Go Time

Last week, I flew to Atlanta for the Independent Sector National Summit — and wow, this gathering was so good. I met so many people IRL that I’d only ever known virtually, including the incredible team at the National Museum & Center for Service, where I serve on the board.

The Summit brought together people from across the country (and even some from outside the U.S.) who all work in the social sector — nonprofit leaders, foundation leaders, CSR practitioners, consultants, government agencies, students, academics, and more.

As Dr. Akilah Watkins, President and CEO of Independent Sector, said: “This is a make-or-break moment for our sector. It’s go time.”

(By the way, definitely follow Akilah if you’re not already!)

And it is go time. Every day, I read more tough news for our sector — Head Start schools shutting down, nonprofit staff layoffs, food access disappearing, and the new tax bill that could upend corporate giving. The list goes on.

One of my favorite sessions was the closing plenary. It was a conversation between Akilah, Michael Smith, President and CEO of Eckerd Connects (and former AmeriCorps CEO…I totally fangirled when I ran into him in the hotel lobby); and DeAngela Burns-Wallace, President and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

DeAngela said this: “We as funders have to break some of our models. [Grantmaking] needs to be messy. It has to be messy. We have to think about how to do this differently. We need true coalition-building to solve problems.”

Michael added that nonprofit professionals need to be paid well and given professional development opportunities.

Um, yes. One million percent.

We still have this outdated idea that nonprofit workers should “work for cheap” and that’s simply wrong. In 2023, nonprofits made up 5.2% of GDP and contributed $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy, Right now, nonprofits are among the most trusted institutions — more than government, business, or the media (#notasurprise). So, let’s pay our nonprofit professionals fairly and invest in their growth.

It was wonderful to be surrounded by wonderful people last week in Atlanta. I flew home feeling buoyed — and reminded that, yes, this is a moment. A hard one, and also an opportunity.

An opportunity to reimagine how we work, fund, and lead.

Let’s do it.

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.

🤖 AI FOR SOCIAL GOOD

Is your organization using AI? I’m sure that answer is a resounding yes. But is your organization using AI as effectively as it could?

If you’re mesmerized by, confused by, or just plain interested in AI, consider signing up for “Transforming AI Trends into True Impact,” a webinar hosted by Raise for Good on Thursday, November 13 at 11am PT/2pm ET.

Join leaders from PagerDuty.org, Violetta, CareerVillage.org, and Tech Matters as they share lessons, challenges, and insights on using AI to advance social good. You’ll learn how to align AI with your mission and about ways to fund and partner for meaningful adoption.

Register here to join or get the recap.

💡 WHAT WOULD PRIYA PARKER SAY?

Conferences are wonderful — and overwhelming. You spend days surrounded by inspiring people, big ideas, and lots of energy. But you also spend a significant amount of money and time, often leaving with a blur of faces and very few deep connections.

I recently came across this well-written piece by Fabian Pfortmüller at Together Institute and it is GOOD. Fabian writes about how to make large gatherings more relational. As someone who both participates in conferences and, at times, helps design large gatherings, I can’t stop thinking about these five ideas from the article:

• Smaller, participant-led sessions

• Fractals — small groups that help you find your “tribe” within the crowd

• Rhythm and intentional pacing

• Participant roles that foster connection

• Designing for the non-default attendee

Seems to me that conferences of all shapes and sizes could benefit from the ideas Fabian shared. And I feel like Priya Parker would approve. 😉 

🥳 TAKE A BREAK AND ENJOY WATCHING THIS CLIP

I’m kind of obsessed with this 26-second video. I’ve watched it over and over because it’s just…fun and light and so enjoyable.

Note: Xcancel links mirror Twitter without sending any traffic to it. If you run into issues, click the settings gear on the upper right of the Xcancel page and select “proxy video streaming through the server.” Then click “save preferences” at the bottom. If that still doesn’t work, copy the link into a URL and remove the word ‘cancel’ after the letter X in the URL — it will take you to the original video.

💘 NONPROFIT LOVE

I’ve been following SHE-CAN for years, ever since meeting founder Barbara Bylenga in San Francisco almost a decade ago. This organization is different — and goes so deep.

SHE-CAN’s mission is to build female leadership in post-conflict countries by equipping and empowering young women with the education, mentorship, and leadership skills needed to change their nations and the world. (If that doesn’t compel you to action, I don’t know what does…)

The organization identifies high-achieving young women in Cambodia, Liberia, and Guatemala and brings them to the U.S. for a college education. These young women are matched with U.S.-based mentors who help them earn scholarships, participate in leadership training, and gain professional experience. Following their time in the U.S., the women return to their home countries, where they are poised to be the leaders, advocates, and policymakers who will address the issues facing their communities and countries.

Since 2011, SHE-CAN has helped 133 women win over $37M in scholarships.

SHE-CAN is always looking for mentors, but if you can’t commit at that level, check out the short-term Power to Fly Volunteer Corps. Most projects are virtual — and a tremendous way to both support and get to know SHE-CAN.