Dear John,

The runup to the July 4 holiday has been busy for many people in the nonprofit world, with Congress working on a sweeping tax and budget measure and the Ford Foundation naming a new leader to replace Darren Walker.

On Tuesday our reporter Ben Gose brought you the latest Senate action affecting charities and foundations. And now he’s monitoring the steps lawmakers are taking to hammer out a plan to send final legislation to President Trump.

Among the issues at stake: the fate of charitable giving incentives for individuals that nonprofits lobbied hard for — plus a tax on foundations that would cost billions of dollars a year that was passed by the House. You can count on us to help you keep up with this legislation and all the other policy shifts in Washington that affect your organization.

But the Chronicle offers lots more, and as you get ready for the July 4 break, I want to offer you a guide to catching up on what you might have missed in these busy past few weeks. While I’d love for you to dip into everything on philanthropy.com, I know you’re deluged with information.

So if you want to:

Learn how to raise money in these jittery economic days,

read how charities are adjusting their strategies in places where large numbers of federal workers have lost their jobs. 

Understand the human toll of the massive nonprofit layoffs 

caused by federal defunding, get enveloped in these stories of six of them. 

Abandon doom and gloom appeals,

take inspiration from an environmental group that sustains a warm, wholesome online community — and raises blockbuster sums.

Secure a big foundation grant, 

discover what it takes to win six-figure awards in today’s supercompetitive grant seeking landscape.

Know how AI is speeding up work for grant makers, 

get the lowdownon a new tool that assesses the financial health of organizations applying for funds. 

Stomp out the jargon your boss loves, 

tell him or her whyelite-sounding language is so dangerous in an era of growing mistrust of the social sector. 

Stay up to speed on what CEOs are thinking about, 

listen to the first seasonof our Nonprofits Now: Leading Today podcast, which just wrapped up last week. 

Follow up after you devoured Demon Copperhead on vacation,  

watch author Barbara Kingsolverexplain how she uses her fiction to spotlight people who are too often overlooked — and how her philanthropy supports women recovering from addiction.

Get motivated by a nonprofit innovator, 

read how Rebecca van Bergenturned a $24,000 gift into a $6 million nonprofit supporting craftswomen. 

I hope you’re planning to unplug during the long weekend ahead, but when you return, be sure to keep up-to-date on everything that matters in the nonprofit world by following us on our social media platforms (make sure to join the 122k strong on LinkedIn if you haven’t already) and through our newsletters. 

Get everything your organization needs to know to thrive — despite the chaotic times. Please consider a subscription today. 

Stacy Palmer
CEO, the Chronicle of Philanthropy