with nature. (Open to nonsubscribers for a limited time. Subscribe here.)

4. A Bank of Their Own by Puja Changoiwala

Shunned by traditional financial systems, sex workers in Asia’s largest red-light district started their own bank. Now it is empowering other marginalized groups. (Open to nonsubscribers for a limited time. Subscribe here.)

5. Transforming Local Communities Through Artistic Leadership by Stephan Manning & Yeşim Uygur

“Artistic projects have a unique capacity to empower communities to envision a world different from their present reality. Indeed, the creative process can be particularly useful in contexts of poverty and hardship, where it can be difficult for people to think beyond their immediate opportunities and constraints, and imagine alternative futures.”

6. The School System Rebuilding Civil Society by Noor Noman

Civil activists in Pakistan banded together in response to social and political deterioration and decided education was the critical lever to building and buttressing a stable civil society. They founded The Citizens Foundation in 1995 and have built a coeducational school system and a reputation for delivering quality and affordable education. (Open to nonsubscribers for a limited time. Subscribe here.)

7. Building Youth Power by Veronica Terriquez & Kahlila Williams

Over the 2010s, the number of youth organizing groups in California grew from 10-15 in 2010 to 171 by 2019. Primed by the undocumented youth movement at the beginning of the decade, and drawing energy from the allied Movement for Black Lives in the latter half, these groups engage growing numbers of adolescents in addressing local, regional, and even statewide issues.

8. Approaching Gender Equity Through Indigenous Knowledge and Customs by Vurayayi Pugeni, Caroline Pugeni & Dan Maxson

“By walking within this landscape, honoring the positive tools of the culture rather than trying to persuade or coerce people out of it, we can foster change.” The authors explore how to use customs and culture to point out the damage that harmful gender norms can cause.

9. Social Innovation That Leads to Liberation by Michael McAfee

“We are a nation of innovators; we know how to accomplish transformational results in the face of immense challenges. We’ve achieved powerful systems change before. Now we must achieve it for everyone.” Michael McAfee, president and CEO of PolicyLink, shares a vision for the future of social innovation.

10. The Nonprofit Decolonizing Itself by Eric Kawa

OneVillage Partners is transforming the meaning of partnership by shifting from offering community-led programs to becoming a community-led organization: “The nonprofit realized that community-led projects did not equate to community-led leadership at an organizational level.”

11. 4 Ways Funders Can Build Authentic Partnerships With Trans and Nonbinary Communities by Aldita Gallardo

“As we transform trans communities with our resources, our field should also be open to being transformed by trans communities’ models of sharing power, creating inclusive and accessible spaces, and moving with self-awareness and conviction.” Aldita Gallardo of the Fund for Trans Generations at Borealis Philanthropy shares advice for building partnerships with trans communities.

12. Leveraging the Collective Power of Philanthropy by Susan K. Thomas

“What would happen if we leveraged the collective power of philanthropy to improve the lives of a specific group of people rather than improve outcomes within a specific program area?” Susan Thomas of the Melville Charitable Trust shares lessons from launching the funder collaborative Funders for Housing and Opportunity.

13. A Realist’s Guide to Investing for Good by Kenneth P. Pucker & Andrew A. King

“What can individual investors do if they seek to deliver both good returns and impact? A good first step is to consider where you have special information and unique access. For most individual investors, the answer will be at home. Only you know about the insulation of your house, your heating system, your car problems, or the educational needs of your children. And your money is well positioned to make these investments. It alone will make the difference between positive change and business as usual.”

Read more stories by SSIR Editors.