Message from the President & CEO
Dear readers,
We’re sending you this newsletter during a season of gratitude. As we wind down the year and get ready for the winter holidays, we take time to slow down and give thanks for what matters most.
What matters the most is our relationships, our community, and our service to others. What that looks like varies from person to person, but the common thread is our connection.
I believe in interdependence. As an extremely independent woman who often struggles to ask for help, I have to remind myself that we are all dependent on one another. For health, for happiness, and for the resources we need to thrive. And we all deserve that from our lives.
I’m grateful to our nonprofit community, including the philanthropists who fund the sector and the consultants who strengthen our work. I’m grateful for the nonprofiteers who have devoted their lives to serving others. We are strong when we stand together.
I’m thankful that the federal government has reopened, and I’m committed to helping nonprofits get the grant funding they deserve to help people in crisis. A lot of harm was caused during the shutdown, and we have to link arms and help each other pick up the pieces and move forward. At Resurgens, we have been using this time to get ready for federal grant season. We’re ready to kick into high gear when federal grant opportunities are released, and because we’ve been planning ahead, we’re also ready to do this hard but important work and take a break over the holidays!
There’s a lot at stake and a lot of work to be done, and you don’t have to do it alone. We are here to support you with your grant-seeking needs. Reply to this email or click here to work with us, and we will help your nonprofit level up its grant-seeking game.
With gratitude, today and every day,
Betty Barnard, MNPO, GPC
President & CEO
Resurgens Impact Consulting
Trend Watch
Here’s what you need to know about the grant landscape changes, updates, and trends:
What’s happening in the philanthrosphere?
In October, our President & CEO attended the Independent Sector Summit in Atlanta. This is a unique conference because it brings funders and nonprofits together in the same space, leveling the field and breaking down the power disparities that usually keep us from being honest with each other.
Here are her key tips and takeaways from the Summit:
💭 All of us — nonprofits and funders — are being rocked by the federal changes and cuts. We’re all trying to figure it out together. It’s ok to say, “We don’t know right now, but we are committed to our mission and we need help and dialogue to forge a path forward.”
⚡We have a lot of work to do as a sector to educate the public and build trust.
We are changing the world, saving lives, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. And, we need to do a much better job of explaining who we are and what we do to the public.
That includes educating elected officials – we’ve been too gunshy about advocacy and many of us misunderstand lobbying restrictions.
💡Stories spark empathy and paint a picture. We love data, but without stories that show our humanity, we won’t change the narrative or get the resources we need. Much of the work, progress, and yes, funding, is happening through conversations, and stories help us connect the dots.
Finally, the federal government reopened on November 13!
What’s next for federal grant seekers and awardees?
👉 We expect to see federal grant opportunities get released on grants.gov and the Federal Register (and of course, we’re watching closely for crime victim service grants from the Office on Violence Against Women and Office for Victims of Crime)
👉 If you were waiting to hear back about a federal grant award decision, you will likely learn the outcome soon
👉 Federal program officers will resume responding to questions from grantees and applicants
👉 You can submit drawdown requests for funding that was already awarded
Be patient and buckle up for another wild ride. Federal workers will have to catch up on big backlogs (just imagine your email inbox after being out of office for 43 days). There’s still uncertainty about what happens in January, since the bulk of federal funding was only extended through January 30, 2026. 🥴
OMB Circular Changes for Federal Grants
This change flew under the radar, so be mindful of its implications!
OMB Circular A-11 is a comprehensive document that guides Federal agencies on all aspects of budget preparation, submission, and execution. On August 25, OMB issued an updated circular, with OMB Director Russell Vought positing that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) does not have a role in overseeing the decisions of the executive branch (according to the Federal News Network).
Specific changes to A-11 include:
- Weakening established checks on the executive branch’s handling of appropriated funds by removing references to “impoundment” and redefining rescissions and deferrals.
- Reducing oversight by stating that GAO opinions are “non-binding on the Executive Branch.”
- Potentially slower NOFO releases, longer approval cycles, or program re-designs by increasing time needed to “establish a new program” or “align with Administration policy.”
- Shifting away from an equity focus, as Section 31.3 directs agencies to prioritize “budgetary savings,” “efficiencies,” and “administration priorities” in areas that used to reflect commitments to equal opportunity and equity.
A fuller breakdown is provided by the Bipartisan Policy Center.
By Tara Gohr, via Grant Zone
Recommended Reading
- With IRS Weaponization on the Way, Funders Now Face a Choice on threats to nonprofit 501(c)(3) status for organizations that counter the federal administration’s ideology
- “A Bigger We,” Freedom Together’s report on how to organize to strengthen our democracy
- When Philanthropy Chooses Optics Over Outcomes, which invites us to consider whether funders care more about recognition and PR than they care about what truly works for people and communities philanthropy unfiltered, a phenomenal newsletter by Tirrea Billings
- The Ripple Effect of Federal Actions 2-page summary by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project
📣 Calling nonprofit leaders who apply for grants (or want to!)
We are seeking nonprofits that work on health, human services, and movement building who want to…
📈 Increase their grant revenue
🚀 Adapt to the quickly-changing grant funding climate
🧭 Align their grant seeking strategies with their values, goals, and budget!
We’re updating our grant services to meet nonprofits’ needs for support with grant seeking, grant funder relationships, and grant award management.
We’re looking for folks to help us test these new grant services at competitive rates. If your nonprofit has a budget of $500,000 or more and is highly collaborative, innovative, eager to build grant funder relationships, and willing to take strategic risks, we’re here to partner with you to take your grant strategies to the next level.
We have limited spots so contact us today — we’re only taking inquiries until December 15. Reply to this email, and we’ll send you more information and a link to schedule a free consultation meeting.
Let’s do this — 2026, here we come!
$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
Want to work with us?
Fill out the quick form below, and we will send a link to schedule a free consultation call!
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