Latest news with #SarahEvans
Forbes
7 days ago
- General
- Forbes
From Burnout To Belief: Reclaiming Purpose In The Nonprofit World
Sarah Evans, Founder & CEO of Well Aware, Co-founder of Well Beyond, Toyota Mother of Invention, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Advisor. A few months ago, I woke up and couldn't get out of bed. Not just for a few extra minutes. For days. As the founder of a global water nonprofit, I've spent years moving at full speed: building infrastructure, navigating policy, rallying donors, managing teams, telling stories that connect hearts and dollars. I'm used to carrying a lot. But something had shifted. I felt hollow. Tapped out. The hope that had fueled my work, the clarity of purpose that used to get me up in the morning, had gone quiet. It wasn't that I no longer believed in the mission. I just couldn't feel it anymore. And I know I'm not the only one. Across the social sector, burnout is a quiet epidemic. Leaders are exhausted. Donors are stretched thin. Colleagues are navigating trauma while trying to hold onto optimism. We're moving through a time marked by relentless crises—economic, political, environmental—and in many corners of the nonprofit world, belief is wearing thin. For those of us working in international development, the pressure is especially acute. We're being asked to do more with less while facing increasing skepticism about our relevance or effectiveness. The urgent global needs haven't changed. But the energy around solving them often has. Something surprising happened in the stillness of my own burnout. I didn't bounce back. I listened. Not to strategy decks or sector reports, but to the people at the center of our work. I thought about the young girl who no longer walks six miles every day for water. The mother who told our team, 'You didn't just bring water. You brought peace to my home.' The local engineer in Kenya who said, 'I used to feel forgotten. Now I feel responsible.' That's when I realized my burnout didn't mean I was finished. It meant I needed to reconnect—not just to the work, but to the why. Here's what I learned: 1. Purpose doesn't always feel good, but it does hold steady. There will be seasons where passion dims and where gratitude feels hard to access. But purpose, real grounded purpose, isn't emotional. It's directional. It gives shape to our days even when we're tired and even when the world feels heavy. 2. You can't lead from exhaustion. I had to let go of the idea that burnout was a badge of honor. It's not. It's a warning. And in mission-driven work, rest is not a reward. It's a responsibility. No one benefits when we pour from empty cups, least of all the communities we serve. 3. People restore people. The thing that brought me back wasn't a breakthrough idea or a new productivity tool. It was the quiet presence of my team. The trust of our field partners. The generosity of donors who kept showing up, even when headlines told them to give up. Their belief helped rebuild mine. If you're someone who supports this work, or any work trying to make the world a little more just, I want you to know: Your belief matters. Especially now. There is so much pain in the world right now, and it's tempting to disengage. But change doesn't begin with action. It begins with belief. In people. In possibility. In the slow, brave process of doing good work well. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
Leader Live
28-07-2025
- Leader Live
Woman in court for stealing from Wrexham Co-op store
Sarah Evans, of Poplar Road, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Monday morning. The 34-year-old admitted that on July 8 this year she stole items worth £11.45 from the Co-op in Poplar Road, Wrexham. Prosecutor Suzanne Cartwright told the court that police received a call at around 5.30pm reporting the theft. The court heard Evans had entered the store and put a number of items in a basket (including Coke, Lucozade and chicken bites) and then left with them without paying. She was later arrested and interviewed. Laura MacMillan, defending, told the court: "Ms Evans accepts the offence at the earliest opportunity and made full admissions in interview. "Her last conviction was in 2011, and she has no prior convictions for theft. "This offence is out of character for her. She didn't have any money at the time and needed something to eat and drink. MORE COURT NEWS "It's a low value theft and she's extremely remorseful. "This offence won't be repeated." The Magistrates handed down a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered the defendant to pay compensation of £11.45, costs of £85 and a £26 victim surcharge.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Nonprofit Sector Is At A Breaking Point; It's Time For A New Playbook
