Dear reader,
I opened Instagram earlier and got to scrolling. It’s an activity I rarely do these days, and I was quickly reminded why. After five minutes I felt nearly sick to my stomach and overwhelmed with thoughts of insecurity, ineffectiveness, and negativity.
My feed consisted almost entirely of posts telling me why I’m failing to achieve one goal or another, what I’m doing wrong as a parent, and how most of the food I’m eating is going to earn me cancer.
It’s disheartening what has become of social media — a place that preys on and exploits our desire to be the best version of ourselves by curating an endless stream of self-help ads and shock and awe, with the occasional value post in between. It’s the new QVC no one asked for.
All of this to say: I am not here to stress you out.
I want to affirm to you today how remarkable you are.
Many of you have created something out of nothing. You’ve sacrificed yourself in many ways so that others may have a fighting chance against the odds, and so that the opportunity to live with dignity and grow through experience is extended to everyone.
You’ve fed your heart and dreams into building projects and institutions that have made a real difference — that have resulted in changing the course of people’s lives.
Yet you often feel like you aren’t doing enough.
That feeling — the gap between how much you give and how little it seems to register — is part of why I built the Own the Ask Fundraising Academy.
As we close in on the last two weeks of enrollment, I want to be clear: my intention in providing tips for nonprofit leaders has never been to make people feel insufficient or overwhelmed.
My goal has been to help, where I can, make some aspects of your work simpler, easier, and more impactful.
I don’t want to see you struggle to raise money if you don’t have to.
I don’t want you to lose time searching for answers that may be right in front of you, hiding in plain sight.
And I don’t want you to follow a script that was not written for you in the first place.
There will always be room to grow. But fear doesn’t spur growth. Acceptance does.
That’s the core of my motivations. And to be in relationship with each of you, even just through this newsletter, is something I am humbled by and grateful for — because you are doing enough.
More than enough. If not to fix the world’s problems, then at least enough to keep people like me inspired to get up and fight another day.
P.S. If you’ve been sitting with that feeling of “overdue for a breakthrough” — enrollment for the Own the Ask Fundraising Academy closes on August 26th. It’s built to empower you with the skills and the strategy, so you can stop hesitating and start building a pipeline of donors with confidence. Enroll here:
http://owntheask.com
Interested in learning more? Click here to schedule an overview call.
Aegon Transamerica Foundation Grant - Grants for nonprofits in 10 U.S. cities supporting arts, community development, education, health, and financial empowerment - November 1, 2026.
Alaska Airlines Foundation - Grants starting at $5,000 for nonprofits in Alaska and Hawaii supporting cultural programs, environmental preservation, and youth - September 30, 2026.
100 Voices of Florida - Grants for filmmakers in Florida for any stage of production - September 20, 2026.
Abelard Foundation - East - Grants for local progressive social change activities for organizations east of the Mississippi River with budgets under $350,000. - September 15, 2026.
Venable Foundation - Funding for civic, art, legal, health organizations across 8 major metro areas. LOI approval is required before applying. - September 1, 2026.
Akron Community Foundation - Millennium Fund provides grants to orgs in northeast Ohio for youth, art, family assistance, education, and more - September 1, 2026.
South Arts – Arts in Community Grants - Grants up to $10,000 for nonprofit arts organizations in 9 southern states for community engagement projects - September 1, 2026.
Mary Allen Lindsay Branan Foundation - Grants to organizations in Georgia to assist those in need - September 1, 2026.
92NY UpTide Nonprofit Accelerator - $5,000 unrestricted grant plus up to $25,000 additional funding for U.S. nonprofit leaders combating the “Crisis of Community” - August 31, 2026.
Austin Film Society Grant for Short Films - Cash grants for Texas-based filmmakers working in any style or genre for short film development, production, and post-production - August 27, 2026.
Berkeley Short Film Program - Award for narrative short film projects from directors in the East Bay on the topic of environmental or social justice - August 24, 2026.
Abel Foundation - Funding for arts, social services, housing, family assistance, and more in Nebraska’s Lancaster and Lincoln counties - August 15, 2026.
Leadership Fellows at The Trust - rolling deadline
Harvard Health Coverage Fellowship - rolling deadline
Seeding Disruption Fellowship - rolling deadline
Craft Archive Fellowship - For researchers, scholars, and artists conducting research on history of underrepresented craft artists - rolling deadline
Women inPower Fellowship - For women who are 3-5 years away from C-suite positions or women based in NYC (separate cohorts) - November 2026.
Camargo Fellowship - 10-week residencies in Cassis, France for artists, scholars, and thinkers pursuing research, experimentation, and interdisciplinary work - October 1, 2026.
Hodder Fellowship - $93,000 stipend for artists of exceptional promise (dance, music, theater, visual arts) to pursue independent projects at Princeton, no teaching required - September 8, 2026.
Sacatar 2027 Open Call - Fully funded 8-week artist residencies on the island of Itaparica, Brazil for artists of all nationalities and disciplines, including accommodation, meals, and studio space - August 28, 2026.
Ford Philanthropy Fellowship - Leadership development and mentorship program for community leaders with organizations under 5 years of age, in Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and Vietnam - August 15, 2026.