How to Make Your Organization Stand Out Right Now
With grant making programs and other funding opportunities becoming increasingly competitive, organizations are scrambling to figure out how to make themselves stand out among their peers in the social sector.
And as the US is pushed more towards authoritarianism and an economic recession looms ahead, the pressures are testing the core foundation of many groups and revealing some vulnerabilities.
Yet there are some social justice organizations that seem to be shining quite bright in this moment of extreme adversity. So, why are they different?
Here are the four factors I’ve observed that are helping organizations stand out in 2025, attracting donors and people power toward their mission:
Conviction. In what feels like a chaotic day to day reality of Trump’s America, it’s understandable to feel the need to constantly reassess your programs, services and overall strategy in response to the news of the day. But those serving as a lighthouse in this moment are inspiring hope and offering guidance by remaining calm and steadfast in their commitment to their values and the communities they serve. (i.e. be like NPR, not like PBS).
Historical Context. When the future seems even more unpredictable than usual, or even scary, we lean in heavier to history in search of comfort, clues, and answers. Those organizations that have been able to put this moment into a historical perspective - that “hey we kind of have been here before and this is how we fought, this is how we survived” - are positioning themselves as thought leaders while showing deference to traditions that preceded us all.
Technological Savviness. There’s a new digital divide rapidly underway in the nonprofit sector - driven by two groups: organizations that choose to neglect learning and understanding the tools powered by automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence and those blindly adapting these tools without considering the environmental, privacy, and economic consequences. Tech savviness finds itself somewhere in the middle, employing an organization-wide approach to integrating technological tools through a values-based system that weighs risks against impact to make informed decisions, and also allows for experimentation. By taking this approach to new technology, organizations are standing out by showing not only how they can deepen their work and expand reach through the right tools, they can also demonstrate some understanding of how these technologies could impact the communities they serve.
Blue Sky Thinking. Organizations that are taking nonconventional approaches to break silos, fostering unexpected partnerships, and generally moving out of the rigid nonprofit comfort zone are signaling that they won’t be bound by the old ways of doing social change work. This can include provocative storytelling, eccentric events, and tapping into pop culture to reach people where they are. I believe there is a greater interest in outside the box thinking right now, because there is now a broad consensus that typical nonprofit programmatic approaches just aren’t enough.
VIA Art Fund supports projects that exemplify its core values of artistic production, thought leadership, and public engagement. - Nov 6, 2025
YW Legacy Fund - Pursue the elimination of racism wherever it exists - Nov 15, 2025
Black Philanthropy Bannister Fund Grants - Grants to community-based organizations that strive to uplift Black Rhode Islanders experiencing low-income. - Nov 24, 2025
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fund -competitive grant programs to reflect community needs and the foundation’s strategic initiatives - Feb. 14, 2026
Frank Hadley & Cornelia Ginn Foundation - education programs that support academic success, social emotional growth. - Mar 1st, 2026
Harvard Health Coverage Fellowship - rolling deadline
Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship - Nov 2, 2025
The RWJF Health Policy Fellows program - November 2, 2025
Ransom Center Fellowship Program - Nov 3, 2025
Seeding Disruption Fellowship - rolling deadline
🎙️ EPISODE ALERT: Ask a Development Director! | Jackson Cooper (Part 1)
Jackson Cooper is making his mark on the world of fundraising and philanthropy. He has been a fundraiser throughout his entire career, starting by sealing mail envelopes with donor acknowledgement letters inside as a volunteer for an organization he loved. Today, he is a well-established leader in philanthropy, arts and culture, and nonprofit leadership.
In this episode, we kick off the first of a 2-part conversation where Jackson answers questions submitted by listeners about fundraising, working with a development director, and how to build a donor-cultivation strategy within small organizations.
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