Sarah Evans, Founder & CEO of Well Aware, Co-founder of Well Beyond, Toyota Mother of Invention, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Advisor. In my 16 years working within and alongside the nonprofit sector, I have never witnessed a landscape so fraught with peril. The year 2025 is proving to be a crucible for most nonprofit organizations that were already operating on razor-thin margins. After weathering years of compounding crises, from a global pandemic to economic volatility and social upheaval, the sector's foundational model is cracking under the strain. With an estimated 20,000 nonprofit staff laid off so far this year alone, we are seeing a devastating loss of talent and capacity at the precise moment our services are most critically needed. This isn't just an internal problem for charities; it is a systemic risk to our social and economic fabric. Nonprofits constitute over 10% of the U.S. workforce and serve as an essential backstop where government and the private sector fall short. But the outdated operational norms and funding paradigms that govern our work are no longer sustainable. To survive this challenging period and build a more resilient future, we must fundamentally redesign our approach. This requires an honest assessment and a courageous commitment to change from four key stakeholder groups: funders, nonprofit leaders, corporations and individuals. For Funders: End The Tyranny Of Restricted Funding For decades, the default for many foundations and philanthropists has been restricted funding—donations earmarked for a specific program or project. This approach is rooted in a desire for control and a belief that it guarantees direct impact. In reality, it does the opposite. It strangles innovation, prevents agility and saddles organizations with a crushing administrative burden as they struggle to allocate every penny according to external dictates. Imagine telling a high-growth tech company it can spend new investment on servers but not on the engineers needed to run them or the marketing team to sell the product. It's a recipe for failure. Yet, this is how we often treat the organizations tasked with solving our most complex social problems. The solution is clear and backed by extensive data: Provide unrestricted, multiyear general operating funds. This is not a donation; it is a strategic investment in an organization's mission, leadership and long-term sustainability. It is an act of trust that empowers leaders to allocate resources where they are needed most, responding to challenges and opportunities in real time. For Nonprofit Leaders: Retire The Overhead Myth For Good The nonprofit sector has been complicit in perpetuating one of its most damaging narratives: the overhead myth. The idea that a low overhead ratio is the primary indicator of an effective charity has been a fundraising gimmick for too long. Promoting a "100% of donations go to programs" model is not only deceptive (as essential costs are obviously being covered somehow), but it also reinforces the dangerous notion that investing in people, technology and systems is wasteful. Successful for-profit enterprises understand that investing in core infrastructure and top talent is paramount to achieving results. In contrast, the pressure to minimize overhead in the nonprofit world often leads directly to staff burnout, high turnover and an inability to scale effective solutions. We must collectively reframe this conversation. "Overhead" is not a dirty word; it is the mission-critical infrastructure that enables impact. It is time for nonprofit leaders to transparently communicate these real costs and educate their supporters that well-funded operations are the engine of sustainable results. There is a small handful of large nonprofit executives who could be a significant influence in shifting this conversation. To them, I plead with you that now is the time. For Corporations: Recommit To The Ecosystem Corporate support for the nonprofit sector is undergoing a quiet but consequential shift. While highly publicized strategic partnerships are on the rise, many of the broad-based support systems that once benefited the entire sector have eroded. Corporate giving programs, employee matching gifts and nonprofit discounts for essential software and services have been steadily scaled back by some of the world's largest companies. This trend forces nonprofits to divert precious resources—both time and money—away from service delivery and toward covering rising operational costs. Corporate leaders must look beyond bespoke partnerships that serve marketing goals and recognize their role in supporting the entire community ecosystem. Reinstating and promoting robust discount programs, pro-bono services and employee giving initiatives is a powerful, high-leverage way to strengthen the thousands of organizations our communities depend on, and it's proven to strengthen corporate culture to rally employees around their social impact initiatives. For Individuals: Embrace The Power Of Sustaining Support Finally, individual donors have a crucial role to play. Much of individual giving is transactional and reactive, spiking during natural disasters or end-of-year campaigns. While valuable, this creates a "feast or famine" cycle that makes long-term planning nearly impossible. The most powerful way for an individual to support a cause is to become a sustaining donor. Providing a predictable, recurring monthly donation is a game changer for financial stability. It allows an organization to budget effectively, retain staff and invest in developing long-term solutions rather than lurching from one funding crisis to the next. The challenges facing the nonprofit sector are immense, but they are not insurmountable. The solutions do not require complex new inventions but a fundamental shift in mindset. It is time for funders, nonprofit leaders, corporate partners and individual donors to abandon outdated practices and embrace a new playbook built on trust, transparency and a shared commitment to sustainable impact. The resilience of our communities and the future of the nonprofit workforce depend on it. Forbes Nonprofit Council is an invitation-only organization for chief executives in successful nonprofit organizations. Do I qualify?
