Learning from Seth Klukoff: Strategic Communications That Actually Work

Learning from Seth Klukoff: Strategic Communications That Actually Work

Nov 18, 2025 | Dialogues

This is the first in a new series where I sit down with fellow professionals to explore their expertise and learn from their unique perspectives. Today’s conversation is with Seth Klukoff of Eoan Strategies, a fellow member of the Independent Philanthropy Advisor Referral Group (IPAR).

Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with Seth Klukoff, Principal of Eoan Strategies, whose three decades of experience in strategic communications has shaped how some of the nation’s most influential organizations—from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—articulate their impact and inspire action. What struck me most about our conversation was Seth’s fundamental reframing of what thought leadership actually means in today’s crowded communications landscape.

Beyond the Buzzword: What Thought Leadership Really Is

“Thought leadership is about sharing knowledge to inspire change—in behavior, policies, or practices,” Seth explained.

This is not just another marketing buzzword—it is a strategic approach that requires four critical components:

  1. A strong evidence-based point of view (not just opinions)
  2. Understanding the context (knowing the landscape in which you are operating)
  3. Seeing things from various fields (bringing transdisciplinary perspective)
  4. Knowing what motivates your audience (the key to actual influence)

From my own experience in philanthropy advising and as online faculty at the UNH College of Professional Studies, I’ve seen too many organizations skip straight to tactics—the press releases, social media campaigns, and events—without first establishing this foundation. Seth’s framework reminds us that effective communication starts with having something meaningful to say.

The “Why” and “So What” Problem

One of his most valuable insights centered on what he calls the “why” and “so what” challenge. “Thought leadership is about the ‘why’ and ‘so what’—not just executing communications strategies like social media or press releases.”

Too often, I see foundations and nonprofits that can articulate what they do and how they do it, but struggle to communicate why it matters and so what if they succeed or fail.

Seth’s approach at Eoan Strategies addresses this by helping organizations:

  • Strengthen financial sustainability by articulating impact more clearly
  • Navigate uncertainty with clear, consistent messaging during crises
  • Launch strategic initiatives with well-defined points of view
  • Sharpen organizational identity to demonstrate competitive distinction

Integration, Not Isolation

Perhaps the most actionable insight from our conversation was Seth’s emphasis that “organizations should weave thought leadership into everything, not treat it as a side project.”

His insight challenges a common approach whereby thought leadership is assigned to the communications team as an add-on responsibility. Instead, Seth advocates for integration across all organizational functions—from program design to board communications to donor relations.

“In my work with family foundations and individual philanthropists, I’ve observed that the most effective giving strategies emerge when the “thought leadership” mindset permeates decision-making at every level, not just external communications.” – Seth Klukoff

The Strategic Sequence That Actually Works

Seth outlined a precise sequence that leaders should follow before jumping into tactics:

  • Define the desired change you want to create
  • Identify your audiences who can help create that change
  • Craft key messages that will resonate with those audiences
  • Set clear calls to action that move people toward your desired change
  • Then select the appropriate tactics and channels

This methodical approach stands in stark contrast to the “let’s start a podcast” or “we need to be on TikTok” mentality that often drives communications planning.

What This Means for Philanthropic Practice

As someone who works with philanthropists and foundations daily, I see immediate applications for Seth’s framework: For Family Foundations: Use this sequence to move beyond “we fund education” to “we fund education because we believe X, and here’s the specific change we’re working toward.” For Individual Philanthropists: Apply the four components of thought leadership to your giving strategy—what’s your evidence-based point of view on the issues you care about? For Nonprofit Partners: Challenge yourselves to articulate not only your programs but also your theory of change and why your approach matters in the broader context.

Seth’s expertise in strategic communications offers valuable lessons for anyone working to create change through philanthropy. His emphasis on evidence-based thinking, audience understanding, and strategic sequencing provides a roadmap for more effective philanthropic communication.

What questions would you want me to explore with Seth or other experts in future conversations? I’m always looking to learn from practitioners who are advancing the field.

About Robert Levey

Founder of The Philosopher Files, Robert is a philanthropy advisor and senior online adjunct faculty member at the UNH College of Professional Studies, as well as a member of the Independent Philanthropy Advisor Referral Group.

