The Fuel Tank
Tackling the topics that matter to the nonprofit sector.
The Fuel Tank is my weekly newsletter for nonprofit leaders and professionals.
Each Sunday, I explore a challenge, assumption or opportunity facing the sector and offer practical ideas you can put to work.
Topics range from corporate partnerships and donor relationships to communication, community-building, the psychology of giving, volunteer engagement, and the broader shifts shaping nonprofit work.
The Fuel Tank is where I work through ideas, challenge assumptions, share what I’m seeing and hearing across the sector, and explore what meaningful change could really look like.
A weekly look at what’s changing, what matters, and what nonprofits can do about it.
The Fuel Tank isn’t built around one narrow topic.
Some weeks I’m writing about corporate partnerships. Other weeks it might be donor behavior, trust, communication, community, fundraising, AI, or something happening across the nonprofit sector that deserves a closer look.
What connects it all is the same goal:
To help nonprofit professionals think more clearly, question old assumptions, and find practical ways to move their work forward.
Each issue usually includes:
A clear topic that's relevant and timely for nonprofit professionals
A deeper dive into what it means for you and your organization
Stories, stats and examples that bring the topic to life
Practical ideas you can put into action
Questions to challenge you to think differently
A personal photo tied to the subject matter
A Few Issues to Start With
A small selection of issues that reflect the range of topics I explore in The Fuel Tank.
It’s All About Translation
Your nonprofit may already have tremendous value. The challenge is helping businesses, donors, volunteers, foundations, and others understand why that value is relevant to them.
The Questions Donors Are Asking (But Not Out Loud)
Donors make decisions based on more than what they say. A look at some of the questions running beneath the surface, and what they mean for how nonprofits communicate and build relationships.
When Volunteerism Becomes Identity
What happens when someone stops thinking of themselves as a person who volunteered and starts seeing themselves as part of your organization and its mission?
Audit Your Trust Signals
Trust is shaped by dozens of small experiences. This issue looks at the signals your organization sends before, during, and after someone decides to engage with you.
10 Beliefs That Have Gotten Stronger
For the 100th issue of The Fuel Tank, I looked back at the ideas that have become more important to me through writing, listening, learning, and spending time with nonprofit professionals.
Why Readers Keep Coming Back
“Thank you for sharing. This has become my favorite Sunday morning read. Your insights have helped me courageously pursue a different way forward with partners, sponsors, and donors. You have helped validate and grow what felt like the right way for me.”
Join Me Every Sunday
If you work in or around the nonprofit sector and want thoughtful, practical ideas without the usual noise, I’d be glad to have you along.