If not now, when? The case for deceleration in times of change

To harness their full potential, even the most difficult endings demand deceleration and reflection.

A year ago, I wrote a short piece for Bond about an often-overlooked phase in the lifecycle of civil society organisations: endings. Whether it’s closures, mergers, leadership transitions or shifts in funding, endings have always been part of the non-profit landscape. But they now seem to be taking up more space in the sector.

Over the past year, the international development field has seen further significant changes, most notably perhaps USAID scaling back its programmes. For many organisations, this is just one example of a broader trend of uncertainty and shifting funding landscapes. But how prepared are we for these endings? And how do we ensure our organisations can adapt and thrive in such a rapidly changing world?

Decelerator Navigator calls provide free, confidential spaces for organisations to step back and consider all possible options. Over the past month, the team and I have had calls with organisations across many sectors – legal aid, health and social care, international development and others – all of which are facing a similar fundamental challenge: how to respond to rapid changes and navigate endings with intention and legacy.

The need to pay attention to endings has never been more pressing. This is an era defined by ‘polycrisis’: climate change, political instability, pandemics and economic volatility. Whoever you are, endings are no longer rare, blue-moon events –they’ve become a regular part of organisational leadership and life. Far from being something reserved for crisis management teams, endings are an integral aspect of robust, courageous, strategic and ambitious non-profit management.

Rethinking endings in development

Endings, especially those triggered by funding cuts or dramatically shifting political climates, often bring mixed emotions – devastation, frustration, relief and even celebration. Regardless of how they are perceived, they are undeniably transformative.

To harness their full potential, even the most difficult endings demand deceleration and reflection. What do we leave behind, and how do we empower new leadership? USAID’s retrenchment, for example, has highlighted the urgency for development organisations to embrace and refine their approach to exits. We can no longer afford to rush through endings. Instead, we must recognise them as crucial moments to rethink power dynamics and future partnerships.

Recognising the signs: when to pause and reflect

In unpredictable times, it’s easy to allow the context to accelerate decisions and actions, meaning we all miss the signs that an organisation is approaching a tipping point.
Whether it’s an immediate funding shift or more gradual changes in organisational dynamics, here are five signs that deceleration and reflection may be useful. These are drawn from the hundreds of conversations we’ve had with organisations via The Decelerator Hotline:

1. Financial decline or misalignment
   Is your search for funding obscuring the focus you once had on your mission? Spreading resources thinly across misaligned grants can signal a need to reassess your strategy. And unmanaged financial decline can undermine quality and stretch your capacity too far.
2. Leadership exhaustion
   Burnout in leadership isn’t just about long hours, it’s about decision fatigue and a loss of strategic direction. If your leadership team is struggling to stay focused or feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to evaluate whether your leadership structure is sustainable.
3. Staff engagement and morale issues
   Disengaged staff, high turnover or widespread burnout can signal a disconnect between your mission and your people. Low morale often points to deeper organisational issues that need urgent attention.
4. Shifting community needs and partner dynamics
   As external conditions change, so do the needs of the communities you serve. If you’re struggling to align with your partners or the communities you work with, it’s a sign your approach may need to evolve.
5. Emerging conflict
   At The Decelerator, we often observe a clear pattern: as organisations face resource scarcity and increasing instability, conflict tends to emerge, whether between staff, staff and trustees, or within the wider sector. Unresolved conflict can significantly hinder an organisation’s ability to explore all possible options. Recognising and addressing conflict early is crucial. Proactively managing tensions maximises an organisation’s chance of focusing on strategy to navigate uncertainty and take timely, effective decisions.

Deceleration: a tool for resilience

The five signs above aren’t warnings but indicators that it might be time to decelerate, which means taking a step back to reflect, reassess and adjust. Pausing now ensures that your organisation stays focused on long-term impact rather than short-term survival.
As we look forward, we must ask: how can we ensure that the endings we face, whether driven by external factors like funding cuts or internal challenges like staff changes, become opportunities for regeneration, rather than despair and loss of agency?

At The Decelerator, we help organisations plan for and navigate endings and transitions. Endings can be complex, but they hold the potential to create a more just, sustainable civil society, even in the most difficult times. If you recognise any of these signs in your organisation, or reading this has made you think of others, a free conversation with one of our Deceleration Navigators through the Decelerator Hotline can offer you a chance to step back, take stock and explore all your options. In fact, 40% of those who reach out don’t end up enacting an ending, but 100% are highly satisfied with the support they receive. Making space to decelerate and consider endings can, counterintuitively, open the door to a range of hopeful, possible futures.