Inside the Chrysalis: ASRA’s Next Two Years

In nature, endings often disguise beginnings. A caterpillar does not simply grow wings to become a butterfly; it must transform before taking a new form. That liminal space—the chrysalis—is where “the possible” lives.

Today, I want to share that ASRA has entered its own chrysalis.

After deep reflection, careful scenario work, and conversations with trusted partners and advisors, we have chosen to transition the ownership and management of ASRA’s assets, activities, and operations to others who can carry this work forward. In a funding landscape where long-term, unrestricted support for small, specialist nonprofits is increasingly scarce, we faced a choice: to potentially reach an abrupt end while continuing to hope for a fundraising breakthrough, or choose to actively and intentionally evolve towards a future where the mission—not the institution—is nurtured into its next phase. A generous transition grant has given us the time and stability to do this with care, intentionality, and clarity over the next two years. 

But this moment is about more than funding; we are in a changed and changing world. Many people and organizations alike will be increasingly confronted with the uncertainty of complex times. Indeed, two of ASRA’s principles are complexity and uncertainty. What do we do when we don’t or can’t know the future in the context of complex, dynamic, interactive, and interdependent impacts of risks? We must walk our talk. 

We are therefore choosing to find new modes of supporting this critical work and new models of catalytic leadership that prioritizes stewardship of a body of collective work over organizational survival.

Of course, this way of thinking sits within a broader movement: from Nathan Schneider’s Exit to Community to Jim Fruchterman and Steve Francis’ Exit to Open to Vanessa Machado de Oliveira’s Hospicing Modernity which teaches the courage to release our standard notions of organizing, rooted in humility and embracing the opportunity for a different kind of growth. Our transition will be a contribution to this growing body of practice. 

ASRA was founded to nurture a fragmented and nascent field, build new methods in systemic risk assessment and response, and to radically rethink risk as a way to address current and future challenges. Two years on, we find the field moving with momentum beyond us. This is the greatest success a plucky little start-up like ours could hope for. 

Our role now is to tend to what we have built AND to make space for what wants to grow next.

This series Inside the Chrysalis will be a quarterly reflection from me about what we’re doing and what we are learning along the way. I’ll share opportunities, tensions, and questions that emerge as future scenarios develop; I’ll outline early contours of what might come next; and, I’ll offer reflections on the structures, processes, and forms of care required for a responsible handover between now and autumn 2027.

During this time, our work continues. We will press on with delivering the projects we have underway: our nature-centric exploration of the risks faced by the non-humans animals of River Tone in the UK; assessing the systemic risks faced by food systems in Africa; exploring the cascading risks that come in a world exceeding 1.5°C together with communities across the global North and South; and others. We’ll also continue to advance the uptake of STEER—our systemic risk tool that helps institutions and communities identify vulnerabilities, assess potential impacts, and build actionable strategies to respond to systemic risks—hosting training workshops, as well as supporting organizations to integrate the tool into their operations. We’ll also continue to build the evidence base of “what works” when it comes to responding to systemic risk. 

We know this news raises practical questions about what this transition means for our partners and broader community, so we’ve shared answers to frequently asked questions here.

To sign-off, let me acknowledge that change is rarely easy. It stirs emotions, uncertainties, doubts, and fears. But it can also be hopeful, creative, and deeply generative. We don’t yet know what will emerge from the chrysalis. For now we sit in the liminal space and stay open to the opportunities this transformative process presents, and what we learn along the way.

Ruth