Episode Details

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 tool
• How 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 model
• Jennifer’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

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