I've spent 15 years building a nonprofit that provides legal aid to immigrants facing deportation. We've helped thousands of families. But the political climate has changed. Funding has dried up. Half my staff left for better-paying jobs. Our win rate in court has dropped from 60% to 20% as laws tightened. My board says it's time to "pivot"—focus on less controversial work that can attract donors. A colleague suggested merging with a larger organization where I'd lose control but we'd survive. Another says I should close with dignity rather than watch us slowly die. Part of me wants to fight until the last dollar is gone. These families need someone in their corner. But another part wonders if I'm being stubborn rather than strategic. Maybe my energy is better spent elsewhere. When is it wisdom to keep fighting, and when is it wisdom to let go? — Fighting for a Lost Cause in Phoenix
I've spent 15 years building a nonprofit that provides legal aid to immigrants facing deportation. We've helped thousands of families. But the political climate has changed. Funding has dried up. Half my staff left for better-paying jobs. Our win rate in court has dropped from 60% to 20% as laws tightened. My board says it's time to "pivot"—focus on less controversial work that can attract donors. A colleague suggested merging with a larger organization where I'd lose control but we'd survive. Another says I should close with dignity rather than watch us slowly die. Part of me wants to fight until the last dollar is gone. These families need someone in their corner. But another part wonders if I'm being stubborn rather than strategic. Maybe my energy is better spent elsewhere. When is it wisdom to keep fighting, and when is it wisdom to let go? — Fighting for a Lost Cause in Phoenix
Krishna
"Surrender attachment to outcomes—act from duty, not desire for victory"
36 votes
Sun Tzu
"The supreme art is to subdue the enemy without fighting—know when to engage and when to withdraw"
35 votes
71 votes total
Full Positions
From The Song Celestial; Or, Bhagavad-Gîtâ (from the Mahâbhârata): Being a discourse between Arjuna, Prince of India, and the Supreme Being under the form of Krishna
"Surrender attachment to outcomes—act from duty, not desire for victory"
The warrior who fights only when victory is certain has never truly fought. Your dharma is to serve these families—that dharma does not change because the odds have shifted. But attachment to your organization, your control, your legacy—these may cloud your judgment. Can you serve the cause even if it means releasing what you have built?
From The Art of War
"The supreme art is to subdue the enemy without fighting—know when to engage and when to withdraw"
A general who fights every battle loses the war. The question is not courage but strategy. Can you win? If not now, can you position for future victory? Sometimes withdrawal preserves forces for a better battlefield. The families need effective help, not noble martyrdom. Merge, regroup, and fight another day.