West Australian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
York Regional Writers Weekend brings contrast, conversation and camaraderie
It's a crisp autumn morning in York. I'm standing on Avon Terrace, just outside the old Post Office. At one end, clouds shroud a distant Mt Bakewell (Walwalling); at the other, sunshine sets aglow the Town Hall's ornate exterior. It's these kinds of contrast, these extremes, I'm looking forward to navigating over the weekend as some of Western Australia's finest authors and poets join me for two days of conversation and camaraderie as part of the annual York Regional Writers Weekend. And so it comes to pass as writers, poets and punters alike huddle together beneath the roof of the old Rookery, just behind Gallery 152. The Meet The Author series might not be the only attraction of this year's festival — there are workshops, performances, walks, and plays in other venues — but it's certainly the most volatile, the most malleable, the most prone to serendipity and happenstance. Which is just the way I like it. Ballardong Noongar Elder Marion Kickett kicks us off with a moving welcome to country and a discussion about what it means to be an Aboriginal Elder, and about yarning — a porous, circular concept that becomes the unofficial theme for the rest of the program. David Whish-Wilson then regales us with tales of Perth's dark underbelly in decades past. John Kinsella and Shey Marque examine memory and trauma through the dense lens of poetry. Laura Keenan and Alison Middleton talk about the joys and challenges of writing romance as flash fiction. Sunday brings short-lived showers and longer conversations. Thriller writer Sara Foster zeroes in on the pros and cons of planning versus 'pantsing' when writing. Rachael Johns has everyone in stitches as we dig into the rom-com genre. Bernice Barry, author of the book Sarah Evans, describes the gradual shift from non-fiction to historical fiction with a foot in both camps. Emily Bridget Taylor mesmerises with her lyrical, gothic poetry and dance-like gestures. Like everyone else, I still find time among all this book talk to walk and enjoy the town. I visit the quaint home of the festival's official bookseller, Barclay Books. I sample the rustic culinary delights of Jules, Nguyen's Bakery Cafe and Gather York. Jumping back in the car, I drive up to the Mt Brown (Wongborel) lookout to delight in the spectacular views of the valley below. My only regret is, since I'm facilitating all the sessions in the program, I don't quite have the time to partake of a pub lunch at the Imperial, or to inspect the exhibitions in Gallery 152, Pantechnica and the Residency Museum. Yet there is ample recompense in the intimate engagement with writers and audience members alike as we journey together through imaginary landscapes and to other towns built not of bricks but of words — in true yarning fashion. And if it's true that, as Marion Kickett says, 'Elders are deeply committed to sharing their knowledge, providing guidance, and teaching respect for the country, culture and natural world', then in that sense each and every one of these writers and poets can claim creative kinship with our first storytellers.
