Collective action, community, transparency: What we learned from peers in 2025

In 2025, Candid staff attended nonprofit and philanthropic conferences across the country, listening closely to practitioners, researchers, technologists, funders, and movement leaders. These gatherings came at a moment of real urgency, with political pressure rising, funding landscapes shifting, and many organizations having to do more with fewer resources.

And yet, the message was consistent: The sector is choosing connection over isolation, transparency over silence, and abundance over scarcity. Here’s some of what we learned and what we’re carrying with us into the year ahead.

Leading from abundance and shared momentum

At PEAK Grantmaking’s annual conference in March, Sarah Sprott, Candid’s senior director of talent development, noticed how often conversations returned to the idea of collective momentum. Rather than starting from a “scarcity” mentality focused on what is lacking, speakers challenged the sector to lead from an “abundance” mentality, which facilitates collaboration.

As PEAK’s then-president and CEO Satonya Fair put it, “Abundance is our starting block.” From there, the work becomes shared and sustained. Progress doesn’t depend on any one organization pushing forward alone, she argued, but on a field willing to move together, advancing equity, strengthening talent  pipelines, and investing in long-term impact.

Crisis as a catalyst for action

At ABFE’s Harambee Conference in April, Ivonne Simms, one of Candid’s educational programming managers, found conversations turning toward history, resilience, and the opportunity embedded in moments of crisis. On a plenary panel, Cliff Albright of Black Voters Matter reminded attendees that we’ve been through these kinds of moments before and communities have grown stronger through them.

For leaders of color who have always done a great deal with limited resources, this period of uncertainty can be an opportunity to rebuild systems that were not designed to support them. Speakers framed moments of crisis as necessary inflection points for creating lasting change and laying the groundwork for future leaders.

References to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” underscored that backlash often follows progress. The takeaway: Understanding that pattern can help leaders stay grounded and forward-looking, even when gains feel fragile.

Community, experimentation, and listening

According to Kate Meyers Emery, Ph.D., Candid’s senior digital communications manager, NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference remains a standout gathering for digital communications professionals and social media managers responding to a wave of executive orders and rapidly shifting narratives.

One clear takeaway was the importance of community—having a trusted network of peers in similar roles creates space to process change, prevent burnout, and recalibrate together. Another was the invaluable early insights social media professionals provide within their organizations about how communities are reacting to help organizations respond with clarity and care.

Participants also made a strong case for experimentation, Meyers Emery noted. Social platforms offer a low-cost, low-risk way to test ideas, messaging, and outreach approaches before making larger investments. In moments that require quick pivots, that ability to learn and adapt in real time is an asset.

Collaboration as sector defense

In July, Catalina Spinel, Candid’s director of partnerships, joined colleagues in Denver for the United Philanthropy Forum’s UnConference. The peer-led format created space for practical learning, leadership development, and cross-functional collaboration. Conversations with fellow advocacy leaders underscored the importance of foundations and nonprofits working in solidarity—supported by shared learning and data. The experience helped ground priorities for the year ahead.

Unity over retreat and transparency over silence

For Stephanie Wormington, Candid’s lead researcher, the Unity Summit and ARNOVA last fall revealed a consistent throughline: In the face of mounting political pressure and discriminatory rhetoric, leaders are choosing solidarity over fragmentation. Nonprofit and foundation leaders emphasized standing together, sustaining hope, and recommitting to advocacy.

The power in standing together was particularly relevant when Candid staff shared data from our ongoing research partnership with ABFE on Black leadership. They detailed findings on the pressure Black-led nonprofits face from funders to change how they speak about their work, impacting their ability to deliver on their missions. This open sharing of information and data was seen as key to inspiring solidarity and encouraging accountability.

Still to come

Taken together, these experiences at this year’s nonprofit and philanthropic conferences show that despite real challenges, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders are choosing collaboration, openness, and community. They’re investing in relationships, sharing data, and learning from one another in real time.

These lessons will continue to shape how Candid shows up for the sector in 2026. We’re committed to supporting transparency, amplifying shared learning, and deepening partnerships as we move forward together.