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In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Nancy Schwartz asked the Nonprofit Blog Carnival community to spend time in January reflecting on our own dreams and how we intend to bring them to fruition.

As is evidenced by my 11th hour submission, I found this assignment daunting.  Who am I to declare the future direction of the not-for-profit sector?  What difference does my work make in the grand scheme of the universe?  How can I solve problems large agencies with million dollar budgets have yet to tackle?

And then I realized–that’s the whole point.

Unless those of us whose hearts break in the face of injustice feel brave enough, powerful enough, worthy enough, to stand up and do what is ours to do–even when we can’t imagine how our contribution will matter, nothing will change.

On the other hand, every time one small voice finds the strength to speak, she makes it easier for the next voice to be heard.  Eventually our voices will be too loud to ignore.

So my dream is to get the crowd on its feet.  To provide passionate souls with the inspiration, encouragement, support, and tools they need to take their first steps toward the bright future they envision.  To walk with them when the path gets rocky, to provide counsel when there is  an easier way–and support when pushing through is the only option.  To make sure every change-maker knows she is not alone.

Are you ready to stand up and walk with me?