About Seth Klukoff and Eoan Strategies

Seth leads strategic communications and thought leadership development for organizations creating change across education, health, workforce development, and economic mobility. Learn more at Eoan Strategies. 

About Robert Levey

Spaciology is not abstract theory; rather, it is a practice you can feel.

  • Inside: Pause, breathe, notice.
  • Outside: Design rooms, rituals, and agendas that slow the spin and invite care.
  • Between us: Make dialogue a place where different truths can live together long enough to teach something.

Ultimately, leadership is the art of making space for what’s important (for everyone) and letting that clarity shape the next step. When we change the spaces from which we lead, our strategies change with them.

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A Space-Based Approach to Leadership

A Space-Based Approach to Leadership

Aug 29, 2025 | Leadership, Presence, Space as Metaphor, Strategy, Transformation

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Most leadership playbooks still carry old habits: control the plan, predict the future, move fast, and grow at all costs. That mindset can shrink our field of vision and crowd out people, wisdom, and the living world.

A space-based approach—Spaciology—offers another path: change how we shape the spaces within, between, and around us, so more choices can actually emerge.

Internal Space

Let’s start inside. Space begins within ourselves, and so when we pause and resist the reflex to respond, fix, or judge, we create conditions for more clarity. This pause is anything but passive; rather, it is active receptivity that lets the unseen surface.

Take five quiet minutes before a tough decision and journal not to “fix” your thinking but to see it. Ask yourself, “What is here that I am avoiding?”

This reflective pause can help you reclaim attention and focus on what is important (for more than just yourself) instead of reacting from habit.

The Space(s) You Lead

Now, let’s look at the shape of the rooms you lead. These spaces—offices, meeting formats, company rituals—speak before you do. A cluttered agenda or a performative town hall signals speed over substance.

Intention looks different: declutter a workspace to mirror the clarity you seek; design meetings with built-in silence so people can think. Ask yourself and others, “What kind of space would allow everyone here to feel seen and heard?”

This question communicates a simple message: you matter here.

Shared Space(s)

What about the space between us? Shared space is where dialogue, collaboration, and community live. It is not about winning a point; rather, it is about making room for truths to sit side by side.

Begin conversations by naming intentions rather than outcomes. Allow silence; not everything needs a response. Model curiosity over certainty. This posture lets complexity breathe and makes collective change possible.

In practice, this orientation to space transforms “hard conversations” into encounters where people can speak honestly without feeling rushed into agreement.

Space-Making

Spaciology challenges the hero habit in leadership—the desire for a single savior, a single answer, a straight-line win. This story is powerful but limited, as this moment asks for many voices, shared responsibility, and decisions that respect people and place, not just speed and scale

Space-making de-centers the hero and recenters relationship and reciprocity.

Space for Uncertainty

What does this look like in strategy? Three shifts:

From prediction to presence: Spend more time sensing what’s actually happening—in your team, your customers, your community—before committing to a course of action.

From growth at all costs to health and fit: Ask, “What’s important for the long-term health of our people and the places we touch?” Let that shape goals and guardrails.

From answers to better questions: Use open, honest questions to locate shared priorities: “What are we not seeing? Who’s missing? What would make a real difference now?”

Feeling the Space

Spaciology is not abstract theory; rather, it is a practice you can feel.

  • Inside: Pause, breathe, notice.
  • Outside: Design rooms, rituals, and agendas that slow the spin and invite care.
  • Between us: Make dialogue a place where different truths can live together long enough to teach something.

Ultimately, leadership is the art of making space for what’s important (for everyone) and letting that clarity shape the next step. When we change the spaces from which we lead, our strategies change with them.

Explore the Space

 

Sign the Charter

References

The following sources informed this file’s themes of decolonizing leadership, space as metaphor, and strategy.

Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing education: Nourishing the learning spirit. UBC Press.

Campbell, J. (2008). The hero with a thousand faces (3rd ed.). New World Library.

Chilisa, B. (2017). Decolonising transdisciplinary research approaches: An African perspective for enhancing knowledge integration in sustainability science. Sustainability Science, 12(5), 813–827.

Clarke, J. J. (2000). The Tao of the West: Western transformations of Taoist thought. Routledge.

