Storytelling Archives

Building a More Inclusive and Empowering Narrative Around Wealth

Posted on April 24, 2026May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

Across the impact field, efforts to advance economic mobility and inclusive growth are encountering friction with the language we use. Wealth is often understood narrowly as accumulation or privilege rather than as a practical foundation for stability, choice, and long-term opportunity. When the narrative is muddled or loaded, it becomes harder to build durable public support for policies and programs that expand economic power.

On April 23, NationSwell invited leaders from the philanthropy, business, and social sectors to a conversation on how the impact field can develop a clearer, more inclusive narrative and vocabulary around wealth. Together, participants discussed how words like ownership, assets, security, and opportunity are landing today, where they fall short, and how reframing can better support economic mobility and inclusive growth initiatives. Some of the most salient takeaways from the conversation appear below:

Key takeaways:

Shift narratives from individual financial behavior to structural drivers of wealth. While personal choices play a role, wealth outcomes are often shaped by structural factors, such as employer retirement benefits, housing markets, and federal policies, rather than individual choices. Personal stories often highlight how factors like low wages, lack of access to capital, student debt, and historical inequities (e.g., redlining, exclusion) shape financial outcomes over generations. It is important to move away from framing wealth as purely a result of personal decision-making and toward acknowledging systemic influences.

Use more relatable language to describe wealth and financial well-being. The term “wealth” can feel abstract or associated with extreme affluence, making it hard for many people, especially young people, to relate to. Reframing wealth in terms of savings, financial stability, or the ability to handle everyday expenses makes the concept more accessible. For example, wealth in practical terms can be described as having savings that provide a buffer against unexpected events and enable future investments like education or housing. This framing reflects how many individuals and young people actually experience financial well-being.

Normalize investing as accessible to all income levels. Individuals and communities often have the capability to build wealth but lack access to financial, social, and knowledge capital. Research shared in the discussion showed that many individuals, including those with retirement accounts, do not see themselves as “investors” and instead associate investing with a narrow demographic. Shifting this perception, so that people view themselves as investors regardless of income, is critical to changing long-term financial behavior.

Move beyond financial literacy toward asset-building opportunities. Programs focused only on budgeting or financial literacy don’t meet the needs of all populations. More effective approaches include pairing guidance with tangible opportunities – such as matched savings programs, early investment accounts, homeownership support, and youth “earn and learn” initiatives – that enable actual wealth accumulation. Additionally, social capital, especially through mentorship, is a key mechanism for helping individuals navigate systems like financial aid, education, and homeownership. Building and scaling these relationships can support broader access to economic mobility.

Bridge place-based and national approaches to wealth-building strategies. It is important to combine locally tailored strategies – grounded in community history and context – with broader national resources and infrastructure. This balance can help scale solutions while maintaining relevance to specific communities.

Improve how insights and solutions are shared across philanthropy. Philanthropy does not always effectively share knowledge about what works. Better distribution of actionable insights, especially in accessible formats, is a major opportunity for increasing impact in the community wealth-building field.

The New Playbook for Impact Comms and Public Reporting

Posted on April 8, 2026May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

The standard playbook for corporate impact reports and public communications has been unsettled by shifting political pressures, cultural attitudes, attention scarcity, and the introduction of AI. Yet companies still need to explain what they stand for, show progress, and build credibility with employees, investors, and the public. The organizations currently excelling in this space share a set of key attributes: a deep understanding of their audiences; auditable data; insight-driven storytelling; and the ability to adapt.

During an April 7 virtual Leader Roundtable on The New Playbook for Impact Comms and Public Reporting, leaders from the NationSwell community challenged us to rethink how data and narrative interact to showcase how the data shapes the story. We’ve collected some of the most salient insights from the conversation below, should you wish to revisit them:

Key Takeaways:

Design your communications strategy around clearly defined audience segments. Effective storytelling starts with identifying who you need to reach and what matters most to each group, then tailoring messages to reflect their priorities. This often requires translating technical language into relevant business or social outcomes and creating multiple entry points into your core narrative. Always ask, “Why should this audience care?” and adapt messaging accordingly.

Anchor communications in credible data and use narrative to bring it to life. Build reporting on auditable data, then use storytelling to explain the outcomes and human impact behind those numbers. Treat data as the backbone of your communications, and narrative as the mechanism that connects evidence to impact. This allows you to humanize outcomes rather than leading with corporate frameworks alone, ensuring your message sticks.

