A Letter to the Nonprofit Field: What This Moment Is Asking of Us

There’s a reality facing the nonprofit sector right now that we’re not naming clearly enough.

Many organizations are doing everything they can to stay afloat.

Funding is shifting.

Staff capacity is stretched.

Expectations haven’t adjusted at the same pace as resources.

And in some places, the impact is immediate and visible.

Here in San Diego, arts and culture organizations are facing the proposed elimination of public arts funding altogether.

For many, that’s not a future concern.

It’s a present disruption.

But whether it’s happening all at once, or gradually over time, the underlying challenge is the same:

Organizations are being asked to continue, and even grow, under conditions that no longer support how they’ve been structured to operate.

And the default responses are familiar.

Push harder.

Stretch further.

Hold on until things stabilize.

But many organizations are already operating at the edge of what their current structure can hold.

More effort doesn’t solve that.

It often just redistributes the strain.

This moment isn’t just a funding challenge.

It’s a structural one.

It’s asking different questions:

What can we realistically sustain right now?

What are we holding onto that no longer fits?

What does leadership actually need to look like in this moment, not in an ideal future state?

And perhaps most importantly:

How do we create stability without overextending ourselves further?

What This Moment Might Call For

There isn’t one right response to this moment.

But there are a few places many organizations can start:

1. Clarify what actually needs to be held right now

Not everything can, or should, be carried forward in the same way.

Naming your top priorities for the next 60-90 days can bring immediate focus.

2. Re-align leadership and board expectations

In times of change, clarity around who is making decisions, and what success looks like, matters more than ever.

This is often where momentum is either created or stalled.

3. Reconsider how capacity is structured

Support doesn’t always have to mean adding a full-time role.

For some organizations, this might look like:

• Redistributing internal responsibilities

• Partnering with other organizations

• Bringing in targeted or fractional support for specific functions

What matters is intentional alignment between need and capacity.

4. Create space to name what’s actually happening  Many leaders are holding more than they’re saying out loud. Making that visible, internally, can shift what’s possible.

None of these are quick fixes.

But they are places to begin.

Because continuing to operate under structures that no longer match reality isn’t sustainable.

This moment is asking organizations to recalibrate.

Not just to survive, but to find a way forward that protects the mission, supports the people doing the work, and creates steadiness in uncertain conditions.

If your organization is navigating these questions, you’re not alone.

And if it would be helpful to have space to think through what this moment is asking, whether internally or with outside support, I’m always open to a conversation.