Dei, G. J. S. (2000). Rethinking the role of Indigenous knowledges in the academy. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 4(2), 111–132.

Freire, P. (2020). Pedagogy of the oppressed (D. Macedo, Trans.; 50th anniversary ed.). Routledge. (Original work published 1970)

Gergen, K. J. (2015). An invitation to social construction (3rd ed.). SAGE.

Girardot, N. J., Miller, J., & Liu, X. (Eds.). (2001). Daoism and ecology: Ways within a cosmic landscape. Harvard University Press.

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

Levey, R. (2024). Embodying transdisciplinarity: An alternate narrative framework to the hero’s journey as a tool for transformation (Doctoral dissertation, California Institute of Integral Studies). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Macy, J., & Johnstone, C. (2012). Active hope: How to face the mess we’re in without going crazy. New World Library.

Massey, D. (2005). For space. SAGE.

Mezirow, J. (1978). Perspective transformation. Adult Education Quarterly, 28(2), 100–110.

Miller, J. (2017). China’s green religion: Daoism and the quest for a sustainable future. Columbia University Press.

Morin, E. (2014). Complexity and uncertainty: A philosophical approach. Springer.

Nicolescu, B. (2002). Manifesto of transdisciplinarity (K. C. Voss, Trans.). State University of New York Press.

Palmer, P. J. (1998). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher’s life. Jossey-Bass.

Roszak, T., Gomes, M. E., & Kanner, A. D. (Eds.). (1995). Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, healing the mind. Sierra Club Books.

Salmón, E. (2000). Kincentric ecology: Indigenous perceptions of the human–nature relationship. Ecological Applications, 10(5), 1327–1332.

Sardar, Z. (2010b). Welcome to postnormal times. Futures, 42(5), 435–444.

Scharmer, C. O. (2007). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. Berrett-Koehler.

Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization. Doubleday.

Simpson, L. B. (2011). Dancing on our turtle’s back: Stories of Nishnaabeg re-creation, resurgence and a new emergence. Arbeiter Ring Publishing.

Smith, L. T. (2021). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples (3rd ed.). Bloomsbury.

Tzu, L. (2004). Tao Te Ching (K. Voss, Trans.). http://globalradical.com/Tao/tao.pdf

Von Foerster, H. (2018). The beginning of heaven and earth has no name: Seven days with second-order cybernetics. Fordham University Press.

Wheatley, M. J. (1992). Leadership and the new science: Discovering order in a chaotic world. Berrett-Koehler.

Yunkaporta, T. (2021). Sand talk: How Indigenous thinking can save the world. HarperOne.

About Robert Levey

Spaciology is not abstract theory; rather, it is a practice you can feel.

  • Inside: Pause, breathe, notice.
  • Outside: Design rooms, rituals, and agendas that slow the spin and invite care.
  • Between us: Make dialogue a place where different truths can live together long enough to teach something.

Ultimately, leadership is the art of making space for what’s important (for everyone) and letting that clarity shape the next step. When we change the spaces from which we lead, our strategies change with them.

Stay in Touch

Work with Me
Contact Me

Why Care?

Why Care?

Feb 22, 2025 | Leadership, Love, Space as Metaphor, Strategy

In this fractured world, why care? What is the point of caring in a world where humans cannot accept themselves, much less anything–or anyone–else?

A World in Crisis

We live in a world in crisis, and this crisis does not just refer to climate woes or social inequity. Rather, we live in a crisis of home, a crisis of the soul where people are encouraged to define their lives by the extent to which they achieve their individual dreams. The earth is merely a backdrop to a larger story in which humans are somehow architects of a brand-new future. Whose future and for whom?

It is often said that the children are the future. How is that possible? Is not the future contingent on today? As a species, all humans can do is live in the here and now because that is all that has ever existed.

The future is a mirage, a carrot dangling before us, and it is always just out of…………reach. Why care………….about now? Now is the only quantifiable experiential space that exists, and yet the space of now is invisible. Where does it begin? When does it end? How was it created?

Why Care Infographic

While they appear abstract, these questions serve as the ethic upon which EcoDialogues rests. How can existential questions add practical value? Because the internal and external spaces of our lives have been co-created by a constellation of cosmic and everyday forces that stretch across billions of years.