Maintain a consistent core message while adapting delivery to changing external conditions. Establish stable principles and core truths, but adjust tone, framing, and distribution channels as political and regulatory contexts shift. Flexibility in messaging preserves credibility, manages risk, and ensures communications remain relevant in dynamic environments.

Focus storytelling on narratives that deliver the greatest strategic value. Prioritize concise, data-backed, and purpose-driven communications over exhaustive reports. Highlight stories that connect social impact to business goals, emphasize outcomes, and avoid overcommunicating. Limited attention and reporting space require identifying the stories that move the needle most effectively.

Align impact initiatives directly to business performance and risk mitigation. Link programs to measurable business outcomes such as revenue, talent retention, or risk reduction to demonstrate their material importance. Position impact activities as contributors to core enterprise value, showcasing how “doing good” drives both social and business outcomes. This tactic proves especially critical when engaging executive leadership, including the CFO and other financial decision-makers.

Create a cross-enterprise ecosystem of reporting. Engage key stakeholders across functions, such as materiality, risk, and assurance, to build a connected village of reporting that supports consistent, credible communications. Identify the connective tissues between social impact, business performance, and brand positioning to uncover better opportunities in the marketplace.

Frame workforce and inclusion communications around enterprise-wide value. Emphasize outcomes that benefit the full employee population, such as talent development or retention, rather than narrowly focusing on specific population groups. Expand DEI storytelling to include pathways for veterans, first-generation employees, and multiple demographic segments to maintain credibility and mitigate potential backlash.

Leverage technology and AI to accelerate data analysis and broaden reporting capabilities. Deploy digital tools to streamline data collection and analysis, model potential outcomes, and generate actionable insights efficiently. Consider AI tools to explore multimedia formats for your reports to increase audience accessibility and engagement.

100 Years of Black History Month: Honoring the Black Leaders Who Shape Us

Posted on February 27, 2026May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

To mark the 100-year anniversary of Black History Month, NationSwell hosted a virtual Leader Roundtable on February 26 designed to center Black history and Black leadership and the ways they shape our pursuit of a more equitable future.

Together, participants reflected on the quiet power embedded in everyday acts of resistance: the courage to attempt what feels daunting, the resolve to persevere through challenges, and the determination to assert agency in an increasingly polarized context. Collectively, the group’s reflections reinforced a shared point: preserving Black history — and the leaders, mentors, colleagues, and community leaders who comprise it — is preserving history itself.

A few of the most salient takeaways from the discussion appear below:

Redefine and reclaim power in all its dimensions. Power is not one dimensional, nor is it embodied solely in one person. It is communal, moral, economic, political, spiritual, and cultural. Understanding power expands how we build and wield it.

Honor quiet power as transformational. Not all acts of power result in visible systems change. Sometimes power looks like someone seeing themselves as capable of something which was otherwise unimaginable. Quiet power is sparking agency and resistance in your day-to-day life. These moments may not make headlines, but they fundamentally reshape our reality and futures.

Recognize that community is the architecture of power. From HBCU legacies to generations of inventors, educators, organizers, and creatives, Black innovation has always been collective and cross-sector. Power is layered, shared, and sustained through the institutions, movements, and cultural ecosystems we create.

Reject erasure by telling the full story. The attack on Black history is not simply about removing dates or names from memories; it is about shaping moral narratives. In order to preserve history, we must underscore the importance of storytelling as an act of power. As the African proverb reminds us, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

Harness creativity as a tool for preservation and progress. Reducing harm requires creative intervention and innovation. In a moment where history is threatened by distortion, the charge is to think expansively about what we can do to safeguard it. Creativity is not ornamental to justice work, it is how progress endures.

Use the principles of Sankofa to design our futures. Black history is not static commemoration, rather a blueprint. Sankofa holds us accountable to the power in remembrance; it encourages us to look back to our pasts in order to propel our futures. The courage and ingenuity of ancestors provide both instruction and mandate for curating our realities.

Commit to courageously contributing to Black history now. The work continues amidst various threats to our democracy and freedoms. Progress has always required putting one foot in front of the other in the face of headwinds. Honoring 100 years demands not just remembrance, but renewed courage to wield power with purpose in this new era.

NationSwell op-ed: Reflecting on 100 Years of Black History Month

Posted on February 27, 2026May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

February 2026 marks a century of observing Black History Month — a milestone that invites remembrances of and reflections on the Black leaders, communities, solutions, and institutions that shape our lives and our work.

To honor those legacies and this anniversary, NationSwell invited a group of Black leaders from across our community to reflect on a forward-looking question: What’s one movement, model, or solution that you are seeing create momentum toward a more just and equitable society today — and what can other leaders be doing to ensure that work can scale or endure?

