In commemoration of the July 26, 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, each July we celebrate Disability Pride Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 4 adults in the United States is affected by a disability. (See this CDC infographic on types of disabilities and the barriers people with disabilities face.)

This Disability Pride Month, we are inspired by the Disability Futures Fellows, artists with disabilities who are honored and lifted up through a program supported by the Ford Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. And we applaud the many nonprofits working toward equity and inclusion for people with all types of disabilities.

Your nonprofit can demonstrate Disability Pride in a variety of ways. One thing we do here at NCN is ensure that the registration page for every one of our national webinars (including the one you’ll hear about below) includes this question, “We are committed to hosting accessible, inclusive events. Would an accessibility accommodation or service be useful to help you fully participate?”

How is your nonprofit showing its Disability Pride?

In last month’s edition of Nonprofit Essentials, we acknowledged the retirement of our longtime President & CEO, Tim Delaney. As part of our celebration of his legacy last month, Tim shared some words of wisdom with those in attendance. He then took that speech and elaborated on it a bit in his farewell article, “Find Fulfillment by Creating Your Future.” We share with you Tim’s reflections and lessons learned from more than 30 years working full-time in public service positions in government and charitable nonprofits.

In this article, Kevin Dean of Tennessee Nonprofit Network shares the journey leading to his upcoming sabbatical. It’s a familiar one for many in the nonprofit world, showing limitless dedication to the mission of the organization without taking care of ourselves. Kevin’s article is useful not just to learn about the warning signs of burnout that he saw in himself, but also the powerful narrative about why we need to take burnout seriously and how nonprofit leaders and boards need to be supportive in providing time for people to step away and recharge.

As COVID-era funding comes to an end, many nonprofits are looking for new sources of revenue. There are still State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that can be tapped before the end of this year. This article by Emily Garr Pacetti of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland looks at the opportunities that nonprofits have in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, each of which includes funds for support of disadvantaged people and places.

It’s no secret that giving is down. For many nonprofits, that’s not a new phenomenon that just showed up in Giving USA data the past couple years; it’s been an ongoing challenge. This article from The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights three organizations that are trying new strategies to reach donors, from adding humor to engaging volunteers to surveying to find messages that resonate. Each part of the story provides learnings and tips that all nonprofits can use.

As part of the release of the new Nonprofit Voter Engagement Guide, the National Council of Nonprofits and Nonprofit VOTE are delighted to present a free webinar: “Nonpartisan Voter Engagement “How To” for Nonprofits.” In this 45-minute webinar, attendees will get an in-depth look at how nonprofits can navigate election activities while remaining nonpartisan.

Join our national webinar on July 30 at 3:00 pm Eastern to learn why and how nonprofits should do nonpartisan voter engagement between now and Election Day using the Nonprofit Voter Engagement Guide. Find out how easy it is to register eligible voters, share reliable information on polling places and voting, and engage with candidates in a nonpartisan way.

Hundreds of people visit our job board each day, where they find thousands of nonprofit jobs across the country like those in this recent sampling. Browse jobs or list openings at your nonprofit.