Powering the Voices of Our Region

A conversation with Purpose Possible about what nonprofit leaders are facing and what would help.

Schedule a Conversation

Why we’re listening

Purpose Possible is talking with nonprofit leaders across Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, along with leaders from surrounding areas including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, and other northeastern states.

Our goal is a grounded picture of the opportunities, challenges, and resource gaps nonprofit leaders face every day. We will turn what we hear into a community report that helps organizations and funders make the case for the funding, resources, and structural support the sector needs.

What the tour is for:

  • Elevate community voices. Put the collective experiences of nonprofit leaders at the center.

  • Inform sector strategy. Document operational trends, resource gaps, and opportunities.

  • Advocate for resources. Give organizations and funders data-backed insights that support investment and meaningful partnership.

How to participate

  1. Schedule a 30-minute conversation
    Pick a time that works for you for a brief virtual meeting. This is not a pitch, it’s a conversation about your experiences.

  2. Share what you’re seeing
    We will talk about sector trends, operational priorities, funding dynamics, and community needs. Your responses will be kept anonymous.

  3. Shape the report
    Your input directly informs our upcoming Powering the Voices of Our Region report and our regional programming.

  4. Get it first
    Every participant receives the report before it’s published.

Schedule a Conversation

What we talk about

The conversation is open and relaxed. Here’s the shape of it:

  • You and your organization: What you do, who you serve, and the size of your team.

  • Your network: Where you find peers and support, and where you share resources or partner with other organizations.

  • Tough decisions: Pressures on staffing, programs, and overhead.

  • Beyond funding: The non-funding resources you wish you had, whether that’s a skill, a tool, or data.

  • Donor expectations: What would help bridge the gap between what donors expect and what’s realistic.

  • Your vision: What you envision for your organization in the future.

Please note: We use Fireflies AI to transcribe our conversation, so we can focus on talking rather than writing or typing. The recording is not shared outside of our data collection team.

Frequently asked questions

  • Nonprofit leaders in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and in surrounding areas such as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and the rest of the Northeast.

    Directors and other senior leaders are all welcome.

  • No. Most of the people we’ve talked with are not.

  • About 30 minutes.

  • Please do. If someone in your network would add a different perspective, whether a different size, mission, or region, we would be grateful for an introduction. You can also forward them this page.

  • Send us a message! We can work with you on an alternate time or method of sharing your feedback. Email abates@purposepossible.com and let us know.

  • We’re a woman-owned strategy and consulting firm that supports mission-driven organizations nationwide with fundraising, strategic planning, training, and operational support. We believe investing in leaders is the most powerful way to strengthen missions and communities, and that nonprofits are stronger when they’re connected. The Listening Tour is how we learn from the people behind the work.