Why care…………about now? Because now is all that has ever existed. It is always now, and yet there is no clear demarcation between past and future, which highlights the importance of accountability. We are all responsible for now, which is a shared space divided by perspective and experience.

Why care…………at all? Because everyone, every animal, every tree, every leaf, every molecule, everything everywhere in every place in every space has value, even if now presents us with challenges that threaten to break us individually and collectively.

Why care…………about everything? It is not clear where you or I begin or end, nor is it clear how the past affects our present. In a world intent on encouraging us to judge, critique, and dissect our differences (of perspective and experience), perhaps the most radical action to which we can commit ourselves rests in our ability to embrace our shared internal and external spaces.

These are complicated spaces that stretch back into a past that is full of bloodshed, colonization, and brutality. These are spaces not bound by time or circumstance. Rather, we carry our collective history on our backs and in our very bones. For some, this history is not a theoretical construct but a lived reality that can only be explored in dialogue.

How can we explore difficult spaces? Well, I do not think binary thinking gets us anywhere. Where are we going as a society when we are presented with ‘this’ or ‘that’ solutions to complex inequities that invite exploration instead of clenched fists and closed hearts?

Why care…………about other perspectives that diverge from our own? Because caring and compassion are not feelings that must be experienced (or shared) in a particular direction, nor are they necessarily bound by the cultural constraints of time. Rather, if we can conceptualize care and compassion as spaces, it invites open-ended explorations of our (and others’) perspectives and gentle humility.

What do we explore? If care and compassion can be reimagined as space rather than a skill or resource, we might discover it is endless. I have never seen space of any kind, but I have experienced it. Does space not exist?

While it may seem that none of us have the time to care or extend compassion to anyone, especially those we perceive as ‘wrong,’ perhaps we can find the space. I believe that if we can find the space (within ourselves) to care, then we can make the time.

Why care? Because spaces of care are as beautiful as they are difficult to find, especially as we age and discover that we are vulnerable in every possible way. Our vulnerabilities are what we share as humans–and regardless of color or creed, care is crucial because life’s meaning is not singular, nor can it be defined through theory.

Why care? Because life’s meaning is derived through experience, and every experience and every ‘thing’ matters…

Complicated Spaces

These are complicated spaces that stretch back into a past that is full of bloodshed, colonization, and brutality. These are spaces not bound by time or circumstance. Rather, we carry our collective history on our backs and in our very bones. For some, this history is not a theoretical construct but a lived reality that can only be explored in dialogue.

How can we explore difficult spaces? Well, I do not think binary thinking gets us anywhere. Where are we going as a society when we are presented with ‘this’ or ‘that’ solutions to complex inequities that invite exploration instead of clenched fists and closed hearts?

Why care…………about other perspectives that diverge from our own? Because caring and compassion are not feelings that must be experienced (or shared) in a particular direction, nor are they necessarily bound by the cultural constraints of time. Rather, if we can conceptualize care and compassion as spaces, it invites open-ended explorations of our (and others’) perspectives and gentle humility.

What do we explore? If care and compassion can be reimagined as space rather than a skill or resource, we might discover it is endless. I have never seen space of any kind, but I have experienced it. Does space not exist?

While it may seem that none of us have the time to care or extend compassion to anyone, especially those we perceive as ‘wrong,’ perhaps we can find the space. I believe that if we can find the space (within ourselves) to care, then we can make the time.

Why Care?

Why care? Because spaces of care are as beautiful as they are difficult to find, especially as we age and discover that we are vulnerable in every possible way. Our vulnerabilities are what we share as humans–and regardless of color or creed, care is crucial because life’s meaning is not singular, nor can it be defined through theory.

Why care? Because life’s meaning is derived through experience, and every experience and every ‘thing’ matters…

Explore the Space

 

Sign the Charter

About Robert Levey

Spaciology is not abstract theory; rather, it is a practice you can feel.

  • Inside: Pause, breathe, notice.
  • Outside: Design rooms, rituals, and agendas that slow the spin and invite care.
  • Between us: Make dialogue a place where different truths can live together long enough to teach something.