Associated Press
10-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
TorqueBall: Fact or Fiction? Investigating the Hand Exercise Device Taking Seniors by Storm
Hands-on review of the TorqueBall device. Does the TorqueBall really work? The short answer: Yes. Independent testing confirms improved grip strength. A new hand exercise device called the TorqueBall has been making waves in the senior care community, with claims of helping older adults maintain independence and avoid assisted living facilities. Our investigative team examines the facts behind this trending product. What is TorqueBall? TorqueBall is a handheld exercise device that utilizes 'Progressive Gyroscopic Resistance' technology. Developed using aerospace technology originally designed for astronauts to maintain hand strength in space, the device features an aerospace-grade zinc rotor that creates up to 35lbs of resistance, an LCD counter that tracks rotations per minute (RPM) up to 18,000, and motion-activated LED lights that stimulate neural pathways during training. Is TorqueBall Legit? Or Just Another Scam Our investigation confirms that TorqueBall is based on sound medical principles combined with cutting-edge technology. The product was developed under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Evans, a board-certified geriatric specialist with over 15 years of experience and former Chief of Geriatrics at Cleveland Memorial Hospital. Dr. Evans' research on grip strength and cognitive function has been published in leading medical journals including The Journal of Gerontology and Senior Care Quarterly. FACT: The TorqueBall combines ancient Asian therapy techniques with modern aerospace technology. FACT: The device was developed by a respected medical professional with extensive credentials in geriatric care. Does TorqueBall Really Work For Everyday Americans? The evidence supporting TorqueBall 's effectiveness is compelling. The technology builds on centuries-old Baoding ball techniques but accelerates results through its proprietary gyroscopic resistance system. Case studies documented by Dr. Evans show remarkable improvements in users' hand strength and dexterity. One notable case involved Dr. Evans' own father, who showed dramatic improvement in just 21 days: Day 1: 2,000 RPM Day 7: 5,000 RPM Day 14: 8,000 RPM Day 21: 12,000 RPM These numerical improvements translated to real-world functionality, with users regaining abilities like opening jars, cooking meals, and returning to beloved hobbies. FACT: Measurable improvements in hand strength occur within weeks of consistent use. FACT: The LCD counter provides users with objective feedback on their progress. TorqueBall Reviews and User Experiences Our research team analyzed user testimonials and found consistently positive reports. Don C., who had been dropping objects and struggling with buttons, reported significant improvement after two months of use. Benjamin W. regained confidence in daily activities like holding the stair railing and carrying groceries. Mary K. even reported visible muscle definition in her forearms after three months of use. Most importantly, multiple users reported being able to cancel plans to move into assisted living facilities after incorporating TorqueBall into their daily routines. FACT: Users report improvements not just in physical ability but also in confidence and independence. FACT: The product comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee, allowing risk-free trial. Value Analysis At $79 per unit, TorqueBall represents a significant value when compared to: Professional medical-grade hand therapy devices ($500+) Physical therapy sessions ($75-150 per session) Assisted living costs (averaging $4,500 monthly or $54,000 annually) The manufacturer's limited production capacity of 850 units monthly reflects the precision engineering required for the aerospace-grade components. FACT: The investment in TorqueBall is a fraction of the cost of alternative care options. FACT: Each device includes the TorqueBall with LCD counter, comprehensive independence guide, professional carrying case, and grip strength assessment kit. Fiction in the Marketplace While TorqueBall itself is legitimate, consumers should be aware that the marketplace contains many inferior hand exercisers that make similar claims without the technology or research backing. These alternatives may: Lack progressive resistance that adjusts to user strength Provide no measurement feedback on progress Use lower-quality materials that break down quickly Offer no professional guidance for proper use FICTION: That all hand exercisers on the market provide equal benefits. FACT: TorqueBall's specific combination of features is unique in the marketplace. Bottom Line TorqueBall represents a significant breakthrough in helping seniors maintain independence through improved hand strength. The documented cases of users avoiding assisted living facilities by incorporating this simple device into their daily routine are particularly compelling. For seniors concerned about maintaining independence, the TorqueBall offers a science-backed solution with minimal time investment (just 5 minutes daily) and a risk-free trial period. The combination of ancient wisdom and space-age technology provides a unique approach to a common challenge of aging. Media Contact Email: Send Email Address:5900 Balcones Drive Suite 100 City: Austin State: Texas Country: United States
