Letters from Nora and Christine 10/13/2025
First, we want to uplift a few offerings that were developed this past year! One of them is our Community Mental Health Report, a multi-year project that provides meaningful insight into the QTA Community in Southern California. You can read and download the report on our website.
The second, latest offering is our conflict and accountability guide. This was created for Moonbow staff and board members specifically, but can also be implemented among volunteers. We hope this is a supportive resource for folks as they navigate differing dynamics within organizations or other groups.
Dear Moonbow community,
While we shared our community update on the hibernation of Moonbow a few weeks ago, I also wanted to share some more personal reflections on my time at Moonbow. I hope this can provide a bit more insight into the experience as a staff person in this time as well as uplift some final offerings from this era of Moonbow’s work (linked above).
This job, more than any before, showed me the limits of existence in the non-profit system. I entered the Lead Organizer role excited to work at a place that was aligned with my values and identities, a place that I knew I could bring my full self to. Transparently, I’ve found that while bringing our full selves to the work imbues it with so much meaning, it also makes it incredibly difficult. The pain points feel more personal, the boundaries become more blurred, the stakes feel higher, and the disentangling of self from work becomes harder. In the 2.5 years I worked here I really felt all of it, every high and low was heightened.
The benefits of bringing our full selves to this work was that we were compelled and able to shift things in our own mini ecosystem of Moonbow. We committed to trying to live our values and do things that we thought were necessary even if they went against larger non-profit norms. Among these things were:
Increasing wages and sustained benefits that are necessary for workers (healthcare, dental care, vision, paid quarterly breaks, unlimited sick time, etc.)
Paying long term volunteers for their work on larger projects
Attempting to tend to conflict as it arose
Redefining and realigning the organization to better reflect our communities values and needs
Saying no to things that were outside of our scope and capacity
Remaining process oriented over outcomes, continually checking in and adjusting as we needed to
I don’t want the takeaway from this moment for Moonbow to be a narrative that these things “don’t work”. These things were huge supports for me to stay in the role as long as I did and ultimately I believe are necessary practices for non-profit organizations. Instead I encourage folks to think deeply about what are the limits of the non-profit system for these things to exist and what may need to change in order for them to be more common or easier. Finally, it’s worth considering what projects and work may thrive more outside of the non-profit system. In the course of my time with Moonbow I got to learn from some cool people in various organizational structures and affiliations that intentionally place their work outside of the non-profit sphere. This allows them to shift the content of their work as needed, adjust their engagement based on capacity, relationship-build outside of a worker relationship dynamic, and move in a more seasons-based approach that ensures greater sustainability for all those involved. While the future of Moonbow is uncertain, I know that the organization has a host of possibilities in front of it within the NPIC and beyond.
I believe the things we struggled with that ultimately contributed to needing to hit pause for the organization span both interpersonal, institutional and systemic levels. Some of these things were within our control and others outside of it. We are responsible for our own decisions for the organization’s structure, actions, finances, management, and tending to conflict. We were also heavily impacted by a broader landscape that is dealing blow after blow to our community both via institutional policies and funding challenges as well as individualized impacts that come from existing in this world under these systems of oppression.
One of my main takeaways from this period is that it is immensely hard to do this work if it is not resourced. I mean that in every sense of the word, not just financially, but emotionally as well on a collective and individual level. We ran up against these resourcing limits cyclically. And we know we are not alone in these patterns.
I’m transitioning into a different phase of my life now but my hope for Moonbow and whatever lies in its future is that it can continue to maintain a spirit of flexibility to adapt to the needs of our community, remain rooted in its values, and provide a space of care for those who want it. I’m leaving with a lot of gratitude for those who have put parts of themselves into Moonbow and shaped it to what it is today. The amount of insight, decisions, support, and labor over the years is truly unfathomable.
Finally, I want to say one more thank you to Christine who rode every wave in the journey of being a worker at Moonbow alongside me (and so many more I wasn’t there for). It’s an honor to witness your visioning, giggles, and the deep care with which you move through the world.
With care,
Nora
Photo of Nora and Christine in an office space in discussion. They both are seated with laptop on their laps. They are both wearing KN95 respirators.
Hi Moonbow community,
It’s wild to know that I’m probably one of the longest-serving staff members of Moonbow! I joined as a new, part-time staff member in April 2020. Since, I have worked with two Executive Directors, two Lead Organizers, and various iterations of the Board.
I don’t think there has been any other place of work in which I experienced the most personal growth, which I attribute to the support from our previous EDs, as well as my involvement in API Equality-LA’s Values Realignment process. I learned so much about the importance of building trust in relationships, what it means to practice true boundaries, and prioritizing my own needs and wants in a workplace. I’ve overall felt the most myself in this place of work. So I can attest that in the 5+ years of my tenure as a staff member, growth can happen!
The most successful part of what could have been a difficult and messy process is the deepest trust and connection I have experienced with Lisa, Jasmine, Acie, and especially Nora. We've grown closer as a team this past summer. There is so much relief and satisfaction in getting to transition out of a workplace without any sense of resentment, exploitation, or conflict.
What’s now, what’s next?
Moonbow is going to take an indefinite break! I’m excited to see where Moonbow may end up. Something I have shared with Nora is that I see Moonbow as a living, breathing entity. Moonbow was meant to be not only different, but unrecognizable from its prior form. It is meant to quickly adapt and take shape over time. While we are also co-creators of this organization in its current shape, Moonbow is also leading itself, and whoever is meant to be a part of it for as long as it exists, will be right there with it!
As for me, I've been a healing arts practitioner since 2018 as well as a liberatory coach since 2021. I’m currently in Cohort 5 of Coaching for Healing Justice and Liberation’s 9 month certification program. This was a seed planted by former ED Tracy Zhao back in 2020, as well as another comrade of mine. I would really, really appreciate if you can follow and uplift my work as I am actively looking to work with one-to-one with clients! My website is still in progress, but folks can very soon book both coaching sessions and readings with me there. Share with your networks and loved ones! I appreciate your support.
I appreciate all the energy of care and trust that has been sent--and continues to be sent--our way. I’m excited to continue to be a part of Moonbow’s ever-evolving community.
Lastly, I'm sending a big warm send-off to Nora, who put in their intentional energy into shaping Moonbow, and for being an incredible, open-hearted colleague and dear friend. They are truly a Piscean star, and anyone who gets to be in a relationship with them is so, so lucky!!!
<3 Christine
