In times of crisis, the agility and adaptability of communities are paramount. While non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a crucial role in immediate relief efforts, investing in social enterprises offers a sustainable pathway to recovery and long-term healing. These enterprises, driven by a mission to address social challenges through innovative business models, are uniquely positioned to foster resilience, empower communities, and create lasting change that endures beyond the immediate aftermath of disaster.

Social enterprises operate at the intersection of profit and purpose, addressing critical social issues while generating economic value. During crises, they often pivot to meet emerging needs, leveraging their deep community ties and innovative approaches. In Lebanon, local initiatives such as Made By Nature and Sustainable Stitch have been pivotal in delivering essentials to displaced families. Made By Nature supports small-scale Lebanese farmers by purchasing local produce and distributing it to families in need. Similarly, Sustainable Stitch tailors care packages—including baby clothes, blankets, diapers, and milk—for mothers and newborns in shelters, ensuring that some of the most vulnerable are cared for during challenging times.

Investing in these organizations during times of crisis not only supports immediate relief efforts but also strengthens the social fabric, ensuring that communities are better equipped to handle future challenges. By bolstering social enterprises, we enable them to continue their vital work, fostering economic stability and social cohesion.

Unlike traditional NGOs, social enterprises generate their income through business activities, reducing dependency on external funding. This self-sustaining model allows them to continue operations and impact even when external aid diminishes. Moreover, their focus on local solutions ensures that interventions are culturally relevant and tailored to the community’s specific needs.

A report by the World Economic Forum highlights that social enterprises account for $2 trillion in annual turnover and create 200 million jobs worldwide, underscoring their significant economic impact.

By investing in these enterprises, we address immediate needs and support sustainable economic growth. Initiatives such as The Volunteer Circle exemplify this approach by coordinating skilled volunteers to support NGOs in Lebanon with food distribution, logistics, and education, helping amplify the impact of local efforts.

In regions like Lebanon and Palestine, social enterprises play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of ongoing conflicts and economic instability. These organizations often emerge as vital actors in providing essential services, creating employment opportunities, and fostering social cohesion.

In Lebanon, social enterprises have responded to crises by uniting to address urgent humanitarian needs while fostering long-term economic and social development. This movement represents a fundamental shift, transforming crisis response into a sustainable, community-driven effort that builds resilience from within.

Organizations like Wing Woman Lebanon and The Studio have emerged as critical actors. Wing Woman Lebanon provides dignity kits—reusable menstrual pads and diapers for women and infants—ensuring hygiene and comfort even in challenging times. The Studio empowers local artisans to craft crochet balaclavas, offering warmth to displaced children while providing sustainable income for the artisans.

Similarly, in Palestine, social enterprises have been pivotal in rebuilding the business ecosystem amidst ongoing conflicts. Despite the destruction of infrastructure and economic challenges, these enterprises have demonstrated resilience and adaptability, contributing to their communities’ economic and social fabric.

In response to the ongoing crises in Lebanon and Palestine, Bloom is launching the “Hope in Action” campaign. Our goal is to raise $50,000 to provide immediate mentorship, well-being support, and small grants to Lebanese and Palestinian social enterprises struggling with the profound impacts of the current situation.

We invite you to join us in this critical initiative. Your investment in these social enterprises is an investment in the resilience and future of communities in Lebanon and Palestine. By supporting our fundraiser, you contribute to sustainable recovery efforts that empower local leaders to drive change from within.

Together, we can help these social enterprises sustain hope, empower communities, and transform lives despite adversity, building a foundation for lasting change. Join us in creating hope and impact.

Effective program management becomes a linchpin for maintaining focus, stability, and morale in times of crisis. This function takes on a new dimension, with resilience and adaptability at the forefront. At Bloom, we’ve found that navigating these challenging times requires a shift from conventional management practices to a more flexible, human-centered approach.

Here, we share our insights on managing programs through crisis, drawing from our recent experiences and the strategies that have helped us stay aligned and focused, even when external pressures mount.

Program management in times of crisis requires constant reassessment of priorities and resources. At Bloom, we’ve adopted a crisis-responsive planning approach, frequently revisiting our core objectives, re-evaluating available resources, and reassessing our strategies. This level of adaptability allows us to pivot quickly and make decisions that keep our projects on track even as we respond to unfolding events.

In practical terms, we recommend implementing brief, regular check-ins with your team to identify immediate needs, priorities, and any required changes. A simple tool like a crisis readiness assessment can guide these discussions, helping managers understand their team’s current capacity and any support they may need.

One of the most valuable things a program manager can offer during a crisis is flexibility. Traditional timelines and rigid structures may be counterproductive in high-stress situations. Instead, managers who foster a culture of flexibility create space for team members to adapt their workflows, deadlines, and even working hours as needed.

For instance, we’ve adopted more adaptable work plans and timelines, allowing team members to adjust their schedules based on their situations while keeping deliverables in view. This helps maintain productivity and builds trust and morale, reminding everyone that we prioritize people over processes.

Communication is everything during uncertain times. One of the first steps we took was to establish a reliable and transparent communication framework. Regular, structured updates from managers ensure everyone is aligned and informed, which helps mitigate stress from the unknown.

Our approach has been to create several layers of communication: weekly check-ins for project updates, monthly team meetings for strategic alignment, and dedicated time slots where team members can discuss their challenges in a safe, supportive space. By ensuring that communication is open and predictable, we create a sense of stability and clarity that can often feel scarce in crisis environments.

As program managers, it’s easy to become solely task-focused, especially when the stakes are high. But emotional agility—recognizing, processing, and responding to emotions without becoming overwhelmed—is crucial in times of crisis. Supporting emotional agility within teams allows managers to address issues before they turn into burnout or disengagement.

We’ve integrated regular emotional check-ins into our meetings, where team members are encouraged to express what’s on their minds. Sometimes, taking a moment to acknowledge these feelings helps clear mental space, enabling team members to refocus on the tasks at hand. As a program manager, sensing and responding to your team’s emotional landscape is an essential skill that fosters resilience and long-term commitment.

For program managers, resilience also means recognizing that traditional frameworks may not always fit. Adaptive project management frameworks, which allow for course correction and resource reallocation, are particularly beneficial in crisis contexts. At Bloom, we’ve been building flexibility into our project designs, allowing us to respond effectively to new information and shifting contexts.

Project management requires nimbleness, whether adjusting timelines, rescoping a project, or reassigning roles. With these adaptive strategies, program managers create a stable and responsive structure, helping mitigate the impact of external stressors.

One of the most valuable tools we’ve discovered in navigating crisis is compassionate leadership. Compassionate leaders understand that their role isn’t simply to manage tasks and nurture the people executing them. This can mean extending understanding during difficult times, actively checking in on individual well-being, or simply leading by example with kindness.

At Bloom, this culture has created a safe space where team members feel empowered to express themselves, seek support, and contribute meaningfully. As program managers, embodying compassion fosters a supportive environment and ensures that teams stay engaged and motivated even during challenging periods.

For program managers working in social impact organizations, managing through a crisis is more than just keeping projects on track—it’s about balancing stability with flexibility and processes with compassion.

To all program managers facing similar challenges, know that your work is vital. The effort you put into fostering resilience in these moments of crisis will have lasting, positive effects on those you lead and serve. Let’s continue to find strength in our adaptability and lift each other as we progress.