Love Letter to Nonprofits
Dear Nonprofit Leaders and Changemakers,
In a world where the distance between need and available resources continues to widen, your work has never been more vital—or more inspiring. You faithfully stand in the gap, not only holding communities together but building them up with grit, grace, and determination. As federal and state support systems retract, the burden has often shifted to you—and you have responded not with retreat, but with innovation, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to serve.
I write to thank you—not just for what you do, but for your commitment and persistence amid difficult conditions. You contribute sweat equity that’s taken for granted, emotional labor that doesn’t get invoiced, and strategic insight that sees possibility where others only see limitation.
The numbers hint at your value:
Our country’s 1.8 million nonprofits contribute an estimated $1.4 trillion to the national economy annually.
Nonprofits employ nearly 12.5 million workers, making it the third-largest workforce behind retail and manufacturing
Food banks, pantries, and meal programs coordinated through nonprofits helped feed more than 50 million Americans in 2023—many of them children and seniors.
These are not just statistics—they are stories of lives changed, communities strengthened, and futures made more hopeful because of your tireless work.
Yet we also recognize this moment: the weight on your shoulders has never been heavier. With declining public funds, rising operational costs, and escalating community need, your leadership is both a lifeline and a miracle. As a society, we have put a lot on the backs of nonprofits, and as things get tough, we must not ask you to continue to do more with less.
Nonprofits, you deserve more than respect and thanks. You deserve a measure of security. You deserve predictable funding, living wages, and a chance to get off the fundraising treadmill so you can focus more of your time on the work of social change. We will continue to advocate to foundations and governments that nonprofits be paid flexibly and fairly. That means to be paid on time, with costs fully covered, and with the flexibility to use funds in ways that most help your clients thrive and missions succeed. You deserve to have what you need to do the work we rely on you to do.
To every nonprofit executive, volunteer coordinator, outreach worker, grant writer, board member, frontline service provider, back-office worker, impact researcher, logistics coordinator, and community organizer—thank you. Your courage, creativity, and commitment are building the future we all need.
With deep respect and gratitude,
Aisha