Crisis as Catalyst: Reflections from CNE’s State of the Sector
With so much uncertainty and change in the fold, it was grounding to gather with other nonprofit leaders and hear from people bringing the sector together. As a nonprofit consultant, it feels especially important to be in community with the people doing the hard work on the ground — listening, learning, and staying connected to what’s actually happening.
The theme I kept coming back to from CNE’s State of the Sector was “crisis as catalyst.” There were many takeaways from Diane Yentel’s address, but that one stood out.
At The Spark Mill, one of our equity commitments is: “We commit to embracing points of disagreement as a catalyst for growth, understanding, and deeper connection.” Disagreement might seem like a different word than crisis, but the sentiment still applies — the undoing or rattling of things is often necessary for real change.
When you think about how this country has operated, where we see progress, we often see regression. But there was something hopeful in hearing nonprofit leaders talk about continuing anyway — continuing to serve, advocate, and tell the story of why this work matters. Because when nonprofits don’t tell their story, others will. As Diane put it, nonprofits are the third pillar of society — not just meeting community needs, but building connection and trust between people and institutions in ways that often go unseen.
That framing made the conversation around philanthropy feel even more pointed. If nonprofits play that kind of role, the way they’re funded should reflect it. I’ve been working with emerging nonprofits on fundraising plans and have seen how restrictive funding can be harmful. Even in my previous work as a fundraiser, I saw it firsthand. Funding specific programs has value, but organizations also need the flexibility to invest in infrastructure, staffing, systems, and the work behind the scenes that makes impact possible.
A phrase that came up during the day captured it well: the difference between funding nonprofits to stay open versus funding nonprofits to be successful. That distinction matters. General operating support and multi-year investments give organizations room to plan strategically and build sustainability beyond the immediate moment — and they require funders to show up not as decision-makers for nonprofits, but as genuine partners. Listening well, reducing unnecessary burdens, and working toward long-term sustainability together.
I left CNE feeling grateful for the conversations and reminded that nonprofit work has always required courage, creativity, and community — and that even in uncertainty, nonprofits keep showing up.