2026 Predictions for the Nonprofit Sector

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👋🏾 Hey! I’m Sid and this is The Philanthropy Futurist, a weekly advice column preparing you for the future of the nonprofit sector. Each Friday, I tackle reader questions about measuring impact, driving growth, and managing your nonprofit.

This Week’s Newsletter at a glance:

• 2026 Predictions for the Nonprofit Sector

• Philanthropy News From This Week

• Sid’s Book Recommendation

2026 Predictions for the Nonprofit Sector

Last year, I wrote my 2025 predictions with a mix of optimism and caution. Some trends arrived faster than expected, and others quietly proved harder than the nonprofit sector wanted to admit.

As we head into 2026, I’m noticing a shift… not just in tools or tactics but in how nonprofits define progress itself.

Here’s what I’m watching most closely:

Artificial Intelligence finds everyday impact

In 2025, AI was still largely framed as experimental or aspirational in the nonprofit world. In 2026, that will change.

We’ll see more AI-enabled social impact solutions actually released… not as flashy product features but as quiet force multipliers that reduce friction, expand access, and help small teams do work that once required entire departments.

This aligns with the OpenAI Foundation’s broader framing: tools that lower barriers, empower communities, and enable people closest to the problem to act. The real story here won’t be the technology itself… instead it’ll be the people (aka the who) that finally gets to build and solve problems because of the technology.

Creator/Business Collaborations will mature into real support systems

The one-off creator campaign era is ending.

In 2026, creators won’t just “raise awareness,” and businesses won’t just sponsor moments. Together, they’ll help nonprofits build ongoing engines of support… from recurring revenue to sustained storytelling and distribution.

The strongest collaborations will feel less like marketing and more like shared ownership of outcomes. I’m especially excited to watch this prediction come to life!

Revenue Diversification will become cultural, not tactical

Creative revenue experimentation is no longer about survival… it’s about alignment.

Memberships, earned income, partnerships, and community-backed models, etc, etc, etc… will all force organizations to confront deeper questions:

• Who are we actually accountable to?

• What do we protect when tradeoffs appear?

In 2026, the nonprofit orgs that thrive will be the ones willing to test, learn publicly, and redesign their relationship with fundraising… not just chase it.

Community will outperform scale

This is my boldest prediction.

For years, growth meant bigger lists, broader reach, and more programs, etc. But in 2026, depth will matter more than reach.

Nonprofits with smaller, values-aligned communities (aka people who feel seen, trusted, and involved) will outperform larger organizations with passive audiences. Not just in overall engagement… but in resilience, retention, and long-term impact.

Scale still matters but community creates momentum, and momentum is so much harder to replicate.

All that said… please understand that 2026 will be about choice.

Choice in… what we decide to prioritize, what we decide to work on, who we decide to partner with, and whether or not we’re willing to trade what is comfortable for what is new.

Your very decision will play a big part in defining the next phase of the nonprofit sector.

Until next week y’all! ✌🏾

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Philanthropy News From This Week

• 6 Resolutions to Help Your Nonprofit Thrive in 2026

• How Americans don't like GoFundMe

• Social Justice Nonprofits Rethink Media Strategy During Trump 2.0

• Fewer than a dozen homes have been rebuilt a year after LA Wildfires

Sid’s Book Recommendation

Each week, I recommend a book or film that has impacted my life in a positive way. My recommendation this week is:

Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt

This book lays out a 5-step system to turn vague hopes for the new year into a small set of specific goals you are far more likely to achieve. It walks you through identifying limiting beliefs, reviewing the previous year, designing SMARTER goals across key life domains, and then building simple structures (habits, tracking, and reviews) that will help you "quit‑proof” them. Learn more.

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