The Compassion CollectiveAbout
Our story
The Compassion Collective exists to make belonging a lived reality rather than an abstract ideal.
The Compassion Collective was founded by Sher Griffin, a neurodivergent researcher, educator, facilitator and community builder. As a late-identified autistic and ADHD adult, Sher came to see that burnout, masking, isolation and self-doubt are often not personal failings. They reflect environments that were never designed for diverse ways of thinking, relating and being.
That led to a question: what kinds of environments let people belong without abandoning themselves?
Many systems are built to find problems and diagnose deficits. Far fewer are built to grow belonging. Support often shows up only in a crisis. The Compassion Collective was created to fill that gap. Rather than fixing individuals, we treat community itself as an ecology of support, learning and participation.
Sher's doctoral research in Transformative Social Change at Saybrook University, and the Cognitive Ecology Model, inform this work. You can find the research and courses at Kaleidoscope Systems.
Our mission
We exist to grow a more compassionate and just world by fostering resilience, belonging and meaningful participation. We imagine a society where every person, across neurodiversity, ability, culture and background, can bring their strengths forward, thrive in daily life, and help shape the systems that shape us.
Through mutual support, fair opportunities and collective advocacy, we create spaces where community itself becomes a form of empowerment.
Our values
Equity and justice
We work to remove barriers and share opportunity fairly, guided by fairness, transparency and repair.
Inclusivity and belonging
Difference is a living strength. Every voice matters.
Sustainability and stewardship
We honour our interdependence with one another, the earth and future generations.
Shared leadership
Power is shared, not hoarded. We encourage collaboration, initiative and co-creation.
Radical compassion
Compassion is not a soft skill but a radical act. We meet each other with care.
Integrity and accountability
We practise honesty and responsibility, and pause to realign with our purpose.
Emergence and adaptability
Our structures are alive and responsive. We learn as we go.
How we organize
TCC uses a holarchy rather than a top-down hierarchy. Each member keeps their autonomy while staying connected to the whole, so individual voices aren't lost and the collective grows stronger from each person's contribution.
Our decisions are consent-based: shaped through listening, iteration and care for the whole. Our agreements are co-held, not imposed. You can read them on the Meetings page.
The Nine Lamps
A framework for holistic well-being and spiritual growth that honours many traditions. The lamps are not doctrines but living practices that light the way toward wholeness.