Four Challenges We’re Facing in 2026
When the clock struck midnight going into January 1st, I had a glass of champagne in my hand, surrounded by some of my favorite people, and felt something unexpected: a palpable sense of relief.
It’s no secret that 2025 was a tough year for changemakers. Funding structures shifted dramatically. Longstanding priorities were rewritten. Attacks on fundamental rights intensified. All of it unfolded alongside a rapid pace of change that made it difficult to plan, stabilize, or catch our breath.
I’ve spoken with nonprofit leaders, advocates, business owners, and public servants who all described a similar feeling when the year ended: gratitude to close the chapter, paired with uncertainty about what comes next.
Because while the calendar changed, many of the challenges that defined 2025 are still with us.
This newsletter isn’t about predictions. It’s about preparation.
Outlined below are four challenges I expect changemakers to continue navigating in 2026 — and the strategic approaches that can help you meet them with more clarity, resilience, and agency.
Challenge 1. Decreased Funding & Economic Uncertainty
Federal funding structures have undergone significant change, with shifting priorities creating ripple effects across the entire ecosystem. Corporate giving is responding to those same signals. Individual donors are navigating a high cost of living, an unpredictable housing market, and ongoing economic uncertainty.
The result is less certainty — even for programs that were previously stable and effective.
The strategic response: Creative, cross-sector collaboration
While this moment feels volatile, research shows that people care deeply about the future of the world — and that concern is shaping how they choose to invest. More than ever, people believe that responses to social problems require shared responsibility across government, nonprofits, businesses, and communities.
That means collaborations matter — not just for efficiency, but for impact and visibility.
Build relationships with changemakers in different disciplines. Seek partnerships within your field and outside of it. Explore how you may partner outside of your sector or industry to tap into new resources or ways of thinking. And importantly: tell the story of that collaboration.
Funders and communities are increasingly drawn to efforts that reflect a coordinated, cross-sector approach to change.
Call to action:
→ Read these recent survey findings on how attitudes are shifting towards who is responsible for responding to social problems – and who holds the power to do so.
Challenge 2. Chaos & News Fatigue
The pace and intensity of headlines has become the norm. Stories that once would have stopped us in our tracks now barely register before the next one arrives.
This constant exposure takes a real toll. It creates overwhelm, numbness, and a temptation to disengage entirely, especially for people already carrying the emotional weight of social change work.
The strategic response: An intentional media diet
Staying informed matters. Staying flooded does not.
Being intentional about where, when, and how you consume news is a leadership skill. That might mean limiting push notifications, choosing fewer (but more trusted) sources, or intentionally balancing hard news with reporting that highlights progress and solutions.
Call to action:
→ Reply to this email and share a source you use to find feel-good or informative news. I’m building a list.
Challenge 3. AI & Rapidly Evolving Technology
AI has been part of our lives for years, but its acceleration has introduced new tools and new questions at a dizzying pace. From efficiency gains to ethical concerns around energy use, bias, inclusivity, and creative ownership, the landscape is complex and constantly changing.
The strategic response: Treat AI as a process, not a task
Navigating how you incorporate AI into your workflow (or not) is not something you can “figure out” once and move on from. This is because as rapidly as the tools themselves evolve, so too must your approach. It’s simply not a one-and-done thing.
Instead, build a repeatable process within your work to evaluate and integrate new technology over time. For large organizations, that may involve formal policies and review cycles. For small teams or solopreneurs, it might be as simple as reading one thoughtful article a month and experimenting intentionally.
Progress matters more than perfection.
Call to action:
→ Start with one trusted resource on ethical AI use. If you’re looking for a place to start, try this one-year foundational course on responsible AI use from Anthropic.
Hat tip to my friend and collaborator Bret Giles for the great recommendation!
Challenge 4. Burnout & Emotional Labor
This challenge is distinct from news fatigue. Burnout is the deeper sense of being depleted — personally and collectively. After years of doing more with fewer resources, under constant pressure, there is a significant impact on individuals, teams, and entire organizations.
The strategic response: Shift from self-care to community care
Self-care places the responsibility for wellbeing solely on individuals – figure out what helps you decompress and prioritize it in your daily routine. Community care recognizes that capacity for taking care of yourself fluctuates and that sustainable impact requires shared support.
Creating space to talk openly about how people are doing, normalizing that we aren’t always operating at a 10, and modeling how to ask for support when you need it all make a tangible difference within teams. Some days you carry more. Other days, someone carries you.
Call to action:
→ Use the Core Values Worksheet at your next team meeting to explore what matters the most to you as individuals. Understanding what makes you (and your coworkers) tick builds shared understanding, which is the very foundation of community care
None of these challenges are new. But how we respond to them can be.
2026 offers an opportunity to move forward with intention: to collaborate more creatively, consume information more thoughtfully, adopt technology more deliberately, and care for one another more collectively.
Small strategic shifts, made consistently, can change how we build our year, how it feels, and what becomes possible within it. Because we have more agency than we’re often led to believe.