Although the responses span sectors and strategies, one shared philosophy emerged: Momentum is strongest when communities are trusted and resourced. The answers we received point to the neighbors organizing mutual aid and defending democratic participation; to collective giving models that pool capital and strengthen civic infrastructure; to philanthropy that trusts communities with flexible, long-term investment; to leaders doing the internal work required to lead with accountability.

Although urgency may be the spark that ignites action, the strength of our communities is what sustains it, and Black History Month is an occasion to honor the ancestors and elders, artists and organizers, mentors and managers, and everyday examples of courage and care that form the basis of those communities.

Take a look at some of the responses from across our community below:

Prompt: What’s one movement, model, or solution that you are seeing create momentum toward a more just and equitable society today — and what can other leaders be doing to ensure that work can scale or endure?

“What I’ve seen from my neighbors in Minnesota hasn’t just inspired me — it has moved the nation.

The way ordinary Minnesotans mobilize to take care of one another, and to fight for the American freedoms and values we hold dear, may be making headlines now, but it isn’t new, which is a point of both pain and pride. We saw it after the murder of George Floyd, when grief and outrage drew people to be part of something bigger than any one of us.

Today we’re seeing it following the surge of federal agents into our neighborhoods. Like then, people did not retreat with fear or fury. Instead, they built mutual-aid lifelines: food distribution, rent support, school carpools. They trained as constitutional observers. They documented what they witnessed not to inflame conflict, but to protect rights and de-escalate harm. They marched by the thousands, in sub-zero temperatures. The nation was watching, and what it saw was the best of Minnesota — and of America.

We have been told the surge is ending. And while it is clear that policies or practices have yet to change, the signaled departure is proof that the peaceful pressure worked. Care and accountability carried Minnesota through.

And for leaders who want that civic strength to scale and endure, the mandate is clear: Fund grassroots organizations. Protect democratic participation. Use your voice to tell the truth about what communities are experiencing. Direct capital back into neighborhoods after the headlines fade.

A just society is built from the ground up. By neighbors who refuse to abandon one another, and by leaders who choose to stand with them.”

– Tonya Allen, President, McKnight Foundation

“One movement driving meaningful progress toward a more just and equitable society is collective giving. Across Black communities in America — including my hometown in West Tennessee — there is a longstanding tradition of pooling resources to meet urgent needs, build institutions, and support one another. Today, that tradition is developing into more formal structures such as giving circles and philanthropic collectives, merging cultural legacy with strategic philanthropy.

These models are powerful because they democratize impact. They allow individuals, regardless of social economic status, to participate in thoughtful, community-focused grantmaking. By aligning shared values with pooled resources, collective giving magnifies results beyond what any single donor could achieve alone. It strengthens connections, encourages shared accountability, and enables communities to deploy resources quickly and efficiently. In doing so, it reinforces both social trust and civic infrastructure.

As this movement expands, leaders can help it grow and sustain in two key ways. First, invest in infrastructure organizations that provide education, governance frameworks, and operational support to collective giving networks, as we do through the Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, a grantmaking program led by our Board of Trustees. Second, lead by example. When leaders actively participate in and promote collective giving, they normalize collaborative philanthropy and help it expand and endure.”

– Jacob Pruitt, President, Fidelity Charitable

“Right now, one of the most powerful changes gaining momentum is leaders turning inward and embracing real self‑awareness. Leaders are starting to take that step to not only look within, but to also act on what they learn. That is huge because as leaders, our greatest impact comes from doing this internal work and challenging our own beliefs, assumptions, and misconceptions. That’s where real growth happens and where our power lies to actually drive change across the work we do, now and in the future.

Throughout my career, I have made it a priority to practice a deep level of self-examination because meaningful change only happens when there’s also personal accountability. This self-reflection is what strengthens you as a leader, a family member, and a member of your community. After working with countless leaders, I can honestly say that what separates a good leader from a great one is their willingness to ask questions, seek context, and stay open to being challenged rather than assuming they already understand others. Our willingness as leaders to embrace internal growth strengthens who we are and helps us empower everyone we lead and every community we serve.”

– Olivia Jefferson, Vice President and Executive Director, Best Buy

“One movement I see creating real momentum toward a more just and equitable society is the shift from transactional philanthropy to trust-based, community-informed investment. Across the country, leaders are rethinking who holds power, who defines impact, and who is trusted to lead change. Multi-year general operating support, participatory grantmaking, and deeper listening are not merely technical adjustments — they signal a cultural shift in how institutions relate to communities.

