Tune in. Show out. Speak up.

Good morning y’all —

I’ve been spending some time thinking about value. Not just what it is, but how we prove it. How we protect it. Especially when times get tight.

Let’s not sugarcoat it — we’re in an economically uncertain stretch. Markets are wobbly. Expenses are up. Margins are thinning. If you’re leading a nonprofit, a trade association, a municipality, or any organization that relies on “optional support” — you’re probably feeling the pressure.

Here’s the hard truth: when the economy starts to squeeze, your work doesn’t slow down. It speeds up. The people you serve need more from you, not less. But asking for help gets harder.

That tension is real. I’ve lived it.

Back in 2008, during the financial crisis, I was in advertising sales. My dad told me something that stuck:

“You’re going to work twice as hard for half the money. But when it turns around — and it will — you’ll be ahead of everyone who gave up and gave in to a whoa is me mentality.”

Dude was right. At least I think it was my dad, might have been my work mom.

Either way, it applies just as much today to the work you’re doing.

You’re in the business of public good — you rely on donations, dues, grants, goodwill — this is not the moment to retreat.

This is the moment to know your value, show your value, and make it easier essential for folks to keep saying yes.

Start with Listening

Check in. With your donors. With your members. With your municipal or philanthropic partners. Ask them what’s changed. Ask what’s keeping them up at night. Ask what they need — and listen with intention. Heck, ask them how their day is going!

Sometimes your funders and your end users are the same people. Sometimes they’re not. Either way, listening will show you where the value is — and where it needs to be.

Then, tell the story of how you’re meeting those needs. Not once a year. Not once a quarter. Consistently. Authentically. Boldly.

Reduce the Friction

This is where structure matters. If someone wants to support you, don’t make them choose between one big annual gift or nothing at all. Give them a monthly option. Let them auto-renew. Let them know exactly what their money does and why it matters right now.

Consider packaging your services. What are the tiers of access, benefit, or impact?

Create predictability. Recurring support is more sustainable — for both giver and receiver.

Share and celebrate wins. Not just big ones. Progress counts.

“You drive for show you put for dough.”

I don’t golf or gamble (I lack patience and have a low tolerance for uncertainty) but a mentor did. The above statement helped me value building a large base of small supporters. And it’s Masters weekend…so…sports.

Acknowledge supporters. Publicly and privately. People remember who remembered.

Make the Case

Fundraising or membership asks feel tougher right now. But your people still want to help. Give them the chance to do so and help them understand why their support matters more than ever, to both you and them.

If you're a nonprofit offering housing, food, mentorship, or advocacy — you are essential infrastructure.

If you're a chamber or trade association advocating for small businesses, supporting workforce, convening partnerships — you are economic development.

If you're a municipality maintaining quality-of-life programs on tight margins — you are quality of place.

You are not a luxury. You are a lifeline.

Say that with data. Say it with stories. Say it with a little humility and a lot of conviction.

Tune in, Turn up

The temptation in a downturn is to scale back, shrink programming, go radio silent.

It feels safe. It’s not.

Now is the time to lean in. Double down on community, visibility, relevance.

“When you’re going through hell,
keep going.”
– Churchill
(or Cash?)

Here’s Your Move

1. Know your value. Get clear on what you deliver and why it matters now.

2. Show your value. Tell the story. With data. With emotion. With regularity.

3. Keep your support structure simple. Reduce friction. Offer recurring, tiered, and flexible options.

4. Stay connected. Eyes up. Ears open.

5. Celebrate resilience. Remind your supporters they’re part of it.