Hi friend, welcome back to the Good Fortune Newsletter.

Built to help you learn the business of sustainability, from those who've been there before.

This newsletter includes:
💸 The truth about nonprofit impact
🚫 5 mistakes to avoid in your impact network
👏 A founder changing the way we give, $5 at a time

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The latest podcast episode

This episode deep dives into how Impact Labs is making it easy to donate to the causes you care about.

​Check out the episode here.

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Last week, we explored the power of network approaches to systemic change and shared 5 simple steps to build your own impact network.

(If you missed it, check it out here.)

This week, we'll build on the network approach by highlighting 5 ways you can kill momentum before your network gets off the ground...

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There are many ways to build an impact network, things like:

• Communities of practice
• Directories or databases
• Facilitated communities

Whether you're building a community or facilitating collaborative network building, you'll want to look out for the following.

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Mistake #1: Being the center of your network universe

Network builders usually have this infectious energy and collaborative spirit.

It's likely why you're drawn to network building in the first place.

But if everything revolves around you, what happens when you step away?

The entire system collapses.

To create lasting impact, you need to:

• Empower others to take ownership
• Build systems that don't rely on you
• Design what's best for the long term

The most resilient networks thrive whether you're in the middle of them or not.

This is a mistake I'm currently living through with Good Fortune.

My impact network is strong and growing, but I'm constantly acting as the connective tissue, introducing people for partnerships, collaborations, etc.

To move away from this, I'm starting to test closed, curated working pods in April (starting with founders working towards systemic change).

If you're interested in joining, reply to this email and we can talk!

Mistake #2: Monetizing too early

When your network is just finding its footing, it hasn't discovered its true value proposition yet.

People are still:

• Building trust with each other
• Learning how to navigate the network
• Discovering what value they're actually getting

If you monetize before building genuine value, you risk coming off as inauthentic and break trust.

I'm really taking this to heart with Good Fortune, especially after polling the newsletter community on thoughts around sponsorships.

Although the majority of folks said they don't mind, there's a decent cohort that's not comfortable with sponsorships yet.

Honestly, I get it.

No one wants more ads, and I'm still experimenting with content and formatting until I find what works for me (and mostly, for you).

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Quick break to shoutout an awesome founder who's changing the way we give, $5 at a time...

Founder spotlight: Brianna Kerr, Founder of Five Bucks

​Five Bucks is tackling the 15-year decline in giving in Australia by making regular donations simple, accessible, and impactful.

Did you know, Australians actually give less than people in the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand?

BUT, Five Bucks is building a collective giving platform to change just that.

(and helping to fund organizations that would otherwise have less exposure to large funding pools)

Want to support Bri and Five Bucks? Become a Buckaroo 🦘!

​Join an upcoming event, or shout them a follow ✌️.

Mistake #3: Growing too quickly

Most networks fail because they prioritize the wrong things.

I'm in countless communities that are dormant because they either:

• Focus on growth instead of engagement, leaving the community to it's own devices
• Don't have a clear audience so everyone's there for a different reason

When starting your impact network, you need to be super clear on:

• The specific problem you're solving
• Your unique approach to solving it
• Who needs to be involved

This is the exact approach I'm taking with my dear friend Angel as we build out these curated working pods.

• Clear problems
• Clear goals
• Clear roles

More on this in the coming weeks...

Mistake #4: Forcing a structure or platform

How many Slack communities are digital graveyards in your sidebar right now?

(I just counted, I'm literally in 21 Slack workspaces, I probably check 3)

Don't just create another Slack group because everyone else is doing it!

Effective networks meet people where they already are.

Sometimes the best "platform" isn't a platform at all, but a:

• Focused, facilitated discussion
• Quarterly in-person gathering
• Simple open spreadsheet

* Quick disclaimer here: this isn't to say all Slack channels are bad.

In fact, I highly recommend the Humans For Good Slack, it's one of the few that is doing engagement right in my opinion.

Mistake #5: Measuring the wrong things

Member counts and event attendance might look impressive on paper, but they don't capture real impact.

What really drives change:

• Problems solved because the right people found each other
• Collaborations through trusted network connections
• Relationships that lead to tangible impact
• Stories that inspire action

These outcomes will sustain your network far more than vanity metrics ever could.

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What type of network are you building?

Reply to this email and let me know, I would love to check it out!

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That wraps up this week's newsletter.

If you know someone who would find this content valuable, please share it with them.

It's the #1 BEST way you can support the work that I do.

The #2 best way is to leave me a testimonial 😄. It really helps to show others that they can trust the content is quality.

If you're open to it, you can leave a testimonial here.

And if you have any feedback, content suggestions, or requests, please respond back to this email, I check every one.

Be kind to each other, cheers ✌️.