Telling the Story of the Nonprofit Sector
By Angelica Frias, Vice President of Action & Engagement
Across California, nonprofits make everyday life possible. We power change, spark ideas, create jobs, and keep communities strong. Yet too often, our impact goes unseen or misunderstood — framed through a charity lens instead of recognized for what it is: the engine that keeps our communities and local economies moving.
Last October, the 2025 Social Impact Sector Summit made one thing clear: it’s time to change that. CNM and sector leaders are calling for a collective effort to move beyond outdated charity narratives and reveal the full truth: that nonprofits are essential civic and economic infrastructure. By investing in talent, transparency, and unified storytelling, we can rebuild public trust, shift perception, and ensure the resources and recognition this sector deserves.
At the 2025 Social Impact Sector Summit, nonprofit leaders, funders, and communications experts came together to examine how the public perceives nonprofits and how the sector can reclaim and reshape that story.
The panel, which brought together statewide policy, a community foundation, and a creative agency, framed the conversation and set the tone for the workshop that followed. From there, participants brought those ideas to life through their own experiences and perspectives. What surfaced was both challenging and clarifying: roughly 65% of participants expressed concern about negative public sentiment, citing widespread beliefs that nonprofits are inefficient, outdated, or mismanaged. Yet there was also a meaningful minority (20%) who described nonprofits as vital forces for connection, innovation, and hope, proof that a strong foundation for a new narrative already exists.
Together, we named what many of us already know: nonprofits are the backbone of community life — present in every stage of it, yet too often taken for granted. The conversation pushed past the old “charity” frame and centered a more accurate truth: our organizations are job creators, innovators, and trusted problem-solvers. We drive systems change, hold communities together, and strengthen the local economy every day.
Common misperceptions—ranging from “poor business models” and “duplication of services” to ideological labeling as “too progressive”—were identified as barriers to public trust and understanding. In response, speakers called for sector-wide storytelling grounded in truth and transparency—showing how nonprofits deliver measurable results, strengthen communities, and invest in people.
As one participant summarized, “We are the infrastructure that makes life work—but people still think of us as handouts.”
The discussion reinforced CNM’s leadership role in guiding this narrative shift from charity to infrastructure, from invisibility to influence. The call to action was clear: to tell a more unified, honest, and hopeful story about the nonprofit sector—one that reflects its essential role in California’s social and economic ecosystem.
The conversation made it clear that changing perception starts with us — how we show up, how we tell our story, and how we claim our role in shaping California’s future. If the public still sees nonprofits as secondary, we have the power to change that by making our impact visible and undeniable. We create jobs, drive innovation, and hold our communities together every day.
The work ahead is about visibility and voice. We’re moving toward a collective shift in mindset — one that redefines how people see the social impact sector and the role we play in civic life. When we invest in our people, lead with transparency, and tell a unified story, we strengthen public trust and open the door to the resources and visibility our sector has long needed.
