Making change starts with believing you can.

Burnout. Decreased funding. Structural barriers. A lack of hope. Social changemakers and non-profit leaders who want to make meaningful, measurable impact in their communities are struggling to see a brighter future for themselves, their teams, and the people they serve. Yet real change happens by believing in a better world and consistently taking the next step toward making it a reality.

Catherine Alonzo’s experience is a testament to this fact: As co-founder of Javelina, a branding, marketing, and advocacy agency that helps organizations tell a powerful story that moves their target audiences to action, Alonzo has been part of some of the most influential change movements of our time, such as increasing minimum wages, advancing marriage equality, widening transportation networks, preserving our climate and environment, and protecting abortion rights.

The Changemaker’s Toolkit explores why hope is fading in our rapidly changing world—yet also reveals how today’s conditions offer unprecedented opportunities for impact. To harness this potential, Alonzo provides a framework and four powerful tools—Vision, Action, Values, and Conviction—you can use throughout your changemaking career to move forward with purpose when optimism is under threat. Alonzo includes examples from the history of societal change and interviews with people working on the frontlines of social impact to inspire your own changemaking efforts. You will learn to define your vision, create systems for action, identify your core values, and reach deep and believe—because every meaningful change throughout human history began with an idea that once seemed impossible.

Change has always required trial and error, persistence, and resilience. The Changemaker’s Toolkit will give you not only an actionable resource, but also new hope and the ability to drive significant change in your community.