Finding Gold

I started this newsletter back in March 2024 to scratch an itch…my writing itch.

What began as a small experiment has become a practice I genuinely love. Every other week, I write about something that I’ve experienced or that might be on my mind or general reflections about a topic in the social impact sector. And then I get to figure out what else has been tugging at my attention: maybe a grant opportunity worth sharing, the color of the year (hi, Cloud Dancer), new MacArthur Fellows, a podcast or book I can’t stop thinking about, or — always! — a nonprofit I love (there are so many).

I have a lot of fun putting these newsletters together.

And I want to say thank you. Thank you for signing up, for reading, for hitting reply and sending me your thoughts. Also, thank you for indulging my occasional wacky story (see A Story About Horses and More…still a fave).

I’m the kind of person who looks back. Perhaps you are as well. I don’t usually do it in December (I like to buck the system a bit), but I do take it on in January. I already know that when I look back on 2025, I’ll be doing it through the lens of this newsletter.

Recently, I was going through my kids’ old Christmas lists; I’ve saved them all. There was the year my son asked for gold (literally), a safe (presumably to hold the gold), and bounce boots (which I still don’t fully understand). Reading that list transported me instantly to that season of life…when he was smaller, with a bit of baby face still holding on.

I love that feeling. The ability to reach back, revisit a warm moment, and still feel grateful for exactly where I am now — with many more moments like that layered along the way. That’s what this newsletter has become for me, and I’m grateful to you for being a part of it.

I wish you the most wonderful holiday season, filled with your own version of gold. 😉 

See you in 2026. 💛

With love and appreciation,

Sarah

p.s. — I did a thing. I launched another newsletter, this time on LinkedIn. Because you can never have too many newsletters, right? On the alternate weeks when this beehiiv newsletter doesn’t go out, I’ll be writing there about volunteering, philanthropy, and CSR (from a slightly different angle). You can read and subscribe here.

First time reading this newsletter, Word It Out? Subscribe here for a regular roundup of things I’m thinking about.

🎅 TRACKING SANTA…IN 200+ LANGUAGES

Do I make my family track Santa with me the evening of December 24? You’d better believe it.

And so imagine my surprise and utter delight when I learned that Interpreters Unlimited supports the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program — and this year, IU is expanding real-time interpreter access from eight major languages to more than 200. I could not love this more. Language access matters always and everywhere!

🗳️ YOU KNOW I LOVE A GOOD VOLUNTEER STRATEGY SURVEY

And Points of Light has come out with one! Points of Light and partners are gathering input to inform a new National Strategy for Volunteering, and they want to hear from people across the U.S. (you!).

The survey explores how individuals, nonprofits, companies, and philanthropy engage in service today, and how belonging, connection, and trust shape civic life.

Whether you volunteer, manage volunteers, or simply care about community, your voice matters. Please respond to the survey here.

📱 THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

I’m digging Sprout Social’s recent article about the future of social media: “7 expert predictions for 2026.” It’s an interesting, informative read geared toward brands — and totally applicable to social impact organizations and leaders.

According to this article, consumers are moving to more private spaces, like Discord, Reddit, and Facebook Groups. Smaller digital spaces are being prioritized; people are seeking more meaningful communities online.

Consumers are also looking for more human-first storytelling — and are more likely to trust organizations that show authentic voices (vs. AI content).

Give it a read and let me know your own social media prediction for 2026.

💘 NONPROFIT LOVE

Welcome.US began in response to the fall of Kabul in August 2021. Afghan allies who had served alongside American forces needed immediate refuge and our traditional refugee resettlement was not equipped to respond at the scale that moment demanded.

Then, as war erupted in Ukraine, Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. While government systems struggled to respond quickly, millions of Americans stepped up to provide welcome.

What started as an emergency response has become something much larger. Today, Welcome.US’s mission is to unleash the desire and capacity of people across America to welcome newcomers and help them thrive.

In the past four years, Welcome.US has brought together a coalition of 40 major companies and 500 civic sector partners to scale community-driven private sponsorship programs. Through the organization’s Welcome Fund, they’ve distributed $21M in grants to 200+ community organizations whose volunteers served more than 200,000 newcomers. And the nonpartisan nonprofit has provided grants, flight credits, training, and other resources to individual Welcomers to support their sponsorship efforts.

For all the ways to support refugees and recent newcomers to the U.S., please click here. My favorite just might be sending a message of welcome. Because welcoming others is good for all of us.