Drew Ferguson spent approximately 100 hours pouring himself into a three-page narrative about the nonprofit sector and its value to society.

Then he watched, unfazed, as 15 sector leaders in Los Angeles tore it apart. After all, this kind of creative destruction was always part of the plan, and finding the “big story” for the sector was always going to be messy.

As executive vice president and creative strategist at Ogilvy Public Relations, Drew has created brand narratives for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 companies, so he knows how hard it is to find the stories that unite diverse stakeholders, co-opt critics, and rally supporters. Even knowing that a brand narrative typically takes dozens of revisions, Drew was struck by one thing about Independent Sector’s approach.

Read more on Independent Sector’s blog.

Robert Jones is the vice president of engagement and communications at Independent Sector.