We are all being challenged like never before. As you read this, we are in the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month. With all of the chaos around us, it’s important to follow the advice we all receive when flying: be sure to put your oxygen mask on first, so you can help others. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we won’t be able to keep helping others.

It's easier said than done, but be sure you are taking care of yourselves and others on your teams as best you can. This is a time for us all to support each other. For some resources, check out Mental Health America’s Workplace Mental Health Toolkit and the Nonprofit Risk Management Center’s article, “Providing Mental Wellness Support and Services to Staff at Small Nonprofits.”

In a bit of a breaking news update - in case you aren't subscribed to our other newsletter, Nonprofit Champion - check out this special edition we sent earlier this morning with everything you need to know about the proposed tax provisions of the massive reconciliation bill that Congress is working on. Bottom line: there's a lot to be concerned about, from significantly-increased costs to the Treasury Secretary having increased power to take away tax exemptions. Be sure to read that special edition and reach out to your members of Congress ASAP!

Also in this month’s edition of Nonprofit Essentials, we share guidance on messaging you can use when talking to the media, as well as news of a free webinar on what to do if your government grant is threatened. Read on for more.

We don’t need to convince any readers of this newsletter of the tremendous impact that nonprofits are making in communities every day. But we know from research from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University that there are too many people who don’t realize that their lives are touched by nonprofits every day. At a time when nonprofits aren’t just underappreciated, they are being actively maligned, it’s important for people to hear the stories of local nonprofits, like yours. To help tell that story, NCN worked with Avoq to create a communications guide with insights on telling the nonprofit story, as well as how to handle challenging interviews.

Join the National Council of Nonprofits for a free webinar for nonprofits on responding to federal grant cancellations. The webinar will cover how grants are being cancelled, steps grantees should take to prepare for the risk of cancellation, and considerations for organizations after cancellation. The NCN Public Policy team will also share actions that you can take now to advocate for your nonprofit organizations.

The presentation will be provided by Amanda Fuchs Miller, President of Seventh Street Strategies. Amanda has more than three decades of experience working inside and outside of government. As President of Seventh Street Strategies, she works with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and higher education institutions to provide advocacy, policy, oversight, and communications support.

Telling the stories of the nonprofit sector’s national impact or large numbers of government funding cuts don’t resonate as much as the stories of individual nonprofits and the people they are helping every day. Share your nonprofit’s story to help us amplify the real world impacts in your community.

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.