We Listen First

Have you ever heard this phrase: The more we talk about our ideas, the more we love them.

I first heard it about 10 years ago at a conference, and it’s stuck with me since. It’s just so…true.

We’re great at brainstorming, aren’t we? We get excited about an idea, we build it out in our heads (or in a google doc), and then we get to work. What we don’t always do — what I haven’t always done — is stop and ask the people most affected by that idea what they actually think of it.

I learned this firsthand while working on 2020 Census outreach and education efforts in Orange County. We had about 50 meaningfully funded nonprofit partners responsible for reaching their respective communities. We held regular convenings for this group. We thought we were doing it right.

When it was all over, we learned something important: The funded partners would have benefited from more intentional opportunities to connect with each other…not just with us. The meetings were still 20+ organizations. Real relationship-building and deeper conversation weren’t really possible at that scale. Had I asked more questions along the way (and listened more carefully), I could have created smaller, more intimate spaces where partners could actually talk to each other.

That’s human-centered design in a nutshell. Before you build the thing, talk to the people the thing is for. Then keep talking to them.

In philanthropy, this matters enormously. The best funders and the best social impact leaders aren’t the ones with the best ideas. They’re the ones who know how to listen, deeply and with genuine humility, before they decide what to build.

With love and appreciation,

Sarah

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💵A LIST WORTH YOUR TIME

TIME just released its second annual TIME100 Philanthropy list — 100 people shaping the future of giving.

I love that this list exists and I love the storytelling around these givers and advocates.

Take a spin through these 100 names. You’ll see names you totally expect to see (hi, MacKenzie Scott!) and some names you wouldn’t (let’s hear it for Ashley Fairbanks, creator behind Stand With Minnesota).

💻WANT HELP WITH COMMS?

If you work at a nonprofit or foundation and you’ve ever stared at a blank page trying to figure out your communications strategy, check out Smart Chart. Created by Spitfire Strategies, it’s a free tool designed to help mission-driven organizations build an actionable comms plan.

It offers a five-step framework, interactive workplan, behavioral science integration, and multi-language support. Dang!

🏅 I’M ALREADY CHEERING FOR ALLYSON FELIX

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for any length of time, you know I’m a nerd about running. And so, I am cheering VERY hard for track and field legend Allyson Felix, as she attempts to qualify for the 2028 LA Olympics.

Allyson is the most decorated U.S. Olympic track and field athlete. She’s now 40 — and would be 42 at the time of the Olympics.

If anyone can make this comeback, it’s her. I just love that she’s going for it!

🧩 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

Named after a 1789 William Blake poem about creating a better world, Echoing Green has been doing exactly that since 1987. The organization finds emerging social innovators early — when their ideas are still just ideas — and invests deeply in their success through seed funding, leadership development, and a lifelong community of peers.

Their community of nearly 1,000 Fellows includes Michelle Obama, Van Jones, and the founders of Teach for America, One Acre Fund, and City Year.

Cheryl L. Dorsey, herself a Fellow from 1992, has led the organization since 2002 and has reshaped it into a global nonprofit.

I am wholly obsessed with Echoing Green. In April, they published their 2026 Social Impact Talent Report. And in the most recent Fellowship application cycle, they received 4,100+ applications from 139 countries. You can view the 40 finalists here.