Hello, 2026

Dear reader, happy new year!

2025 was…a year. 2026 is shaping up to be…another one.

But there is something worth leaning into already: we’re heading into the Year of the Fire Horse (bring alllll that energy, please), and 2026 is officially the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.

We’re going to celebrate volunteers and their contributions this year. Because even when the world feels like it’s on fire, there is still (still!) so much awesome stuff happening out there. And volunteers are a big part of that story.

Volunteers have always been and will continue to be at the forefront of social change, disaster response, community action, and humanitarian efforts.

To me, volunteering is a universal language of compassion.

I’m sure you know: We’re heading into MLK Day weekend. On Monday, I’ll be volunteering alongside friends and neighbors at the Orange County Food Bank. I can’t think of a better way to begin the year. ✨

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.

📖 AN UNREASONABLE BOOK TO READ

I tore through Will Guidara’s book Unreasonable Hospitality in just a few days. It was that good!

Guidara writes about Eleven Madison Park’s climb from a middling two-star brasserie to the best restaurant in the world. But this book is so much more than a cool restaurant story. He talks about building a culture of hospitality, making magic, working with purpose, forming strong teams, and so much more. This book goes way beyond the restaurant industry; the stories and lessons are applicable for anyone in any field.

You’ll want to add this one to your 2026 reading list. 😉 

🤖 AI PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR NONPROFITS

I had the opportunity to meet Julie Clugage, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Team4Tech, at a conference in October — and I have to say, I love what her organization is building.

Team4Tech is now offering an exciting professional development opportunity for eight nonprofits based in the U.S. and Canada through their Experience AI cohort.

Experience AI is an educational program developed by Raspberry Pi Foundation and Google DeepMind, designed to provide cutting-edge resources on AI and machine learning for teachers and students ages 11-14. This free, structured learning program will run from February 19 through March 26.

Participating organizations will build a foundational understanding of AI and gain the confidence to deliver hands-on, engaging AI learning experiences with their teacher and learner communities. No prior AI experience is required.

Organizations can learn more and apply by January 30 here: https://lnkd.in/eUTcFNz5

🌅 IMAGINE THE FUTURE

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has just released an incredible new report, “The Futures We Create: Democratizing the Imagination of the Future.” This report explores how expanding who gets to envision tomorrow can unlock the collective wisdom needed to build healthier, more equitable futures for all.

Drawing on seven years of work with futuring practitioners — from artists and organizers to youth leaders and social workers — the report highlights the importance of democratizing future-thinking so that communities historically excluded from shaping what’s next can lead with their visions and insights.

The quotes are beautiful and powerful, as is the entire report. It’s worth your time: The future isn't fixed. Who gets to imagine it matters. | RWJF.

🧩 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

Founded in 2003, StoryCorps is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping us believe in one another by illuminating the humanity and possibility in us all, one story at a time. To date, more than 700,000 people across all 50 states have recorded interviews about their lives through StoryCorps. These conversations are preserved in the StoryCorps Archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in D.C.

These powerful stories reflect the vast range of American experiences, engender empathy and connection, and remind us how much more we have in common than what divides us. StoryCorps is especially committed to capturing and amplifying the voices of everyday people who are too often unheard in the media.

Do you have a story to tell? Learn more about recording your own story here.