How's your support these days? No, I'm not asking about your bra choices (though that could be a good topic for the future!). I mean who do you lean on when things get tough, or when you just need community around you? I've always been a connector, and I love bringing people together—right now, I find myself reaching out more and more so I can feel the strength and joy that my community can offer.
Earlier this week, I invited some friends, colleagues, and neighbors to join me at Spur Local's Give Local Gala, where we saw incredible presentations by DC area nonprofits and heard how organizations are supporting our communities. What a boost and a balm for the soul!
I hope you have a way to connect with others right now. If you don't, please reach out! I'm sure we can come up with some good suggestions to get involved and feel supported. This is not a time to hunker down and go solo.
Mission Forward Podcast
Recently, I sat down with Carrie Fox from the Mission Forward podcast about the current state of the nonprofit sector and the fundraising challenges so many organizations are facing. We discussed key issues nonprofits should be focused on right now: messaging, donor engagement, and more.
This is a time to move beyond autopilot campaigns and shift instead to reframing and reminding our donors why their investment matters. Listen to the full podcast here.
New Client Spotlight
At Focus, we know how important it is to regularly step back and plan intentionally—especially for high-performing fundraisers like the major gifts staff at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). With a strong presence across the U.S., PCRM’s major gifts officers play a crucial role in cultivating, engaging, and soliciting donors who advance the organization’s mission.
I’m excited to be facilitating PCRM's annual retreat: each summer, the team gathers to celebrate successes, reflect on challenges, align around goals for the year ahead, and strengthen the group's cohesion. It'll be a priviledge to work with these talented fundraisers to outline steps for the year ahead.
Give Greater DC
Support Local Nonprofits on May 28: Join the Give Greater DC Movement
On May 28, we’re proud to support Give Greater DC, a one-day giving campaign organized by Spur Local to uplift local nonprofits and encourage giving across the Washington region. This effort is especially important now with so many area groups feeling the effects of federal funding cuts.
Organizations participating in this year's Give Greater DC effort have all been vetted by Spur Local.
Resisting Through Action
Recently, the Department of Justice abruptly terminated five federal grants supporting our client, Activating Change—resulting in a devastating $2.15 million loss in funding overnight. These grants weren’t just numbers on paper.
Activating Change focuses on ending victimization, criminalization, and incarceration of people with disabilities and Deaf people. Their grants supported life-saving work, including:
✅ Helping survivors who have experienced abuse by personal care attendants
✅ Operating a national interpreter service for Deaf survivors
✅ Training law enforcement to better support trafficking survivors with disabilities
✅ Strengthening support services for people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency
These cuts are a direct blow to the national safety net for Deaf and disabled survivors—and it sent a chilling message. We're so proud that Activating Change is rising to meet this moment with a campaign, Justice for Every Body, focused on action over silence. It’s about building power and fighting for justice alongside the very communities too often overlooked.
I hope you’ll take a look at their campaign and consider supporting them.