Everywhere I go these days, people in the nonprofit sector are talking about how stressed they feel –and with good reason! It doesn’t matter if you’re working on the front lines, the back office, or the executive suite, everyone is struggling. Of course, that struggle varies from one type of organization to another. If you’re in social services or healthcare, you’re facing a tidal wave of need with a puddle of resources. If you’re in the arts, you’re struggling because patron

I’ve met a lot of extraordinary nonprofit leaders — the CEOs and Executive Directors who carry the weight of an organization like they’re secret superheroes whose only power is “doing everything themselves.” These folks live the insomnia of running a nonprofit through good times, bad times, and whatever you call the off‑the‑chart weirdness we’re mired in now.

There. I’ve said it. I’m not naïve. Every nonprofit I know is scrambling to piece together lost revenue. The Urban Institute reported that 1 out of 3 nonprofits lost government funding last year! In San Diego where I live, 81% of nonprofits saw a decrease in revenue from at least one major source. At the same time, demand for most nonprofit services is skyrocketing, resulting in a pressure cooker of pain for front line staff who are forced to cut back services or turn away

Nonprofits are in the business of listening. To clients, to communities, to staff, to volunteers, to funders, and occasionally to that one board member who insists fax machines are “state of the art.” But there’s one place where people’s voices matter just as much — and where they’re too often missing: the ballot box. Helping people register to vote isn’t about politics. It’s about voice. It’s about agency. It’s about making sure the people you serve aren’t just spoken for —

I feel fueled by the gritty determination and eternal optimism of so many nonprofit leaders. This past year, I’ve watched people innovate, collaborate, dig deep, and persevere even when it felt like the world was collapsing around them. I’m inspired by more than the messages of resilience I read on LinkedIn. I’m fired up by conversations with the folks I’ve worked with as a consultant. They aren’t just more optimistic than the rest of us; they’re moving the needle and achievi