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Finds and Field Notes
Including a live event happening today
Sarah Middleton
April 24, 2026
About this time last year, I joined the board of the National Museum and Center for Service.
I’d met NMCFS founder and executive director Brian Baird through an advisory council we were both on — and once I understood what he was building, I was all in. Brian is one incredible founder. He served 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, practiced clinically for two decades, has written three books, and served as a university president (among other things).
During his time in Congress, Brian visited with members of the armed forces and countless organizations and individuals doing service work — in his district, around the country, and overseas.
He witnessed firsthand all different kinds of service, and he also realized something was missing. There was no place dedicated to honoring and celebrating the story of American service. So, he started NMCFS.
I really love what we’re building: Campus and community museums of service across the country, a signature space in Washington, D.C. (to come), and a Community of Learning to support local leaders.
And today, we’re celebrating.
NMCFS, alongside Independent Sector, is hosting a nationwide celebration of service…and you’re invited! There’s a free live broadcast starting at 7am PT/10am ET today. If you care about service, this event is for you.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate America’s 250th than talking about service, learning about service, and celebrating service. Plus, we have amazing speakers. :)
Learn more and register here.
Btw, we want your story of service. Tell us what service looks like in your community, please! Info on sharing here.
With love and appreciation,
Sarah
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🏆A BRAND-NEW GRANT WINNING PLATFORM
Calling ALL nonprofits! Have you heard about Kindora yet?
Kindora is an AI-powered platform that creates “equitable intelligence” to democratize access to funding. As of March 2026, Kindora had attracted 328 nonprofits to its platform. After going live in the Claude Connector Marketplace, it trended alongside Google Drive and Gmail (!).
Kindora was co-founded by Justin Steele, who spent 10+ years at Google.org directing ~$700M in philanthropy. The platform emerged from a prototype that helped Justin’s own nonprofit raise $100,000 in its first year.
This is probably the coolest thing I’ve heard about recently. Check it out and let me know how it works for you!
📓GET YOUR LATEST TRENDS IN PHILANTHROPY
Earlier this year, the Dorothy A. Johnson Center released the tenth edition of its 11 Trends in Philanthropy report. And this year, they’ve taken a different approach.
Instead of spotlighting new emerging trends, they’ve reflected on the themes that have shaped the field over the past decade. In a moment of rapid disruption (shifting federal funding, nonprofit closures, allllllll the things), the Center argues that our best path forward isn’t to predict, but to reflect.
Worth a read.
🎨 OK, THIS IS JUST FUN
Who wants a fun, colorful tool in their life?
Well, let me introduce you to Coolors (maybe you already know about it!). Coolors is a free color palette generator that’s just plain fun to use. Hit the spacebar over and over again and see new five-color combinations every time.
You can also upload an image and Coolors will pull the colors right out of it…handy! There’s a color picker and a contrast checker on the site, too.
Go play. 😉
🧩 FROM WRITING TO DOING
Many of the ideas I share in this newsletter — about volunteering, philanthropy, social impact more broadly, etc. — also show up in my consulting work with companies, funders, and nonprofits. If you’d like to explore ways to work together, you can find more at Services - Mission Up.
💘 NONPROFIT LOVE
Partners in Health began in 1987, after Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl helped set up a community-based health project called Zanmi Lasante (“Partners in Health” in Haitian Creole) in Cange, Haiti. They did this alongside friends Todd McCormack, Jim Yong Kim, and Tom White. In order to fund Zanmi Lasante’s work, the group founded Boston-based Partners in Health.
These days, PIH collaborates with national governments in 11 countries across four continents to provide healthcare in the poorest areas. The organization builds hospitals and other medical facilities, hires and trains local staff, and delivers a range of healthcare. The work they do — and have done — is absolutely stunning. I am fully obsessed with this organization.