To our clients, friends and community,

I write this on the heels of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, as we usher in the second year of the current administration amid more headlines, cruelty, and chaos than most of us can fully digest. As we face 2026, a sense of trepidation feels unavoidable. I keep hearing the word “uncertainty” from our clients, across the nonprofit sector, and frankly, in conversations about the world at large.

I don’t dispute this uncertainty, but I also look around (at many of you, in fact) and see communities that continue to work for a better tomorrow. Often this work is quiet and difficult, and you may feel it barely moves the needle. But it does –  our neighbors in Minnesota have come together as a community to support their neighbors and push back on violence. We know of a recently constructed childcare center that doubled care spots for working families in a small community. We know housing is getting built and loans are being made to help small businesses owners. Lawsuits are underway to protect Constitutional rights. Mental health support and medical care are being delivered.  And much work continues to advance justice and equality – despite significant challenges and efforts to shut them down.

This work matters. It always has.

As I reflected on Dr. King yesterday, I read his 1963 address at Detroit’s Walk to Freedom that culminated at Cobo Hall and found his words just as prescient today:

“But now more than ever, America is forced to grapple with this problem [fulfillment of the Emancipation Proclamation], for the shape of the world today does not afford the luxury of an anemic democracy.”

That’s right. This is no time for an anemic democracy. So what more can we do to join together, either through the organizations we’ve built or as members of the many communities we represent? Below are a few reminders as we navigate this moment:

  • Remember that ballot initiatives are considered “lobbying” and 501c3 organizations may participate in the electoral process to advocate for the defeat or support of an amendment within certain parameters.
  • Let a hopeful anthem or two fuel you

And, critically, take care of yourselves and your neighbors. Ask where the gaps are. Figure out how to bridge them.

Thank you for being part of a healthy democracy.

In appreciation,

Melissa and the team at Scholz Nonprofit Law, with special thanks to Haley for her writing prowess

Please reach out with any questions by emailing Jessica, Melissa, Jeff, West , Haley or Tracy.