Nonprofit Resources of the Week curates timely articles, tools, and commentary to help nonprofit organizations, their leaders, and their advisors stay informed about legal developments, sector trends, and emerging issues affecting the nonprofit and philanthropic ecosystem, including those related to equity, climate change, and resilience. The series also seeks to share tools, perspectives, and sources of inspiration that support more effective, thoughtful, and sustainable nonprofit leadership, and that help those working for and with nonprofits carry out their roles with greater confidence, efficiency, and purpose.
Notable Nonprofit Posts, Articles, & Other Resources:
State of Nonprofits 2026: What Funders Need to Know (CEP) [Ed. Key findings include CEO burnout, lower staff morale, more difficulty finding foundation funding, strategic adaptations despite the financial challenges. See also the two-page board brief.]
Study: Stress, Drained Coffers Threaten NPO Programs (Paul Clolery, Nonprofit Times)
Toward Meaningful, Valuable, Equitable Governance (GEO)
Judge rules Trump administration’s cancellation of humanities grants was unconstitutional (Dave Collins, AP)
DAFs in Spotlight Again for Ignoring Donor Wishes (Rasheeda Childress, Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Gen Z Gives Money and Time. Here’s How and Why to Engage Them. (Rasheeda Childress, Chronicle of Philanthropy)
It’s Not Whether You Use AI. It’s Who You Back to Build It. (Justin Steele, LinkedIn) [Ed. Steele cites and builds on Vu Le’s important post – We need to have much more serious conversations about AI and the nonprofit/philanthropic sector (Nonprofit AF).]
AI in the Nonprofit Sector Is a Question of Governance, Not Just Technology (James A. Lomastro, NPQ)
The Demise of Nonprofit NIL Collectives Has Arrived (Benjamin Perlman, Perlman+Perlman)
Weaponized Oversight: Texas’s Escalating Campaign Against Nonprofit Advocacy & the Chilling Effect on Speech and Association (Mimi Marziani and Patrick Archer, SSRN) [Ed. Heard through Darryl Jones, Jonesing For Nonprofits.]
This article has three parts: First, it provides an overview of the escalating attacks on nonprofits in Texas since at least 2022, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the resulting drag on the freedom of speech and expression. Second, it explores the legal tools utilized by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) against nonprofit actors, with a particular focus on the growing abuse of “quo warranto” petitions which can ultimately strip targeted nonprofits of their business licenses in Texas—silencing them permanently through a corporate death sentence. Finally, the article highlights litigation strategies that have been successfully utilized by nonprofit organizations to defend against unlawful attacks, providing a roadmap for nonprofit advocates in 2026 and beyond.
Significant Events:
- “[Chinese President Xi Jinping] answered Trump’s lavish praise by sternly lecturing him about meddling with Taiwan. In the end, Xi offered nothing of great substance—no solutions to the war in Iran, no sweeping trade deals, no promises of access to rare earth minerals. Xi used the visit to humor the lame-duck president, waiting for his time to pass. … Without exerting itself much, Beijing has profited from America’s self-immolation.” Atlantic
- “The Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog. … Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, has recently come under fire over deadly attacks on Iran, including a US strike in Minab that killed at least 175 people, a majority of them children, at an all-girls school.” Guardian
- “[Trump] continued: “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all.” MS Now
Equity and Justice Related Articles & Resources:
UCLA online textbook gives voice to Asian American, Pacific Islander history and cultures (Terry Tang, AP)
Democrats warn a third of the Congressional Black Caucus could be wiped out by redistricting wars (Scott Wong and Melanie Zanona, NBC News)
She Cared for America’s Children. She’s Also Reshaping Our Democracy. (Errin Haines, NPQ)
Climate Change and Environment Articles & Resources:
Here’s How Democrats Should Talk About Climate Change (Kate Aronoff, New Repubilc)
Opinion: A Water Doom Loop Is Coming (Gary Ferguson, NY Times)
Cities Are Rehearsing for Deadly Heat. Will It Help When Disaster Comes? (Natalie Donback, NPQ)
Democracy Articles & Resources:
Poll: Americans disagree on what a ‘stolen’ election means (Jessie Blaeser and Erin Doherty, Politico)
Opinion: The supreme court’s takedown of American democracy is complete (Austin Sarat, Guardian)
Opinion: How gerrymandering is holding the MAGA movement together (Hayes Brown, MS Now)
A.I. Articles & Resources:
‘Irresponsible’: backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan (Oliver Milman, Guardian)
Forget the AI job apocalypse. AI’s real threat is worker control and surveillance (Nasrul Islam, Guardian)
Most U.S. doctors are quietly using this AI tool. Few patients know about it. (Jared Perlo, NBC News)
Good Vibes:
Chief’s on Broadway, Nashville [My first time in Music City and got to see a great show at Eric Church’s bar – Aaron Nichols & Friends from The Voice!]