Ultimately, leadership is the art of making space for what’s important (for everyone) and letting that clarity shape the next step. When we change the spaces from which we lead, our strategies change with them.

Stay in Touch

Work with Me
Contact Me

Better Governance For Nonprofits

Better Governance For Nonprofits

Dec 1, 2024 | Leadership, Transformation

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In the nonprofit world, governance often clings to outdated, top-down leadership models, emphasizing hierarchy, control, and directive authority.These approaches may have served organizations in the past, but they are increasingly inadequate in addressing today’s complex challenges.

Nonprofits operate in a world of interconnected systems, shifting cultural values, and growing demands for equity, collaboration, and innovation. Many boards and leaders, however, remain entrenched in traditional leadership concepts, failing to adapt to the participatory and relational approaches that modern times demand.

The Need for Transformative Leadership

At the heart of this issue lies a fundamental misunderstanding of leadership. Too often, leadership is viewed as a static quality embodied by a select few rather than a dynamic, relational process that involves all system members.

Scholars like Peter Senge (1990), however, argue that leadership is about building systems and fostering organizational learning to respond effectively to complexity. This approach contrasts with traditional, top-down models of leadership that emphasize individual authority. Transformative leadership offers a much-needed alternative to outdated models because it shifts the focus from individual authority to collective participation, creating a context where all voices are valued, relationships are nurtured, and creativity thrives.

Transformative leaders understand that effective governance is not about exerting control but fostering collaboration. They embrace the idea that leadership is not a one-way street but a mutual process where leaders and followers engage in a shared journey. James MacGregor Burns (1978) introduced the idea of transformational leadership as a mutual stimulation and elevation that converts followers into leaders. Building on this notion, transformative leadership emphasizes mutual growth and the creation of generative contexts where all members of an organization contribute meaningfully.

This shift is essential for nonprofits. While hierarchical structures might offer a sense of order, they often stifle creativity, marginalize diverse perspectives, and fail to address systemic issues. Research by scholars such as Margaret Wheatley (1992) highlights the limitations of control-based systems and the power of collaborative, adaptive approaches.

However, resistance to change persists. Boards and executive teams often cling to hierarchical models out of habit or fear of losing control. This mindset is counterproductive, as traditional governance frameworks may provide a veneer of stability, but they are ill-suited to the interconnected and unpredictable challenges nonprofits face today.

Reimagining Nonprofit Governance

To overcome these limitations, nonprofits can reimagine governance through the lens of transformative leadership. Leaders must engage in self-inquiry—a practice emphasized by thinkers like Parker Palmer in The Courage to Lead (1998)—to reflect on their assumptions about power, identity, and relationships. Boards, too, must evolve, shifting from oversight and gatekeeping to active partnerships with staff and stakeholders.

Transformative leadership is not just a theoretical ideal but a practical necessity. As Otto Scharmer argues (2007), effective leadership requires letting go of old patterns and embracing the co-creative potential of the present moment. Nonprofits that adopt this approach can move beyond the inadequacies of top-down governance and become true agents of systemic change.

The question is not whether transformative leadership is needed in nonprofit governance—rather, it is why we still cling to outdated models. By embracing participatory and relational leadership, nonprofits can align with the complexities of the world they seek to change, fostering equitable, sustainable, and impactful futures.

The time for transformative leadership is now. Are we ready to answer the call?

Explore the Space

 

Sign the Charter

References

Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.

Palmer, P. J. (1998). The Courage to Lead: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Leader’s Life. Jossey-Bass.

Scharmer, O. (2007). Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Senge, P. M. (1990). The fifth discipline : the art and practice of the learning organization. New York :Doubleday/Currency,

Wheatley, M. (1992). Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

About Robert Levey

Spaciology is not abstract theory; rather, it is a practice you can feel.

  • Inside: Pause, breathe, notice.
  • Outside: Design rooms, rituals, and agendas that slow the spin and invite care.
  • Between us: Make dialogue a place where different truths can live together long enough to teach something.

Ultimately, leadership is the art of making space for what’s important (for everyone) and letting that clarity shape the next step. When we change the spaces from which we lead, our strategies change with them.

Stay in Touch

Work with Me
Contact Me