The Undercurrent

Commentary from and about the nonprofit sector

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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Community Justice Center: A One-Stop Shop for Hope, Healing, and Justice

Apr 22, 2025

The Community Justice Center (CJC), located at the Harrelson Center in Wilmington, NC, is a place of hope for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and youth violence. As the CEO and...

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Every Day, Every Week: A Sampling of Calls for Guidance

Apr 17, 2025

The Harrelson Center is Wilmington’s campus for humanitarian nonprofits. People know they can visit our campus and find support for many of life’s challenges from interpersonal violence and food insecurity to childhood...

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