What gives me hope is the recognition that communities closest to the challenges are also closest to the solutions. When we provide grantees with flexibility and respect, we unlock innovation, resilience, and long-term transformation.

At WKKF, this is not new. It reinforces what has long guided our work: meaningful change happens through, as Mr. Kellogg described it, “cooperative planning, intelligent study and group action.” While “trust-based philanthropy” may be a newer sector term, the underlying ethos, following the lead of communities and resourcing their vision, is deeply aligned with our founding values.

For this work to scale and endure, leaders must move beyond rhetoric and align systems, governance structures, risk tolerance, reporting practices, and definitions of success accordingly. Justice is not accelerated by urgency alone; it is sustained by trust, partnership, and shared accountability.”

– Roshell Rinkins, Vice President of Transformation and Organizational Effectiveness, WKKF

“The movement I’m most inspired by is the growing insistence — from HBCUs, community organizers, faith leaders and everyday people — that they are the AI experts who will build the technological future that works for all of us. The Civil Rights Movement didn’t wait for powerful institutions to invite participation. People built parallel structures — freedom schools, legal defense funds, community newspapers — because they understood that if you aren’t at the table shaping the narrative, you become a character in someone else’s story. The same principle applies today. AI is not destiny — it is design. And design reflects the imagination, values, and blind spots of whoever holds the pen. When entire communities are absent from that process, the resulting systems don’t just fail to serve them — they often actively harm them. This is why Omidyar Network partners with organizations like Collab Capital, an Atlanta-based early-stage venture firm investing in the building blocks of shared prosperity and economic parity, and the Black Innovation Alliance — a growing coalition ensuring Black-led startups, innovators and researchers can connect with the capital, talent, and networks they need to scale and shape the future of tech.

Real momentum comes from investing in people who see themselves as protagonists — not end users or data points, but architects. Leaders can accelerate this by funding inclusion before the crisis, by asking what voices are missing from their portfolios, and commissioning diverse design teams as a standard, not a footnote. The decisions made in boardrooms today are shaping the world our grandchildren will inherit.

Let’s make sure they can be proud of what we built.”

– Michele Jawando, President, Omidyar Network

Five Minutes with… the Center for Audit Quality

Posted on February 11, 2026May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment when the accounting profession faces both a shrinking talent pipeline and an urgent need to diversify who enters the field, the Center for Audit Quality’s Accounting+ program is reshaping perceptions of what a career in accounting could look like.

Launched as a profession-wide response to longstanding recruiting challenges, Accounting+ meets students where they are to spotlight the dynamic, impactful opportunities that exist within the accounting profession. Now in its fifth year, CAQ’s 2025 Annual Report shows that Accounting+ has strengthened awareness and engagement with accounting careers through data-driven content, strategic partnerships, and sustained outreach that reflects real student interests and aspirations.

For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Liz Barentzen — Vice President of Operations and Talent Initiatives at the Center for Audit Quality — to talk about how, against a backdrop of declining accounting graduates and broader enrollment pressures, Accounting+ is not just raising visibility for the profession but also helping to rewrite its narrative for the next generation of talent.

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: What specific gap have you identified in the types of applicants the accounting profession typically attracts that made a broad, student-facing awareness campaign feel necessary? How has the Accounting+ program sought to address that gap?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: The accounting profession was facing a dual challenge: a shrinking talent pipeline overall and persistent underrepresentation of Black, Latino, and other students of color. But what made a broad, student-facing campaign feel necessary — rather than just more targeted recruitment — was the data on awareness. Many students, particularly those without family connections to business or professional services, simply didn’t have accounting on their radar as a viable, appealing career path. They associated it with tax prep or number-crunching, not with the strategic advisory work, global mobility, or earning potential the profession actually offers.

So Accounting+ was designed to intervene earlier and more broadly — to shift perceptions before students make decisions about majors or career tracks. We’re working to widen who even considers accounting, not just compete for students already headed toward business fields.

NationSwell: You’ve described Accounting+ as working in two major buckets: large-scale brand awareness and in-classroom activation. How do those two strategies reinforce each other in practice, and where have you seen the strongest shifts in student perception?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: The large-scale brand awareness work — think digital campaigns, influencer partnerships, broad-reach content — creates cultural receptivity. It plants the seed that accounting is something worth paying attention to. But awareness alone doesn’t give students the information or confidence to actually pursue it.

That’s where the in-classroom activation comes in, primarily through our partnership with EVERFI. We’ve reached nearly 260,000 students across thousands of high schools with a curriculum that goes deeper — explaining what accountants actually do, the variety of career paths, the earning potential and stability.

