Every nonprofit has stories. Successes, setbacks, unfinished efforts, and moments of real connection. Sharing those stories helps people understand the work on a deeper level and see how they can be part of sustaining it. When organizations invest in honest storytelling and choose the right partners to help tell those stories, fundraising becomes relational rather than transactional. Naming challenges, showing progress, and inviting people to get involved, even when solutions are still unfolding, builds long-term trust and support.

Capacity building grants are one of the few funding categories that allow nonprofits to invest in the systems that actually support the work. This piece highlights three upcoming 2026 grants in New York and New England that can fund technology like equipment, webinar tools, and a real CRM when framed clearly and strategically. It is a practical look at how capacity funding can be used to strengthen operations without diluting mission or focus.

At this point in the year, experienced leaders are not asking how to raise more money. They are asking how to reduce exposure, smooth volatility, and align fundraising behavior with organizational reality. The organizations that feel steady by summer are rarely the ones with the strongest December. They are the ones that use January to make a small set of disciplined, structural decisions while there is still room to maneuver.

September marks a turning point for grassroots nonprofits. The summer slowdown is behind us, and the push toward year-end giving is right ahead. This makes fall the perfect season to spark fresh momentum with your supporters. You do not need a major campaign to make progress right now. What matters is creating small, intentional opportunities that bring people closer to your mission and give them a reason to give.

For frontline nonprofits and grassroots collectives, fall is a strategic season to secure environmental funding. Many funders align their grant cycles with year-end budgeting and planning, making September through November 2025 an essential window for justice-oriented organizations to pitch bold ideas and lock in resources for the year ahead.

Harvey & Smith Impact is accepting letters of interest for our Fall 2025 Development & Strategy Fellowship. This is a part-time, paid opportunity for three individuals who want to learn how small, justice-focused nonprofits stay organized and raise the money they need to do their work.

Most people are not afraid to ask for help. They are afraid of hearing no. In fundraising, that fear is often disguised as relationship-building, timing, or due diligence. But beneath the surface, the hesitation is psychological. It is shaped by avoidance, perfectionism, and discomfort with rejection.

When war dominates the headlines, many nonprofit leaders hesitate to fundraise. But for organizations challenging systemic violence, asking for support is not a distraction. It is part of the work. This post offers clear guidance for how to keep fundraising with integrity, even in a time of grief, urgency, and political uncertainty.

Raoul Peck’s Silver Dollar Road is a powerful resource for grassroots leaders. The film follows a family’s fight to protect their ancestral land, raising urgent questions about legal literacy, land justice, and community resilience. This post offers key takeaways for nonprofit teams looking to turn the film into action, strategy, and deeper impact.

If your nonprofit is BIPOC-led or serves Black, Brown, low-income, LGBTQ+, or gender-oppressed communities, these three grants are worth your attention. Each one is open on a rolling basis. The application processes are straightforward, but funds are limited and awarded quickly. If your work fits, consider applying while support is still available.

Harvey & Smith Impact founder Larry Blake Harvey reflects on the hidden roots of burnout and the cost of staying in misaligned spaces. In this personal piece, Larry shares what it’s taken to realign his work with care, clarity, and mutual respect—especially in spaces that say the right things but act otherwise. If you’ve ever been celebrated for your commitment yet sidelined in decision-making, this one’s for you. It’s a call to honor your own boundaries, even when the mission looks good on paper.

At a time when organizations are navigating shrinking budgets, political pressure, and mounting burnout, Farming While Black offers something rare: practical tools rooted in justice, healing, and community power. Written by Soul Fire Farm’s Leah Penniman, this book is a blueprint for building programs, teams, and systems that reflect the values we fight for. Our latest review explores why this title belongs on every nonprofit leader’s shelf and how it can reshape your approach to strategy, structure, and mission.

We built The Bookshelf for the people we work with every day. Nonprofit leaders. Public servants. Organizers. Educators. People reshaping systems in real time. People who do not need inspiration. They need tools. Our collection spans multiple categories, but Justice and Liberation is where the work often starts. These titles confront the roots of systemic harm and offer frameworks for action. We sell them because we use them. In board retreats. In strategy sessions. In direct response to urgent questions.

A thank-you letter is more than a polite response — it is a defining moment in a donor’s journey. Done well, it transforms generosity into belonging, and a one-time gift into an ongoing relationship rooted in trust. In this piece, we explore how expert-level donor communication begins with gratitude, offering a full case study in writing thank-you letters that do more than close a gift. They open the door to lasting partnership, deeper investment, and shared vision. A single letter, crafted with care, can become the first step in building the kind of support that sustains a mission for years to come.

There’s a quiet pressure in the nonprofit world that most of us have internalized without realizing it: the sense that whatever we’re already doing isn’t quite enough. Not bold enough, not shiny enough, not new enough to land the grant, excite the donor, or keep pace with what feels like a moving target. And so we adapt. We layer on new programs, reframe existing work in trendier language, or invent value where there’s already plenty, just to stay in the game. But what if that instinct, especially right now, is pulling us in the wrong direction?

At first, the urgency is energizing. You run on passion, on belief, on the undeniable need that fuels the work. But then the cracks appear - slowly, then all at once. Staff members burn out. Volunteers lose interest. Programs that should run like clockwork stumble instead, bottlenecked by miscommunication, missed deadlines, and a never-ending game of catch-up. This is where most nonprofits find themselves - not because they lack dedication, but because the way they operate is unsustainable. And yet, when they ask what’s needed, the answer is almost always the same: more money. But what if that isn’t the only way forward?

Today, President Trump hosted a Black History Month event at the White House, recognizing the contributions of Black Americans. At the same time, his administration has rapidly moved to dismantle DEI initiatives across the federal government, including policies that have historically aimed to address racial inequities in hiring, funding, and decision-making.

Funding for environmental justice work isn’t always easy to find, especially for grassroots organizations doing the heavy lifting. This list highlights five grants to have on your radar for 2025 if you’re working on clean air, safe water, or climate resilience in New England or Upstate New York. Each grant includes key details like eligibility, deadlines, and tips to strengthen your application so you can spend less time searching and more time making an impact.

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) recently suggested that kids should take jobs at fast-food restaurants instead of receiving free school meals. His comments ignore the realities of food insecurity, economic inequality, and childhood development. In our latest journal entry, Harvey & Smith Impact Principal Consultant Larry Blake Harvey responds to McCormick’s remarks, outlining why universal free meal (UFM) programs are a proven investment in children’s health, education, and future success.

The Trump administration’s recent rollback of federal DEI programs is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges to advancing equity in this political climate. Federal agencies have been instructed to terminate DEI initiatives, and private sectors are being encouraged to follow suit. These changes don’t just signal a shift in priorities - they demand a recalibration of how nonprofits advocate for and sustain their DEI efforts.