Nonprofit Leadership

Leading with Purpose. Innovating with Equity.
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** Democracy Dies in…?
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February 10, 2026


Last week, The Washington Post laid off one-third of its entire workforce—more than 300 people. Former Executive Editor Marty Baron called it “among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations.” The layoffs come amid economic pressures facing journalism and the continual push for AI-generated content. Yet the man who owns the Post, Jeff Bezos, has a personal wealth estimated at $261 billion. Days before the layoffs, Bezos hosted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at his Blue Origin rocket company.


The Post isn’t the only accountability institution under strain. The past month has brought FBI raids on election offices, escalating federal enforcement operations, and mounting pressure on civil society organizations. As Zane McNeill wrote ([link removed]) for NPQ, “As the fourth estate, a free press is a critical check on power.” When multiple such institutions face pressure simultaneously—newsrooms, nonprofits, voting infrastructure, the right to protest—the cumulative effect on the functioning and practice of democracy becomes severe.


This raises urgent questions for nonprofit leaders: How do we defend democracy when the institutions meant to protect it face mounting challenges? How do we practice democracy internally when our own structures often replicate the hierarchies we’re trying to dismantle?


In this week’s Nonprofit Leadership newsletter, we look at democracy on various scales—from philanthropy’s responsibility to defend the right to dissent to the hyperlocal politics of homeowners associations.


In solidarity,


Coty Poynter

Senior Editor

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** Must-Read Articles
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Philanthropy Must Defend the Right to Bear Witness

by Vina Kay and Melissa Rudnick

“Defending the right to protest, to bear witness, and to dissent without fear is not peripheral—it is the foundation of a functioning democracy and essential to protecting our neighbors and ourselves.”
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Funders Need to Get Dollars Out the Door for 2026 Midterms

by Joe Goldman

“Now less than one year away, the midterms will be a critical test of our democracy—and nonprofits have been preparing year-round.”
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The Missing Discipline: How Organization Design Can Align and Propel Justice-Committed Nonprofits

by Jeanne Bell and Daniel Tucker

“The gap between our aspirations and our operations in justice-centered nonprofits is largely due not to a lack of effort, but to the lack of a coherent theory and practice of organization design.”
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Democracy Dies in the Homeowners Association

by Coty Poynter

“The erosion of civic engagement, the fragmentation of communities into self-segregating enclaves—none of this is small.”
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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.

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