Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now—
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
I begin this year’s letter with a mother’s wisdom. As I reflect on 2024, amid the uncertainty of 2025, Langston Hughes’s loving reminder from a mother to keep moving; to keep pressing forward; to keep climbing–both despite and because of darkness, uncertainty, and struggle–feels particularly important. In times such as these, Hughes reminds us to look to mothers, to look to elders and neighbors and each other for wisdom, direction, and hope.
Change, as you likely know, is filled with uncertainty. It does not happen in a straight line. It unfolds through fits and starts, advancement and retrenchment, through relationships, exciting and difficult choices, and humility and trust. It sometimes comes loud and with force and sometimes through quiet incremental gains. It’s the compounding power of people given the space and resources to lead their own way or, like in Hughes’ poem, it’s the advice or encouragement of a parent.
In 2024, the Steelcase Foundation continued to explore what it means to create meaningful change in our community—change that is not only measured in narrow quantitative data points alone, but also measured through the very real felt and lived experiences of families, children and educators.
Our vision of a flourishing community is one where every member can participate, grow and feel a sense of belonging. We partnered with Capita Partners and the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common initiative to administer a national survey on loneliness, disconnection and insecurity, with oversampling in Michigan. We then hosted a roundtable with policymakers and the first Michigan Children and Families Summit, in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to share findings and explore solutions. Both convenings highlighted the effects of loneliness on families and the importance of intentionally creating spaces for connection.
Supporting children and youth also remained a central focus. We invested in programs that cultivate belonging and skill-building and develop future-oriented learning opportunities. Specifically within education, we continue to invest in systems and programs that nurture the whole child and the whole family, prioritizing care, inclusion and liberation.
To support leaders, we continued our engagement with the first cohort of the Brilliant Leaders Fellowship, creating space for nonprofit leaders to recharge, build social capital and envision solutions to complex, intersectional challenges. With this joyful and thought-provoking experience fresh in our minds, we excitedly planned for the start of a second cohort. Our Early-Stage Operations and Planning Fund supported newer nonprofits as they developed infrastructure for long-term impact, convening cohorts to share learning and build community.
Our 10-year Investment in Families Initiative, which launched in late 2024, is one of the ways we have taken up Hughes’s reminder to listen and look to mothers. This initiative provides 30 family leaders in Kent County with opportunities for education, career growth, community connection and peer learning, alongside direct financial support. Early milestones already include new jobs and promotions, educational gains, and improved mental health—but the most profound impact is the “felt difference”: the sense of dignity, trust and agency families experience when they are seen, heard, and a part of the planning and design every step of the way to define success on their own terms. In their determination and resilience, we see the same steady climb Hughes described—a reminder that progress, though not easy, is always possible.
I offer this reflection on change as we look back on 2024 because these lessons guide all our work. Across every initiative, we combine reflection and action—what Paulo Freire called praxis—to ensure our strategies are responsive, equitable and grounded in justice. We know that change requires patience, humility and a willingness to trust people as experts in their own lives. True transformation does not arrive with a single intervention or a quarterly report; it grows slowly, through relationships built on trust and respect, stability and sustained commitment.
As we reflect on all that 2024 held, we are grateful for the families, educators and community partners who teach us daily about resilience, courage and possibility. We remain committed to amplifying these lessons, advancing systems that honor human dignity and investing in solutions that produce deeply felt change.
We will continue to walk the non-linear path that change requires of us — climbing, turning corners, and pressing on, sometimes in the dark, sometimes with splinters, and even when the steps aren’t smooth, but always upward, together — because that is how progress is made, and how hope endures.
We look forward, focused on building communities where families can flourish, children can thrive in learning environments that honor their brilliance, and every individual has the opportunity to shape their own path. Thank you for joining us on this journey towards change that truly makes a difference.