Nonprofit Leadership

Leading with Purpose. Innovating with Equity.
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** Blood on the Tracks
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October 28, 2025

Dear Readers,

The bleeding continues. As the government shutdown drags on, the Trump administration is using the emergency to attempt to permanently shut down “Democrat programs,” as the president put it himself ([link removed]) last week:

We’re not closing up Republican programs, because we think they work, so the Democrats are getting killed. We are closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with, and they’re never going to open again.

While Trump was apparently referring to government programs, make no mistake: Such “closures” will deeply affect untold numbers of nonprofits that administer these programs, from organizations providing food and nutrition to nonprofit health clinics to medical research and disease prevention programs.

As the National Council of Nonprofits has reported, the shutdown has profound consequences for the American nonprofit sector. As the NCN’s Diane Yentel recently noted ([link removed]) :

Nonprofits are already facing enormous financial and political challenges, as the Administration has sought to freeze federal funding, terminate contracts, and otherwise withhold grant funds. A shutdown further undermines their ability to serve, and the longer it lasts, the more severe the harm to people and communities.

The situation is, of course, complex. The shutdown is partly the consequence of congressional Democrats refusing to agree to budget measures that would also hurt countless Americans and our sector. ([link removed])

But if anyone needed a reminder of the degree to which the private nonprofit sector in fact carries out much of the work of “government,” the shutdown is instructive.

This week’s Leadership newsletter offers a range of insights from our essential field. As always, we love to hear back from you. Contact Leadership Editor Isaiah Thompson at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Isaiah Thompson

Leadership Editor


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** Must-Read Articles
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“No Kings” Protests Open Doors to Civic Engagement

by Angely Mercado

“It isn’t just what happens on the day, but it is the engagement and mobilization afterwards.”
Read Article ([link removed])
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Building Black Wealth in the South Can’t Wait

by Alex Camardelle

“In the South, the median White household today holds 24 times more wealth than the median Black household.”
Read Article ([link removed])
[link removed]

Digital Transformation, a Nonprofit Primer

by James A. Lomastro

“Understanding both business needs and technical capabilities eliminated the technology knowledge barriers that often slow digital initiatives.”
Read Article ([link removed])
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How to Handle Founder’s Syndrome with Grace

by Marian Urquilla

“When a long-serving executive avoids strategic or succession-related planning, their actions (or nonaction) signal an identity entanglement: The organization is me, and if I step aside, it might not survive.”
Read Article ([link removed])
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Philanthropy Should Support Frontline Leadership in Times of Crisis

by Rhett Ayers Butler

“Too often, donors equate success with easily counted outcomes: hectares protected, tons of carbon sequestered, or numbers of beneficiaries reached. Yet much of the real progress happens off-ledger.”
Read Article ([link removed])

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The Nonprofit Guide to Collaborative Budgeting ([link removed])

Are your nonprofit’s financial processes keeping up with your mission’s demands? When every dollar counts, innovative budgeting strategies can make all the difference.

Learn more. ([link removed])


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Nonprofit Leadership offers timely civic news, equity-centered insights, and innovative frameworks for leaders building a just and thriving civil society. This newsletter delivers field wisdom, leadership strategies, and practical tools to help you lead with intention and create sustainable impact in your organization and community.

Sponsored Content

Exercise Your Tax Exemption Status for 2026 ([link removed])

Did you know that under federal law nonprofits can opt out of state unemployment taxes? Learn more about the benefits of this exclusive opportunity today.

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