And critically, it doesn’t stop at awareness. When these previously primed students come to the Accounting+ website, they’re offered concrete next steps — internships, scholarships, programs that help them continue the journey. So we’re not just inspiring interest and then leaving students to figure it out on their own. We’re building a pathway from “I didn’t know this was an option” to “here’s how I actually get there.”

Some of the strongest perception shifts we’ve seen are around long-term earning potential and career stability. Students are starting to see accounting as a path to financial security — not just a boring desk job that requires advanced mathematics.

NationSwell: What has your research revealed about how students’ priorities are changing over time, and how has Accounting+ — and your messaging strategy — adapted in response?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: Our longitudinal research has tracked a real shift. When we first launched the campaign, the messages that resonated most were about accounting as a pathway to starting your own business or giving back to your community. Students were drawn to the autonomy and purpose narratives.

Now, what’s landing is stability and long-term security. When we ask high school students what matters most in a career, long-term earning potential outranks starting salary — 68.5% prioritize it. They’re thinking about financial trajectory, not just what they’d make in year one.

That shift likely reflects the broader environment these students are coming of age in — economic uncertainty, headlines about layoffs and AI disruption, watching their families navigate instability.

So, our messaging has adapted accordingly. We’re still telling the full story of what accounting offers, but we’re leading with the durability of the career path, the flexibility it provides, and the financial foundation it builds. We’re meeting students where their priorities actually are, not where we assumed they’d be.

NationSwell: Accounting+ has been explicit about reaching students with the least exposure to accounting; what are the mechanics you employ to ensure that the campaign is widening the funnel rather than simply reaching students already on a professional track?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: This is something we’re deliberate about. The mechanics include: partnering with 38+ state CPA societies to reach schools in communities with less exposure to professional services; working through EVERFI to deploy curriculum in Title I schools and districts we wouldn’t otherwise access; and ensuring our digital content doesn’t just target business-oriented students but reaches broader interest categories.

We also track who we’re reaching. If our data showed we were just preaching to the choir—students already in AP Economics or DECA — we’d know something was off. What we’re seeing instead is engagement from students who didn’t have accounting anywhere in their consideration set before encountering our content. The goal is exposure equity: giving students the same information about this career that kids with accountant parents or professional networks get at the dinner table.

NationSwell: As AI reshapes the accounting profession and companies rethink entry-level hiring, how are you reframing the value proposition of accounting for students today?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: This is the live tension right now. Students are hearing headlines about AI replacing jobs and firms pulling back on entry-level hiring. If we’re not careful, the narrative becomes “why would I pursue a profession that’s automating itself out of existence?”

Our reframe is this: accounting skills are foundational to understanding how any organization works—financially, operationally, strategically. AI will change how accountants work, but it increases the need for people who can interpret, advise, and exercise judgment. The profession is shifting from compliance and data processing toward analysis and strategy.

We’re also honest with students that the entry-level landscape is evolving, and we’re working with firms and educators to ensure there are clear pathways in. But the core value proposition — financial literacy, career stability, multiple exit options, strong earning trajectory — remains sound. We just have to tell that story with more nuance now.

NationSwell: Your annual report shows accounting enrollments growing significantly faster than overall college enrollment, driven largely by Black and Latino students. What does that data tell you about what’s working — and what still needs to change to sustain this momentum long-term?

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: The headline is striking: accounting enrollments grew 13.9% while overall undergraduate enrollment grew just 5.2% — and that growth was driven disproportionately by Black and Latino students. Accounting programs are outperforming national trends across all demographic groups.

What does that tell us? First, that the awareness investment is working. When students know about a career path and see people like them succeeding in it, they pursue it. Second, that the profession’s efforts on diversity and inclusion — however imperfect — are registering with students. They’re voting with their enrollment decisions.

But to sustain this? We need to ensure students don’t just enroll — they persist, they pass the CPA exam, they get hired, they advance. That’s where the ecosystem needs to keep evolving. The pipeline is widening, but the profession has to be ready to receive and develop this talent. That’s the next chapter.

Liz Barentzen, CAQ: Is there anything else that feels important to mention?

First, Accounting+ is a coalition effort — major firms, state societies, educators, NABA Inc., AICPA, and more. That’s unusual in professional pipeline work, and it’s been essential to our scale and credibility. When students see the whole profession showing up, not just one firm recruiting for itself, it signals something different.

Second, we’re at the five-year mark, and we’ve seen meaningful movement. But this isn’t a problem you solve in five years. The question now is how we sustain momentum, continue adapting to a changing landscape, and ensure this generation of students has the support they need all the way through — from awareness to enrollment to career success.

