Upwardly Global’s CEO, Jina Krause-Vilmar, was recently featured on Candid where she outlines a bold vision for how nonprofits can navigate today’s growing sector instability.
In her article “In a new era for the nonprofit ecosystem, collaboration is key to survival,” Jina addresses the growing instability facing nonprofits today, from funding challenges and staffing shortages to increased scrutiny and burnout. She offers a compelling call to action for nonprofit leaders to rethink how we work together, urging the sector to embrace a new model grounded in collaboration, mutual support, and strategic prioritization.
“For too long, many nonprofits have been treated—and seen themselves—as stopgaps, filling holes left by broken systems, offering services where public institutions have failed. But if we’re to meet the scale and urgency of today’s challenges, we must shift from viewing nonprofits as service providers to recognizing them as builders of solutions and architects of systemic change. And, most critically, we must stop thinking in silos.”
Jina outlines several practical steps nonprofits can take to build resilience and ensure continuity of services, especially for the communities that rely on them most. Her vision is rooted in solidarity and shared responsibility — recognizing that the survival of one organization is deeply connected to the health of the broader ecosystem.
The nonprofit sector already has the insight, the innovation, and the trust of the communities it serves. What it needs now is reimagined nonprofit ecosystem, with a collective, collaborative approach and the resources to lead. What we build next will shape whether we simply endure this era—or transform it.