Growing our collective understanding of the world and the role of philanthropy and storytelling to move us forward.
We have everything we need to make the transition to a system that supports the wellbeing of people and the planet — but we are surrounded by all the wrong narratives. Storytelling and philanthropy must step up in this moment to catalyze change, shift the narrative, and expand our ideas of what is possible.
The Elephant represents the interconnected forces driving our current negative spiral — the whole picture we must see clearly before we can act. The Butterfly represents the emerging positive trends pointing toward a better future. Storytelling and philanthropy are the bridge between them.
Dominant
Extractive
Independence
Scarcity mindset
Pessimism & fear
Isolation
Anxiety & harm
⟵⟶
Storytelling & Philanthropy
The Bridge
↓ Catalyzing Change ↓
↓ Shifting the Narrative ↓
Emerging
Regenerative
Interdependence
Enoughness
Optimism & opportunity
Community
Wellness & sustainability
We need to "flood the zone" with stories of the world we want. Our new heroes are the filmmakers, novelists, journalists, and game developers whose world-building can bring to life a future we can all get behind.
— Sandy Herz, The Elephant & Butterfly
Three Core Themes
What This Work Is About
The Elephant: Seeing the Whole
Five self-reinforcing domains — capitalism and the economy, environment, technology, government, and culture — are driving our current negative spiral. Understanding these interconnected forces is the essential first step.
Interconnected Challenges
The Butterfly: What's Going Right
Positive trends are everywhere — the clean energy revolution, the largest wealth transfer in human history, Africa's rising generation, and a new wave of changemakers redesigning organizations around joy and sustainability.
Emerging Possibilities
Storytelling & Philanthropy: The Bridge
We have everything we need — but are surrounded by narratives that frame a very different reality. Philanthropic capital is at its most catalytic when used as risk capital for storytelling and narrative shift. We need to move away from a scarcity mentality and commit more aggressively to putting philanthropic dollars to work — especially in media and storytelling — to shift what the public believes is possible.
The Bridge Forward
From the Substack
Recent Essays
June 2025
Narratives of Hope
The first step toward fixing a system engineered for power and money is engaging our collective moral imagination to start envisioning better futures — and storytelling is the means to that end.
A synthesis of the core takeaways before heading deeper into storytelling, narrative shift, the state of the media ecosystem, and how different forms of media contribute to the reality we all experience.
One of the most dominant — and damaging — narratives in progressive philanthropy is the fundamentally false notion that resources are scarce. This post provides an insider look at what's holding philanthropists back.
Sandy Herz is a longtime philanthropy executive, strategist, and storytelling evangelist. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of working in finance and technology, in grassroots nonprofits and with global social entrepreneurs, alongside artists and journalists, with academics and government officials, and for 20 years at the heart of large-scale philanthropy.
Believing that the most compelling insights and opportunities are almost always at the intersection of issues and sectors, and that we are smarter and stronger together, Sandy embarked on a journey to speak with 100 of the most brilliant minds she knew — asking them what emerging trends they were seeing, what issues felt most urgent, and what was holding back progress.
The result is The Elephant & Butterfly: a synthesis of that collective wisdom, published as an ongoing Substack series and research platform for anyone who cares about the future of people and the planet.
WUCO Impact is the parent organization behind The Elephant & Butterfly project, dedicated to the intersection of philanthropy, storytelling, and systems change. The work is funded in part by the International Resource for Storytelling and Impact, which supported a deeper dive into the narrative portion of the research.
WUCO Impact's mission is to help catalyze the transition from extractive, dominant systems toward regenerative, emerging ones — through research, convening, and the power of compelling narrative.
Published on Substack, these essays build chapter-by-chapter toward a coherent framework for understanding our moment — and what it will take to move through it.
06
Narratives of Hope
The first step toward fixing a system engineered for power is engaging our collective moral imagination to start envisioning better futures — and storytelling is the means to that end.
A mid-series synthesis: the economy, environment, technology, government, culture, and philanthropy — and why storytelling and narrative shift are the essential next chapter.
The false narrative that philanthropic resources are scarce — and the ecosystem that converges around donors to keep charitable dollars invested rather than deployed — is one of the most damaging dynamics holding us back.
Large-scale philanthropy is under significant pressure to rise to this moment and fill the gaps where society and government are falling short. A look at how big philanthropy has responded — and must evolve.
The percentage of people in extreme poverty is down by nearly two-thirds over 20 years. The clean energy revolution is accelerating. A $84 trillion generational wealth transfer is underway. There are real reasons for optimism.
We are in a time of profound transformation. We have everything we need to make the transition to a system that supports the wellbeing of people and the planet — but are surrounded by all the wrong narratives.
Research, frameworks, and reports for philanthropists, storytellers, and anyone working to catalyze a more regenerative world.
Featured Report
Research Report
From Disruption to Renewal: The Future of the Narrative Ecosystem
This report explores how storytelling, media, and philanthropy can work together to shift the narratives that shape our collective sense of what is possible. Drawing on interviews with leading practitioners across the narrative ecosystem, it maps the current landscape, identifies critical gaps, and outlines the investments needed to "flood the zone" with stories of the world we want.
AuthorSandy Herz, WUCO Impact
FormatPDF
AccessFree Download
Report coming soon — check back shortly
📂 For Sandy / Site Admin: How to Add the PDF
Once the report is ready, upload the PDF to your GoDaddy file manager (e.g., to /public_html/reports/disruption-to-renewal.pdf), then replace the "coming soon" badge in this page's HTML with a download link pointing to https://wucoimpact.com/reports/disruption-to-renewal.pdf. The download button code is commented out directly above this box — just swap it in.
Visual Resources
Framework Graphic
The Elephant & Butterfly: From Extractive to Regenerative
The core visual framework showing the journey from dominant/extractive systems toward regenerative/emerging ones — with Storytelling & Philanthropy as the bridge. Created by Sita Magnuson at Dpict.
Graphic credit: Sita Magnuson at Dpict. Contact Sandy for permissions.
Get in Touch
Connect with Sandy
Whether you're a fellow philanthropist, storyteller, researcher, or simply someone who cares about the future of people and the planet — Sandy would love to hear from you.
Let's be in touch
The Elephant & Butterfly exists as a place where curious people from different vantage points can learn, share, and evolve through this tumultuous time together. Your engagement, comments, and responses are what keep this conversation relevant.