Five Minutes with… Bonterra

Posted on July 9, 2025May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

Amidst stagnating rates of charitable giving and volunteering in the U.S., Bonterra — a software company focused on helping nonprofits, foundations, corporations, and beyond scale their impact — has a mission to boost giving and volunteerism to 3% of U.S. GDP by 2033. So, they took a fresh approach to Bonterra’s annual impact report. Developed in partnership with NationSwell, the 2025 Impact Report gives Bonterra’s customers actionable insights on how to empower the “Generosity Generation”: a cross-generational community empowered by technology to unlock time and dollars, in order to increase giving and drive the impact they want to see in the world.

For this installment of Five Minutes With, NationSwell spoke with three key Bonterra leaders to unpack the report’s insights: Ben Miller, SVP of data science and analytics; Kimberly O’Donnell, chief fundraising officer; and Sara Kleinsmith, principal strategist for thought leadership and corporate messaging.

“Collaborating with Bonterra to create their new Impact Report was an inspiring challenge,” said Amy Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at NationSwell. “We worked very closely with Ben, Sara and their team to push beyond standard insights. Bonterra has a wealth of smart insights from its products and relationships, and we wanted to make sure that whatever we included was data-driven, forward-looking and on target for the goal to catalyse a new Generosity Generation.”

We asked the Bonterra team how they blended proprietary data with powerful storytelling to create a tool that goes beyond standard, backward-looking reporting — serving instead as a strategic blueprint for how organizations can rethink, revamp, and re-energize their entire approach to impact with intentionality and inspiration at its core.

Here’s what they had to say:

NationSwell: Tell us a little bit about what you set out to accomplish with this report. What were your initial goals, and how did they evolve?

Ben Miller, Bonterra: One thing we know about movements is that they aren’t a start and stop experience — they’re ongoing. So when we sat down to think about creating this report, we did it through the lens of building the “Generosity Generation” — a multi-age community of donors, volunteers, funders, and nonprofit leaders that gets activated with the help of technology to respond to crises faster; build lasting relationships; and overcome all of the barriers that have caused charitable giving and volunteering in the US to remain stuck at 2.5% of GDP for over 50 years.

In a way that mirrors what our technology is designed to do, we wanted to create a report that could deliver insights in a faster, more personalized way, and that was an important framework adjustment that served us well. We didn’t spend as much time as we had in the past focusing on the tallies and the totals (although they are still there in the report to substantiate our findings) — we wanted to dive right in. We also added an interactive tool that allows organizations to benchmark themselves against other organizations.

NationSwell: How did Bonterra’s proprietary data play a role in shaping the report?

Ben Miller, Bonterra: One of our huge strengths is that we have a true data science team, not just data marketing folks. Logan, our chief marketing data analyst, constantly pushed back, saying “there’s nothing here” or “this isn’t strong enough,” and as a result we discarded a lot of findings. You might not see it at first glance, but the analysis was thorough. We only included insights that were statistically sound and actionable. A lot of reports don’t go that deep, but our team basically operates like scientists.

Existing data tells us that only 19.4% of donors give a second gift, but our finding was that once they do, they’re far more likely to stick around. That first 90 days is absolutely critical, but there are also folks who give way later — giving up entirely will likely not serve you in the long run. We also saw that about 10% of donors give after more than a year. So even if someone doesn’t respond in that first 90 days, it doesn’t mean they’re gone; you just have to treat them differently.

Sara Kleinsmith, Bonterra: That ties into another data point: 63% of nonprofits stop after one rejected grant application, but on average it takes 1.24 tries to get funded. So many organizations are missing the chance to go back, learn, refine, and try again. Fundraising is evolving, and there’s a real opportunity in persistence and learning from the first “no.”

Ben Miller, Bonterra: Data shows that only 53% of people trust nonprofits — the lowest that trust has ever been, which is a huge issue. But our research shows that you can use digital to help restore some of the trust and humanity that’s been lost over the years. We saw it in disaster response in particular: people were ready to engage, and digital tools helped nonprofits meet that urgency. So it’s not just about maximizing each channel, it’s about using those channels to build relationships. That’s the core insight: digital doesn’t have to mean disconnected — it can actually bring people closer, if we’re intentional.

NationSwell: What were the internal conversations like on how to strike the right balance between qualitative and quantitative storytelling?

Sara Kleinsmith, Bonterra: We’ve done a lot of customer stories and case studies, so we had strong qualitative storytelling to draw from — our customers at Bonterra have incredible missions and impact. The challenge was linking those stories to the data.

