Recently, I spent hours working at the base of a few trees on my property. Up close, I noticed the tree trunks were wrapped in chain-link fencing put there long ago, likely to protect them as they grew.

What struck me was this same protective fencing was now cutting into the bark, biting into the trunks as they outgrew the very thing meant to shield them. The once-beneficial guard had become restrictive, leaving scars as the trees pushed forward.

I couldn’t help but wonder: How often do we wrap ourselves in limiting practices, systems and strategies – including fundraising efforts – that hold us back from growth?

This feels especially resonant as it relates to the power of philanthropy – when professionals, volunteers and donors unite to accomplish more together than they could alone.

We enter the nonprofit sector out of sincere concerns for our communities, for justice, for healing. In doing so, we may adopt protective roles or systems that feel helpful in managing the weight of this work. But if we don’t assess things along the way, if we don’t step back to see the forest for the trees, we risk becoming trapped by methods that no longer serve us, or worse, limit us.

As I carefully cut and unwound the fencing from around each trunk, I felt an unexpected swell of emotion. Tears came as I freed the trees from their bonds, seeing firsthand the scars they had carried. I felt the satisfaction of knowing, now, they could grow beyond my lifetime.

The experience reminds me of times I’ve sat with nonprofit boards and leadership, encouraging them to consider new, tailored fundraising strategies for donor cultivation. It takes more time, planning and nurtured care at the beginning, but it also yields exponentially more potential for sustained growth.

May we all make space to grow, to heal and to remember that caretaking our own needs, and those of the nonprofits we serve, is an act of generosity and a powerful form of philanthropy.