Message From the President & CEO
Well, welcome to 2026! This is my first President’s Letter of the new year, and it looks like we are already in for another year of change and upheaval. Aside from the major events already occurring on the global and domestic political stages, we are keeping an eye on government funding shifts, emerging trends in philanthropy, and how the K-shaped economy is increasing demand for nonprofit services and shaping who makes charitable contributions and how.
At Resurgens, we kicked off the year with determination. We are adjusting our team and services to meet nonprofits’ needs in the emerging fundraising climate. We are optimistic that 2026 will be a year of opportunity and innovation. We’re eager to share intel, provide coaching and resources, and help your nonprofit adapt.
In December, we held a webinar exclusively for our current clients. We concluded the webinar with our three top recommendations for grant seeking in the new environment:
Nonprofit leaders should spend their precious time on…
- Relationships, relationships, relationships!
- Increasing your nonprofit’s visibility and touting its impact
- Educating elected officials and funders
January is already taking us on a wild ride, but our recommendations haven’t changed. They should still be your top three priorities for grant seeking in the new year. You only have so much time, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially with current events.
Things might be changing quickly, and that can be scary. You have staff to pay, your board is asking questions, and of course, the bottom line is serving your clients and fulfilling your mission. The new grant landscape is tough to navigate, but we are on top of it and here to guide you.
I want to close my first letter of 2026 by re-emphasizing our values at Resurgens Impact Consulting. We are a progressive company that centers social justice. We’re troubled by the surge in authoritarianism, attacks on democracy, and violence perpetrated against our neighbors. The community organizing that we’ve seen recently in Minneapolis, Chicago, and other areas is inspiring. We are stronger when we lead with love and work together to keep us all safe, fed, and housed. We believe in the power of organizing and social movements, and the nonprofit sector has always been a key player in building and exercising our collective strength. Let us know how we can help.
In solidarity,
Betty
Trend Watch
Here’s what you need to know about the grant landscape changes, updates, and trends:
We’re optimistic, but we’re also realistic. We’re concerned about the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill that we will begin to feel over the next year, and we’re closely watching trends in grantmaking that are revolutionizing the way we work.
- Grants are becoming increasingly relational. Fewer funders are accepting applications and moving to invitation-only processes—see this excellent blog post on the end of the “Spray and Pray” era of grant seeking.
- The rise of “stealth philanthropy” means that your nonprofit should be highly visible, consistent, and accessible across multiple online channels.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy surveyed nonprofits and foundations across the country and found some interesting trends, some hopeful and some grim. One stat that gave us hope: In 2025, nearly two-thirds of the foundations that responded to the survey reported providing emergency/rapid-response grants. An additional 15% are considering making these grants. Some Atlanta-area funders are announcing new grant opportunities specifically to recalibrate to the new landscape, such as the Tull Foundation’s Rebuild Grants and the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta’s CFGA Sustainability Fund. We expect to see more of these kinds of grants this year.
Federal budget updates: On Jan. 22, the House of Representatives passed a funding package, H.R. 7148. If passed by the Senate, several agencies will experience notable funding increases:
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development: $84.3 billion, a $7.2 billion increase
- The Department of Education: $79 billion, a $217 million increase
- The Department of Health and Human Services: $117 billion, a $210 million increase
- The Department of Labor: $13.7 billion, a $65 million increase
Two weeks ago, the Senate voted to approve a “minibus” funding bill for the “Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act of 2026.”
- Many of the funding levels for victim services and community safety are at the same level or even increased in Congress’s budget proposal. The bill appropriates $1.95 billion for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and $720 million ($7M increase from 2025) for Violence Against Women Act and related programs!
- In addition, there are no policy riders that require grant recipients to sign off on exclusionary practices, and there is language mandating that the Office on Violence Against Women remain a “distinct organizational grantmaking entity within the Department [of Justice].”
Hopefully, these appropriations bills will be signed before the January 30 deadline, and these agencies will start releasing grant opportunities quickly. However, another shutdown may occur due to a showdown over funding and accountability for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 909, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act, bipartisan legislation that provides a stable source of funding for the Crime Victims Fund, which supports child advocacy centers, domestic violence agencies, rape crisis centers, and victim assistance programs across all 50 states. The bill requires that certain civil penalties collected by the United States in fraud cases against the government be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. Hopefully, the Senate will pass it quickly!
Recommended Reading
As nonprofit leaders plan for the year ahead, the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) Q3 Report offers a clear snapshot of how giving is trending across the sector, and where to focus your energy next.
Based on data from January through September 2025, the report highlights several important signals:
- Donor decline is slowing, with overall donor numbers potentially stabilizing
- Donor retention improved by 0.15 percentage points
- Total dollars raised increased 3.7% year over year (adjusted for late data)
- One flag: Growth is being driven primarily by large and frequent donors, underscoring the need to activate and cultivate new supporters
Together, these insights point to a sector that remains resilient, while also reinforcing the importance of donor diversification and long-term engagement as we move into the new year.
WEBINAR: Compliance Basics for Development Writing Training
Our friends at Left Align developed this training to help progressive fundraisers meet this critical political moment because, right now, none of us can afford to get compliance wrong: ‘noncompliant’ proposals and reports can cost movement organizations the funding they count on, and create unnecessary vulnerability in the case of bad faith political attacks. This training helps mitigate risk and maintain trust with funders.
The first session is on February 3, 2026 at 2pm ET. Learn more about the training here and register here.
What This Training Offers:
This intensive two-hour curriculum helps progressive fundraisers reflect on organizational compliance in their externally-facing writing, keeping funding safe and relationships secure. Right now, we’re the only place where fundraising professionals in our sector can go to learn specifically how to produce proposals and reports that don’t put their tax status at risk.
What You’ll Learn:
Among other skills, attendees will develop the ability to:
- Clearly define the purpose and functions of c3 and c4 organizations, and distinguish compliant activities for each entity type.
- Deepen trust with funders and donors by skillfully communicating a commitment to and fluency in organizational compliance.
- Confidently shift language when writing for c3 and c4 organizations in order to produce compliant proposals and reports.
New Left Accelerator and The Capacity Shop
New Left Accelerator empowers social justice leaders to transform their ideas into impact. They accomplish this by running an accelerator program and serving as a resource clearinghouse for emerging organizations.
Check out their training events and resources at https://www.newleftaccelerator.org.
$500 Credit Per Referral
We have space to help new nonprofit clients! We love helping nonprofits that work in health, human services, and movement building, with operating budgets of $2M or more. To refer a client and earn a $500 credit if they sign a contract, make an email introduction to betty@resurgensimpact.com
Need Grant Support?
Get help from a team of expert grant consultants who have helped over 100 nonprofits raise more than $158 million in grant funds. Fill out this brief form and we will send a link to schedule a free consultation call!