One way we did that was during a recent webinar, when we matched our customers to specific data points and asked them to speak to the proof we wanted to showcase. It became a kind of matching exercise — pairing the mission, the people, and their challenges, like burnout or federal funding cuts, with the insights from Ben’s team. From there, we asked: which customers can speak to this? How is Bonterra helping solve these problems?

Ben Miller, Bonterra: Instead of starting with who we knew and pulling from what was available, we started with the data: who’s doing X really well? Then we went out to those organizations and asked if they’d share their stories. That led to fantastic case studies.

Kimberly O’Donnell, Bonterra: Most impact reports rely on examples people already know are good. What we did was different — we had enough breadth to ask: who’s doing this best, why, and what’s the “secret sauce”? What makes a fundraising campaign or grant program truly transformational?

NationSwell: What were some of the lessons you learned in putting this report together — were there any unexpected obstacles or challenges? How did NationSwell help you to meet those challenges?

Ben Miller, Bonterra: One of the toughest parts was wanting the data to tell the story while also realizing that waiting on the data meant risking not having enough time. We had to pivot together as insights emerged. We’d spot something interesting, ask, “Is there more here?” and then look for supporting organizations.

It was also challenging because we were rigorous. We reviewed the data four or five times, and sometimes had to revise earlier numbers. That could’ve created confusion or mistrust, but instead it fostered transparency and a shared commitment to getting it right.

Internally, we all understood we were working toward something meaningful, and NationSwell played a huge role — the team didn’t push us down a rigid path, they were flexible and helped us shape the right story as the right data came in.

Sara Kleinsmith, Bonterra: We kept revisiting: what comes first, the data or the narrative? At one point, we were curious about generational giving — Gen Z, millennials, boomers, Gen X — who’s giving the most, who should we be reaching? But it was hard to chart that internally. Then Ben had this great idea: instead of age, what if we looked at impact maturity — where someone is on their giving journey? Are they a first-time donor or a lifelong giver?

That shift reframed everything. Rather than focusing on age, we began thinking in terms of giving readiness. It made the concept of the “Generosity Generation” more inclusive — a multi-generational group of givers and doers, each with different motivations and maturity levels.

It felt like a win — something that came out of a shared insight between us, NationSwell, and Ben’s framing. Generational labels can be reductive, but generosity spans all ages. This unlock helped us to better meet people where they are in their giving life.

NationSwell: Based on the report’s insights, what are your call-ins for our membership community when it comes to charitable giving? What feels most important for them to take away from this report?

Kimberly O’Donnell, Bonterra: Our call to action is to digest the data — there are six key takeaways, some relevant to nonprofits, others to funders and corporate partners. Think critically about how your practices compare, and how you might adopt or adapt based on what the findings show.

Sara Kleinsmith, Bonterra: And for anyone creating thought leadership or content — especially those reaching donors, partners, or investors — we’re at a critical point in how we work with AI. Writers, marketers, and creators need to be transparent: How are you using AI? How are you using human creativity alongside it? Customers, donors, and volunteers want to understand that balance. It’s evolving fast, and being clear and thoughtful about it positions you as a leader, no matter your sector.

Kimberly O’Donnell, Bonterra: That ties into how we delivered this impact report — it’s unique. If you’re advising others on their own reports, show how each takeaway connects directly to your audiences in digestible ways. It’s not just about showcasing big impact or good stories. What are the three to six insights you want readers to remember?

Ben Miller, Bonterra: Our big goal is 3% by 2033. We can’t get there alone — we’ll need everyone to contribute. If you’re part of the NationSwell community, join us. Even a 2% improvement across your network, your organization, your campaigns — it all adds up. That’s how we hit the goal: through collective action and shared best practices. That’s what the Generosity Generation is about.

The Intersection of Caregiving and Business: NationSwell Summit Explores the Care Crisis

Posted on January 8, 2025May 20, 2026 by Brianna Provenzano

As we enter a new era of workplace dynamics, the critical issue of care support for workers has become increasingly urgent. According to a survey led by AARP and S&P Global, 67% of caregivers face difficulty in balancing their employment with caregiving duties with 27% of caregivers needing to switch to part-time work or reduced hours. Furthermore, 16% of caregivers have needed to decline promotions due to their care responsibilities and 13% have been forced to change employers to meet their care needs. Between April 2022 and March 2024, the U.S. Census collected data from 1.1 million parents who said child care has kept them from working, up from 939.7K between 2018-2020. Care directly impacts the economy and both private sector solutions and public policy are needed to support the sustainability of the workforce.

