The Undercurrent

Commentary from and about the nonprofit sector

Help Hub: Informed by more than 25K conversations

Dec 9, 2025

By Sonja McFarland, founding director of Help Hub The Help Hub is 10 years old this year. It’s been a decade of compassion, partnership, and community; a decade of showing up for...

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Important Info for Donating Food

Important Info for Donating Food

Nov 4, 2025

These are hard days for many. For those with plenty, here are valuable insights to guide your food donations. 1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely...

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Cracking the Canopy Code: Why Tree Advocacy is Rooted in Policy

Cracking the Canopy Code: Why Tree Advocacy is Rooted in Policy

Oct 17, 2025

by Isabelle Shepherd, Executive Director, Alliance for Cape Fear Trees When I tell folks that I’m the Executive Director of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees (the Alliance), the reactions are often...

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Disaster Response is a Year-Round Commitment

Disaster Response is a Year-Round Commitment

Aug 11, 2025

by Daniel Altenau, Director of Communications & Disaster Services, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh  At Catholic Charities, disaster response is not a seasonal operation. It is a year-round commitment rooted...

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Empowering Futures: Forward Fund Student Loans

Jun 16, 2025

by Meghan Dennison, CEO of Forward Fund If we’re to overcome crippling student debt and create real opportunities for higher wage careers, we need a new system. That’s why I launched The Forward...

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Nonprofits Are More Than Charity—They’re an Economic Engine

Nonprofits Are More Than Charity—They’re an Economic Engine

Jun 5, 2025

Nonprofits Are More Than Charity—They’re an Economic Engine by Kendall Englehart, Communications Manager, Communities In Schools Cape Fear This post is part of a series:  Minding Our Business: Giving, Receiving & the...

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Trust-Based Philanthropy: From Control to Empowerment

May 27, 2025

by David Chatham, Senior Client Success Strategist, Angel Oak Creative This post is part of a series:  Minding Our Business: Giving, Receiving & the Nonprofit Sector At Angel Oak Creative, we believe...

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Standing by Our Veterans: Wilmington Nonprofits Answer the Call

May 21, 2025

I’m Si Cantwell. Margee Herring of the Harrelson Center has asked me to write a blog post about nonprofits that serve the veterans community (interrupting my perfectly peaceful retirement!). I volunteer with...

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Why Funding Nonprofit Overhead is Essential

May 1, 2025

This post is part of a series:  Minding Our Business: Giving, Receiving & the Nonprofit Sector   In the nonprofit sector, a long-standing peeve persists: that low overhead is a measure of...

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