“Funders can’t stay the course — the course has been demolished.”
We heard these words this past spring during our Meeting the Moment series, and they capture the urgent conversations between funders and nonprofits about how to meet a moment defined by political hostility and widespread uncertainty. On the call, nonprofits spoke plainly about what they’ve always needed: unrestricted support and fewer burdensome processes. Funders acknowledged that business as usual was no longer an option.
Since our inception, Blue Sky Funders Forum has held the belief that truly supporting funders also means strengthening the broader ecosystem they are part of: grantee partners, nonprofits, and the communities closest to the work.
We’re not alone in this view. As Deborah Aubert Thomas, President & CEO of United Philanthropy Forum, recently wrote:
“Philanthropy-infrastructure organizations make philanthropy more than the sum of its parts. Together, we create a cohesive, powerful, and transforming force for good. A thriving philanthropic ecosystem begins with a strong, connected root system.”
We see Blue Sky as part of that root system, strengthening the connections across the field between funders and movement leaders, so philanthropy can show up with greater clarity, accountability, and impact. That belief guided two recent virtual programs: our Meeting the Moment series this spring, and the launch of our Quarterly Community Sessions this summer.
Meeting the Moment: Responding to a Chaotic Political Landscape
In March, Blue Sky partnered with Justice Outside to co-host Meeting the Moment, a two-part series designed to help the field navigate an antagonistic federal administration rapidly dismantling equity-focused policies and defunding critical work. The goal was urgent, yet simple: create space for nonprofits to speak candidly about what they are experiencing, and for funders to listen, reflect, and strategize on how to respond together.
In our first call, nonprofits shared openly about their challenges, uncertainty, fear, and the pressing need for flexible, multi-year funding, and streamlined processes.
In the second, funders reflected and strategized. Several themes emerged:
- Choosing abundance: Despite today’s climate of scarcity, funders were encouraged to ground their work in abundance and possibility. As one participant noted, “a funders’ role is to abate the scarcity mindset.”
- Pooling funds for rapid response: Funders explored ways to move resources more quickly, including using the direct charitable expense code and pooling funds to support services like audits, digital security, communications, and legal support.
- Holding the line on equity: In a climate of political scrutiny, funders emphasized resisting preemptive compliance, such as keeping equity language on their websites when they are not being directly targeted, as ways to act in solidarity with grantees.
- Supporting holistic needs: Funders lifted up the importance of providing for the full well-being of nonprofit staff, including mental health and wellness support, professional development opportunities, and shared services to ease administrative burdens (like audit or legal support).
These conversations reinforced that philanthropy’s role goes far beyond financial support, or “beyond the check.” Private philanthropy cannot fill the gaps left by the government, but it can lead with empathy and solidarity, using positional power to stand with grantees, not above them. At its best, philanthropy shows up alongside communities with trust and shared humanity.
Quarterly Community Sessions: Strengthening the Field
This summer, we launched our Quarterly Community Sessions, a new recurring space for funders, nonprofits, and partners to share what they’re working on, surface what they need from the field, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Our first session invited participants into small-group conversations guided by three questions: What can you offer the field right now? What do you need from the field? And what opportunities do you see for collaboration between funders and nonprofits? The discussion surfaced several themes:
- Avoiding duplication through resource sharing. Participants emphasized the importance of sharing tools and knowledge so the field doesn’t “reinvent the wheel.” One bright example is the National Environmental Education Directory and Dashboard from Gen:Thrive.
- Exploring collaborative funding. Many participants expressed interest in using this space to explore high-impact, collective funding opportunities or ways to amplify resources and share risk while supporting organizations at scale.
- Lifting up bright spots. People also want the sessions to spotlight good news from communities — stories of resilience, success, and creativity — as a reminder of what’s possible even in challenging times.
- Bridging divides through common ground. Participants noted the opportunity for the outdoors to serve as shared ground in a polarized environment, an issue where common values can emerge across differences. They also emphasized the need for philanthropy to move beyond siloed categories like “environment” or “education” and support intersectional work that reflects a more holistic approach.
- Balancing urgency with long-term vision. There was a strong desire to not get lost in headlines or short-term crises, but instead to use these conversations to orient the field toward long-term strategy.
This is the start of a quarterly series designed to keep funders connected not only to each other, but to the voices of movement leaders and practitioners on the ground, and we hope you’ll join our next one in December!
Looking Forward
Blue Sky’s work is iterative by design: we facilitate spaces for dialogue, listen deeply to what emerges, and fold those insights back into our ongoing programming. This rhythm ensures that our work stays responsive to the real-time needs of the Blue Sky community.
In the months ahead, we will continue to hold funder-only and member-only conversations where peers can learn directly from one another, as well as shared spaces with funders and nonprofits to spark collaboration and collective action. We believe both are essential to strengthening the field and building cross-sector connections that prevent organizations from having to reinvent the wheel.
We’re grateful to everyone who participated so far and invite others to co-create what’s next. Join us at an upcoming program: