Most of us would agree that this has been a long year. I live in Los Angeles, and January began with catastrophic wildfires—a disaster that brought loss and grief, but was met with generosity and bravery from my neighbors. Just a few months later, we experienced the first wave of federal crackdowns against immigration, leading to heated debates and protests about how to address Americans’ real concerns about securing the border while still respecting the dignity and humanity of all community members. Whatever our backgrounds or beliefs, we’re all experiencing profound changes outside our control.

Futurist Jamais Cascio calls this a “BANI” world, meaning that our reality increasingly feels more Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensible. Our minds aren’t equipped to hold this level of uncertainty, and that stress can ripple out and fracture our communities. The solution? To cultivate our resilience, empathy, and willingness to improvise. We have to become more flexible, lean on one another to find a way forward, and hold onto what makes us human when things get hard.

The Countercultural Work

This is why the work of New Pluralists and our partners brings me hope. I’m struck by how countercultural pluralism is. In a moment where many of us yearn for easy answers, pluralists are helping communities work through their differences, contend with our hardest problems, and imagine new possibilities for our future. At a time when America feels defined by our divisions, pluralists are stitching and weaving us back together. This work isn’t soft or easy—in fact, it’s some of the hardest work that any of us will ever do.

2025: Investing in the Ecosystem

Our team began the year in Atlanta, Georgia, at Pluralism in Action, an event that brought together 170+ leaders committed to figuring out how we meet this challenge. Together, we celebrated some of the research and innovations successfully fostering trust and cooperation in American communities, even as we recognized that this ecosystem remains fairly young and fragile.

That event directly informed our grantmaking. Based on recommendations and proposals that emerged from participants, we invested more than $1M in strengthening this ecosystem’s collective capacity to understand what works, reach and persuade more people, and get smarter at combining research and practice.

The Challenge Ahead

We also spent a lot of time in rooms with funders and field leaders, and it’s clear to us that pluralism has captured the imagination of leaders across philanthropy, business, and community life. Many are drawn to the idea of pluralism; far fewer know how to effectively practice it; and very few have clear strategies for how to invest in it.

Although demand is higher than ever, pluralism organizations are facing significant challenges. We’ve received  reports of organizations who saw long-term funders end their donations, and federal cuts have destabilized many others. Donors are also asking hard questions about the value of this work: if it’s capable of delivering on the promises of the American Dream, if it can reverse democratic backsliding, and if it can disrupt a worrying cycle of isolation, bitterness, and antagonism.

As we move into 2026, we’re tackling those challenges directly with three priorities:

  1. “Learn Out Loud”: We intend to create more spaces for funders and field leaders to learn from one another, build their skills and capacity, and navigate emerging threats to and opportunities for pluralism.
  2. Focus on Breakthroughs: We’re investing in projects that bring unlikely allies together across class divides to improve their communities. This also builds on insights that financial security is one of the deepest dividing lines in America. This is the goal of our 2026 Breakthrough Fund.
  3. Strengthen Casemaking: We’re creating the foundation for better casemaking by strengthening our measurement and evaluation practice and helping more funders understand why pluralism is crucial to making progress on any issue they care about.

Here’s what I’d say: The only way we can navigate this complex, fast-changing world is if we learn to trust and count on each other. The vast majority of Americans believe in our democratic ideals, want everyone to have a fair shot at a good life, and seek to help their neighbors and make their communities better.

I want to close with my gratitude. After my first year as co-executive director, I’m deeply moved by the courage and wisdom of our partners. You’ve taught me a lot about what it means to confront change with compassion, humility, and grace. Thank you for everything that you do, and I look forward to working together more next year to bring our shared aspirations to life.