2025 In Review: A Year of Resilience, Innovation, and Collective Strength
As we close out 2025, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to every nonprofit leader, partner, and colleague who walked this challenging road with us. This year tested the nonprofit sector in ways few could have imagined—yet it also revealed the extraordinary resilience, creativity, and courage that define our community.
2025 was a year of disruption and determination.
From the temporary federal funding freeze in January to the historic government shutdown and the sweeping Medicaid cuts introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, nonprofits faced unprecedented uncertainty. Programs were disrupted, and many organizations faced looming threats—from potential staffing reductions to delays in critical services and uncertainty around long-term funding stability. These challenges underscored the urgent need for adaptive strategies and collaborative solutions. Through it all, Mission + Strategy stood shoulder-to-shoulder with organizations, helping leaders navigate complexity, make hard decisions, and find clarity amid chaos.
Even in the face of these headwinds, we did our best to show up for nonprofit leaders in meaningful ways. Here are a few ways we worked to support nonprofit leaders during this unpredictable year:
Launched our new website—a dynamic hub designed to empower nonprofit leaders with resources, tools, and insights to balance mission and strategy.
Created the Peer Learning Circle, a collaborative space for executives to share experiences, reduce isolation, and strengthen collective resilience.
Engaged thousands through the Sounding Board poll, turning curiosity into conversation and shaping the topics that matter most to nonprofit leaders.
Delivered practical tools like 5 Plans Every Organization Needs, the Contingency Planning Guide, and the Available Cash Stress Test to help organizations navigate uncertainty and plan for sustainability.
Our work this year spanned strategic planning, sustained collaboration exploration, and facilitation for boards and leadership teams. These engagements reflected a shared commitment to adaptability and innovation—because in times of disruption, collaboration isn’t optional; it’s essential. We partnered with nonprofits across diverse sectors, including disability services, food security, arts and culture, education, and community foundations—each navigating unique challenges while striving to strengthen impact and resilience. These efforts weren’t just about surviving the moment—they were about equipping leaders to build stronger, more adaptable organizations for the future.
We also had the privilege of sharing our expertise at conferences, webinars, and keynotes across the country, covering topics such as:
Collaborative leadership and shared services
Building cultures of philanthropy
Navigating uncertainty through contingency planning
Converting conflict into collective action
Strategic financial leadership for nonprofits
Each event reinforced what we know to be true: leadership in the nonprofit sector is about courage, clarity, and connection.
As we look ahead to 2026, we carry forward the lessons of this year: resilience is built in community, strategy and mission must move in harmony, and collaboration can light the way—even in the most uncertain times. Thank you for trusting Mission + Strategy to be your thought partner. Here’s to a new year of possibility, progress, and shared impact.
Together, we are stronger.
If you need support in balancing your mission and business strategies, we’re here to help.
Mission + Strategy is an invested thought partner to your nonprofit organization. Through our Strategic Advising, Mergers & Partnerships, and Shared Back Office service solutions, we help nonprofits achieve alignment between their mission and business strategies.
