Agency Is a Practice, Not a Gift

When you think about sustainability, you probably think about money: how to raise more of it, diversify where it comes from, and make it last. But your organization’s sustainability also depends on something less visible and just as powerful: your ability to build agency inside your team.

That agency grows out of intellectual capital—the collective know-how, systems, and relationships you nurture over time. When you and your board know not only what you do but also how you do it and why it works, you lead from a place of strength. You give your organization the ability to act with intention, make grounded choices, and move toward its vision without waiting for permission.

How You Build Agency

Think of intellectual capital less like a stockpile and more like a renewable resource. Each time you document a process, reflect on what worked, or strengthen a key relationship, you’re adding to a reservoir of knowledge that can be drawn on again and again. That reservoir becomes the momentum you and your team can rely on.

For you as a leader, agency shows up in very practical ways:

• Talent – When you can clearly articulate your strengths and practices, you attract the right people—staff, volunteers, board members—who want to grow with you.
• Resources – Funders respond when you explain results with clarity and evidence. Intellectual capital turns your stories into a compelling case.
• Growth – Whether you expand programs, replicate a model, or deepen impact, your base of knowledge makes the decision less risky.
• Staying Centered – Intellectual capital helps you resist being pulled off course. You act from what you know works, anchored in your mission.

Agency Is Your Practice

This kind of agency isn’t handed to you—it’s cultivated through your leadership. And it’s never finished. Every reflection you lead, every lesson you capture, every relationship you strengthen adds torque to the work. The more consistently you invest in these practices, the more freedom you and your team have to act decisively, attract the right partners, and shape your own path.

So, here’s the question for you: What knowledge are you building today that will expand your agency tomorrow?