March 2026 Funders Newsletter
The Harwood CIRCLE is a growing national network of funders coming together to discover and explore how philanthropy can unleash the potential of people and communities. This quarterly newsletter is the CIRCLE’s latest offering to help you discover new and deeper ways to take action in your community.
TURNING OUTWARD IN DIFFICULT TIMES—AND IMMEDIATE STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
A VIRTUAL CONVERSATION FOR FUNDERS
Funders and philanthropic leaders are under immense pressure and stress these days. It can feel like you are asked to be all things to all people. In difficult times like these, we tend to be more turned inward—as funders, as leaders and as individuals.
On April 22 at 12:30 pm ET, we will host our next virtual conversation just for funders, where we will focus on what it means to be Turned Outward during times like these. In this interactive space, you’ll learn how you can be more Turned Outward, including immediate steps you can take, especially as you seek to be more catalytic in your community.
A SAFE HAVEN FOR FUNDERS: CREATING SPACE TO MOVE FORWARD
This January, nearly 40 leaders from across the country came together to engage and learn from one another at our second annual Safe Haven, hosted by The Harwood Institute’s CIRCLE of Catalytic Funders in partnership with The Patterson Foundation.
One overarching theme emerged from the Safe Haven: the need to create space. Space for leaders to authentically engage with their community. Space for teams and organizations to work together in new ways that strengthen civic culture. Space for funders to engage their boards in a different kind of conversation about what it takes to catalyze change.
We concluded the event by having participants complete a Personal Covenant as a way to recommit themselves to the work that is needed to move their communities forward. It’s clear, the funders at this year’s Safe Haven are working tirelessly to pull their communities and this nation back together. If you are interested in embracing a new approach to creating change, consider joining the Harwood CIRCLE of Catalytic Funders.
BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT CREATING CHANGE
Creating change is hard. The prevailing myths we frequently encounter about how change happens only make things harder. But we can move forward in a more hopeful way. The Harwood School helps philanthropic leaders like you bust myths to move forward in a more hopeful way. Here’s two examples.
Myth 1: “We need new resources or funding to make a difference.” Time and again, we’ve heard funders say they just need more resources to make a bigger impact. No doubt, financial resources are important. But in our experience, taking action on what matters to people rarely requires new funding to get started. Reading, PA, offers a perfect case study. None of the community’s efforts around early childhood education, after-school activities, and English as a second language started with new funding. They started by embracing a different approach that gets people to work together in a new way, which is what we teach at The Harwood School. Inevitably, their success did attract new funding over time.
Myth 2: “We need a comprehensive plan to tackle this issue.” The Institute wants deep, systemic change in society. But we’ve seen too many comprehensive plans launch with fanfare only to fizzle out or fade away. That’s why the Harwood School emphasizes “starting small to go big.” Our report on Winchester, KY, titled One Step at a Time, demonstrates this principle in action as community members tackled major concerns like healthcare, drug addiction, and racial divides by “starting small to go big.”
As a philanthropic leader, you want to change the world. The Harwood School will help your team and grantees focus on how change really happens, and what you can do to unleash it. Here are your next two opportunities.
→ April 2026 Virtual Public Innovator Lab: Learn to Turn Outward and unleash your ability to create real change in your community.
→ Summer 2026 Harwood Catalytic Guide Program: Learn to effectively drive organizational and community change efforts that generate widespread impact.
OHIO STORIES OF CHANGE: AMERICANS CREATING CHANGE TOGETHER
We’re excited to announce the release of two new reports: Union County’s Story of Change: Shaping a Shared Future and Logan County’s Story of Change: Building a Bright Future. These reports tell the story of what each community has created over the past two years. We are incredibly grateful to our United Way partners for the critical role they played in these community initiatives.
At a time when so many Americans wonder if change is still possible, Union and Logan Counties demonstrate that it isn’t just possible. It’s already happening.nstitute teamed up with the Courageous Conversations About Our Schools podcast to tell the story of Reading, PA, like never before in a two-part podcast series. It features eight different Reading leaders, who collectively tell the story of how the community created systemic education change around early childhood education, English as a second language, and after-school activities. Notably, four of the leaders represent the group of funders who stepped forward to unleash this impact—Centro Hispano, United Way of Berks County, the Berks Alliance, and the Wyomissing Foundation.
Union County’s Story of Change
Union County faced a critical juncture: Be overrun by new and growing challenges or come together to forge a shared path forward. Embracing a different approach unleashed chain reactions of change in youth opportunities, healthcare, and the arts. The people of Union County say they’ve created “a new path forward,” “a true community,” and “a community others want to emulate.”
Logan County’s Story of Change
Logan County faced a choice over its future: Stick to the status quo and risk stagnation—even sliding backward—or come together in a new way to forge a bright future. Embracing a different approach unleashed chain reactions of change in health, seniors, and youth. The people of Logan County say they’ve created “a healthier community,” “a community free of stigma around mental health and addiction,” and “a more hopeful and engaged community.”
The Harwood Institute in the News
Podcast Series Explores Extraordinary Transformation of Reading, PA, and Its Schools via BCTV
United Way celebrates progress of Harwood initiative via Peak of Ohio
The Harwood Institute: Improving Civic Culture and Rekindling Hope via The Patterson Foundation
Follow our revamped social media presence for hope, inspiration, and connection.
Forward this to a friend! Together we can create a more equitable, fair, just, inclusive, and hopeful path forward.
