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On trust: There is such a thing as healthy skepticism
A group of Spitfires, led by our founder, Kristen Grimm, is exploring the concept of trust. When we began this project, I understood the North Star to be: “How might we increase trust?” Declining trust is a well-documented serious issue. According to the Associated Press :...
People, not pawns
The U.S. immigration system is fundamentally broken. From governors using asylum seekers as pawns to the militarization of our border to the rhetoric the media spews, we have lost sight of the humans at the center of it all. In September 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis...
Come on, Barbie. Let’s go spark change.
The “Barbie” movie phenomenon has been written about extensively, from the conversations about femininity and feminism that it’s generated to its massive billion-dollar box office haul. It’s THE movie of the summer, and with “Oppenheimer,” is revitalizing the movie theater...
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Declining trust got you down? Don’t get depressed, get busy
An interesting Los Angeles Times headline came across my feed the other day: “ Poll: California Voters Agree Political Disinformation Is a Big Problem. But How to Fix It? ” This article has it all: increased spread of disinformation; decreasing public trust; the self-fulfilling...
Lack of trust, mistrust and distrust: different trust dynamics require different strategies
Spitfire is doing a deep dive into the available social sciences to find out how civil society organizations can increase trust . Trust is essential to having a strong democracy and for civil society organizations to achieve their missions. But it seems like trust is a valuable...
Hearts and minds don’t stay won: Our work is a calling — not just a career.
When I left the New York Civil Liberties Union after almost a decade of leading the organization’s communications, my mentor Donna Lieberman told the story of why she hired me. What made me stand out from the pack was that I understood that communication is advocacy. It’s not a...
SCOTUS fails this country
The Supreme Court this week bowed to pressure from anti-civil rights activists and issued a series of radical decisions that has set us back as a society and will have far-reaching consequences on Americans for generations to come, especially the very communities that civil...
Trust building is mission critical
The other day, I read survey results I have come to expect. According to the Associated Press : “Overall, 39% of U.S. adults said they had ‘a great deal of confidence’ in the scientific community, down from 48% in 2018 and 2021. That’s according to the General Social Survey, a...
Let trans kids thrive
When I came out as transgender early into high school, I did not know a single trans person — let alone an older queer mentor who could guide me through the perilous waters of being the first openly trans person in my Iowa public school. When I came out as gay in late elementary...
Beyond numbers: creating a sense of belonging in a sea of students
It was my first week of college, everything and everyone was new. I assumed other first-year students were feeling the same anxious excitement I felt, and that was confirmed at the Cal Club Soccer tryouts. There was a clearly heightened desire among first-year students to make...
Spitfire presidential transition to spark change
When I started Spitfire, almost 21 years ago now, I had a lot to learn. I had run someone else’s company but not my own. Taking the next step was an enormous challenge and, frankly, a little scary. My father, the man who made me who I am, took a bit of that weight off for me when...
frank makes welcome mean more
Several of my colleagues have shared reflections on frank , the gathering and community we’ve helped build for public interest communicators. As I consider the gathering and my work in our field, I celebrate 10 years of frank, look forward to the world we want to live in and know...