THE NONPROFIT LEADER AS A STONE CATCHER
To catch a stone is to prevent harm and provide support.
Each and every nonprofit is created to do this work.
The work of every nonprofit and every nonprofit leader is that of catching stones. Advocating for the disabled, women, people of color, young people, seniors LGTBQ+, open spaces, the incarcerated, and survivors of torture or trafficking, is stone catching. Retraining workers, reducing violence, supporting creativity, telling stories, building affordable housing, supporting education, increasing access to health care, protecting our environment and nurturing literacy and civic engagement is stone catching. Protecting animals, cultivating peace and conducting research is stone catching. The list is endless. While the activities are all encompassing and varied, the common denominator is that nonprofit organizations and those who lead them, are accomplices in social justice and equity across all parts of society. That makes us stone catchers. It is who we are, intuitively.
Although we are natural stone catchers, it doesn’t mean we don’t need occasions to learn and to develop our leadership skills and courage to do this work. We absolutely do. And that is the intention of Project Stone Catcher.
Project Stone Catcher provides opportunities for nonprofit leaders to develop the skills and understanding necessary to lead nonprofit organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to advance social justice issues for the broader community. In alignment with our mission, Project Stone Catcher aims to build a community of stone catchers who trust each other, offer support to one another and provide safe space for exploration and discussion of issues that have historically been difficult to discuss.
The name of this effort is inspired by Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson calls upon those with power and privilege to catch stones – to stand between those who “cast stones” and those who are daily injured by circumstances or structures that encumber one in living their best life. Thus, to be an accomplice in advancing society for all, requires one to be a stone catcher.
Being a stone catcher is not easy or glamourous. More often than not, it is a difficult role to assume and a difficult place to be. Thus, we need to develop our ability to be in these places and to carry the mantle. A supportive community of and for people who stand up for others is essential.
Our instincts call us to community, to working to increase access to resources and experiences that enhance our lives and to encourage and assist those who are struggling. Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has always been about supporting nonprofit professionals to do this better. Project Stone Catcher is intentionally intertwined in every program we design and offer because we understand that the call of the nonprofit leader is, in its simplest form, to catch stones.
Resources
As part of this effort, we have curated a list with recommended books, movies, and podcasts to deepen your learning and are also providing select timely resources from other sources:
Join us as we read, study, and discuss 
All We Can Save is an anthology of collected writings from sixty women at the forefront of the climate movement. The Learning Circle curriculum was designed by the editors of All We Can Save to answer the book’s call for more community and leadership in addressing the climate crisis and environmental injustice. Participants will discuss one chapter from All We Can Save at each meeting of the nine-month learning circle starting with “Root,” then moving to “Advocate, ” “Reframe,” “Reshape,” “Persist,” “Feel,” “Nourish,” “Rise,” and ending with “Onward.” The group’s facilitator will be Mary Jo Schumann, PhD, a graduate of our Leadership Reading Group program.
Starting in 2020, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego partnered with the 
Our “CATCHER” stone serves as a reminder of one’s commitment to catching stones, especially during hard times, and to help one identify others who are also working in solidarity as Stone Catchers. Leaders are encouraged to put their stone where they and others can see it — this way, it might generate curiosity from others and provide stone catchers the opportunity to share the story of the stone and invite others to join our work for social justice.
FLNSD often uses the symbol of the cairn to illustrate the work of leaders. Cairns are the rock formations found all over the world and used by travelers to mark a path, help one find their way and encourage one to keep going on their journey. With these stones, FLNSD provides gentle reminders of encouragement to Network Members while allowing them to build personal cairns to mark the way for those they lead.