A Year of Imagining a Better Nonprofit Sector

It's been great writing about social change, civil society, and nonprofits

It’s been a year since I started my Substack blog, Imagining a Better Nonprofit Sector. I’m grateful for all I have learned writing 70 posts over the course of the year and for the interest expressed by subscribers and colleagues. I also appreciate reading the writing of other bloggers and being able to share others’ insights as well as news stories related to nonprofits via restacking and notes.

Image description: Hand holding out a cupcake with a single candle on top. Photo by Road Ahead on Unsplash.

2025 was quite a year.

Trump administration causing chaos and sowing fear

It has been a challenging and dynamic year for nonprofits and the people who lead within them. Many nonprofits have faced substantial budget cuts, and some have been forced to lay off staff and discontinue programs. Meanwhile, demand for services is growing. Perhaps equally stressful are the threats and cuts to SNAP, Medicaid benefits, and staffing of government agencies, all of which impact nonprofit partners (along with the crack-down on immigrants and countless other policy changes). It can be difficult to know which fire to try to put out first.

It is abundantly clear that the current administration views nonprofits as political enemies despite the fact that the vast majority of nonprofit organizations are non-partisan. I’m heartened by acts of leadership at the national and local levels, ranging from the National Council of Nonprofits and Democracy Forward immediately suing the Trump administration in January to halt wholesale defunding of nonprofits receiving federal grants to King County investing $25 million in the workforce at nonprofit human service providers in October, recognizing the challenges nonprofits and their workers are facing.

Going into 2026, we need to continue to engage in advocacy to ensure that nonprofits and their constituents are not ignored as tight public budgets are negotiated, and to reform Washington State’s upside-down tax code so that wealthy residents pay their fair share.

Climate change accelerating

Nonprofits are often on the front lines of disaster relief, and this year has seen many weather-related disasters and wildfires. More frequent emergencies, combined with the gutting of FEMA, is having real consequences for communities. From cybersecurity to relief and recovery efforts, more nonprofits need to prepare for a wider range of disasters.

Sense-making and organizing are happening

Amidst the chaos and terror, there are a lot of people working to understand how we got to this place and to organize for change. In 2025, reading about some of the positive social change that is underway has been a balm for me, and I’ve tried to share some of it with you. I’ve also done a lot of reading and listening to better understand how to bridge the rural-urban divide and reduce political polarization. This is an ongoing learning edge for me, so I haven’t yet felt ready to share conclusions, but I am appreciating the journey and all I am learning. I see reasons for hope.

As we enter 2026, I look forward to continuing to learn in public with you. If there are things you are learning and finding helpful, please share them with me. If you have questions or wish for an article on a specific topic, please let me know. I have not been spending as much time on “how-to” posts related to nonprofits, but I am open to requests. Thank you to my entire community for the ways you enrich my life and consulting practice. Here’s to continuing to find and follow the way toward greater compassion, solidarity, peace, and justice.