Meeting the Moment

There are moments when the future feels theoretical—something to debate, model, or hedge. This isn't one of them.

The ground has shifted—economically, civically, socially. And whether we feel ready or not, it’s asking more of each of us now.

Over the holidays, I forced myself to stop and take an honest inventory. I’d spent the past year trying to make sense of what was happening—and what it demanded in response. Inequities kept widening. Capital got so cautious it froze. Communities stopped waiting for permission—all while local, state, and national support was pulling back.

And as 2026 gets underway, political and funding norms are further destabilizing, day by day. And yet with the work, most of us cannot afford to wait this out or miss the mark this year. We must meet this moment now.

This moment doesn’t need more commentary. It needs builders, translators, and stewards—people willing to move capital, share power, and stay put when the work gets heavy.

I’ll be doing the work differently this year, in these ways:

1 Urgency, without apology. I’ve always acted with urgency, but I’ve also shown patience for process, especially when funders or institutions needed time to align around change. This year, everyone needs to speed it up. Nonprofits, entrepreneurs and funders alike. This moment requires: shortening decision cycles, building instead of just planning, moving capital even when the stack isn’t perfect.

by John Lewis

2 Building relevant institutions beyond political cycles.  The work has shifted. It’s no longer about floating and proving concepts. Now it's about: acquiring and deploying real assets; addressing risk where it can be seen and governed; and building new, more relevant structures that last beyond any one person or institution in power and staying involved long after the excitement fades.

3 Speaking up.  Meeting this moment also means being more visible and more direct. Follow-through still matters more than rhetoric—but silence is no longer neutral. Nationally and locally, it’s necessary to say when things are wrong and to argue clearly for the institutions and values worth preserving.

Meeting the moment looks different for everyone. For many, it may mean stepping forward. For others, it may mean stepping back, tending to something already in your care.

What matters is not the form it takes, but the intention behind it: to respond to this moment honestly, deliberately, and with responsibility.

Together, let’s meet this moment in 2026, and be willing to be accountable—to neighbors, partners, and numbers. We will do this!

Yours in Peace and Change,

- Carla Dearing