In response to this urgent need, Pivotal, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation highlighted caregiving at the 2024 NationSwell Summit through an Impact Spotlight and a panel discussion, which was punctuated with an on-site immersive experience including a ‘Care Lounge’ that highlighted key stats, quotes and figures from the expanded Childcare for All site created by the Case for Childcare Collaborative.

We’ve summarized key insights from this portion of the Summit below:

Public-private partnerships are key to sustainable, systemic change.

Aly Richards, CEO of Let’s Grow Kids, shared her inspiring story through an Impact Spotlight showcasing how the nonprofit revolutionized childcare in Vermont alongside the business community, ultimately passing Act 76, which committed $125 million to the childcare sector annually through a 0.44% payroll tax. During the spotlight, Richards emphasized the critical role of childcare in both economic and social development, calling the state’s care crisis a “market failure.” Through her passionate storytelling, Richards highlighted the urgency of early childhood education on workforce participation, stating, “90% of a child’s future is baked by age 5.”

As seen by Richards’ work in Vermont, public investments can fill care gaps. Through a grassroots campaign, Let’s Grow Kids mobilized 40,000 citizens and business leaders and secured bipartisan support for Act 76. Now, more families are eligible to receive financial assistance for child care than ever before, and the state is paying programs at higher weekly rates to provide that care. Since implementation, slots have surged, boosting access for many families and relieving employers of staff shortages with a more stable workforce.

Caregiving is an economic issue with investments yielding huge economic returns.

The NationSwell caregiving panel brought together visionary leaders to discuss the urgent challenges and groundbreaking solutions shaping the future of caregiving. Moderated by Jennifer Stybel of Pivotal, the panel featured Reshma Saujani, founder of Moms First; Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO of Wellthy; and Stephan Dolling, Vice President at Merck, who each shared their personal and professional perspectives on the critical care issue.

Stybel set the stage by emphasizing caregiving as a universal challenge, stating, “None of us can do it alone. The solution lies here together.” Saujani underscored the transformative potential of prioritizing caregiving within policy and business frameworks. “We need to convince the nation that childcare is an economic issue,” she said. She credited the pandemic for shifting perspectives, noting, “We’ve slammed the door on whether childcare is a personal problem or an economic problem.”

Jurist-Rosner shared her personal caregiving journey and explained Wellthy’s mission to partner with families through personalized care coordinators, alleviating the complexities of a fragmented healthcare system. “Families need someone who can get things done,” she explained. Dolling highlighted Merck’s commitment to employee well-being and the ROI of caregiving benefits. “Providing caregiving support shows your people you truly care,” he said, sharing how Merck implemented Wellthy’s services during the pandemic resulting in overwhelming employee appreciation and support.

The conversation also spotlighted the significant economic case for caregiving. Saujani noted, “Investing in childcare offers a 425% return,” emphasizing that solutions must extend beyond privileged workforces to include hourly and shift workers.

The panelists concluded by exploring bold, actionable strategies for change: join national coalitions advocating for policy reform, foster open discussions about caregiving in workplaces, and leverage data to drive leadership buy-in. As Stybel aptly concluded, “Caregiving isn’t a niche issue; it’s a challenge that unites us all.”

Workers with the most to gain from employer-sponsored care support are traditionally excluded from care benefits.

Following the inspiring spotlight and panel, NationSwell announced the launch of the expanded Childcare for All site, which builds the case for gig, hourly, part-time and frontline workers to be included in employer benefits to support caregivers. Frontline workers represent about 70% of the workforce with 90% of companies relying on these workers. And yet, while only 14% of full-time workers have access to employer-sponsored childcare support, that number falls to 8% for part-time workers. This demonstrates a childcare benefits gap, revealing those with the most to gain from these benefits are traditionally excluded from qualifying. The detrimental effects of a broken childcare system are glaringly apparent, with parents forced to leave careers in order to take care of children, and businesses suffering huge workforce losses.

The site serves as a resource for employers to better support employees who are caregivers, highlighting 35+ actionable strategies through an interactive solutions visualization. Packed with resources, firsthand stories, insights, and examples, the site empowers businesses and individuals to advocate for and implement impactful caregiving solutions. This launch reinforces the call to action for systemic change and collective responsibility in addressing the childcare crisis. Visit the Case for Childcare Collaborative’s site to publicly commit to implementing solutions and find downloadable resources to share with your team and network. Help us forge a world where childcare is no longer a barrier for workers to remain and thrive in the workforce.

To learn more about the Case for Childcare Collaborative, click here