Two Years of The Nonprofit Hive: What We’ve Built, What I’ve Learned, and Why It Matters
It’s hard to put into words what the last two years have meant to me.
When I first launched The Nonprofit Hive, I thought I was creating a small corner of the internet where nonprofit folks could connect and feel a little less alone. What’s grown since then is so much bigger — a living, breathing ecosystem of connection, curiosity, and care.
I have made friends all over the world (some day I WILL take you up on your offers to visit), I have been asked to share my knowledge to nonprofits large and small, I have received SO MUCH cheerleading that at times it has made me cry.
My world was so small before this and I didnt even know it. Now it feels full of endless possibility, hope and passion. You all gave me that.
First, A Note of Gratitude
I may have sparked the idea, but you — every member, partner, sponsor, ambassador, speaker, and quiet cheerleader — turned it into a real community.
You took my wild dream and made it a reality.
The Hive has never been a solo project; it’s been a co-created movement. Every new match, conversation, article, and live event has added another heartbeat.
I never wanted full ownership of this. And you saw my discomfort, jumped in, became movement builders with me and said “I’m in.”
Together, we’ve built something that truly belongs to all of us.
What Being an Insider/Outsider in the Nonprofit World has Taught Me
1. Nonprofit is more powerful than we realize.
This sector underestimates itself EVERY DAY. Yes, we carry the weight of limited budgets, burnout, and “make it work” energy (all things that drag us down and make us exhausted). And we let all of those challenges define us. But what I’ve seen inside The Hive tells me that onprofiteers are systems-thinkers, storytellers, and strategists who build worlds from thin air.
The power is already here; we just needed a place to see it reflected back at us.
2. The sector’s greatest challenge isn’t resources — it’s isolation.
Across thousands of conversations, one pattern keeps repeating: nonprofit professionals don’t feel seen (both inside their organizations AND by the outside world.)
Development directors, executive assistants, founders, program managers — all quietly holding up corners of this world, wondering if anyone else gets it.
When we remove isolation, everything else starts to shift. Ideas move faster. Hope multiplies. Burnout softens into belonging.
3. Feedback isn’t a threat — it’s a sign of life.
In a field built on service, on limited resources, it can be easy to fear critique. But I’ve learned that when community members speak up, they’re saying, “I care enough to help shape this.”
The healthiest communities — and organizations — invite that energy. They say, “Cool idea. How does it fit with our vision and values? Can you help me build it?”
That’s not dissent; that’s partnership.
What Running an International Community Has Taught Me
1. Community is a verb.
It’s not the logo, or the platform, or the events. It’s not even the technology (legit, 95% of you do not care how I am accomplishing this….)
It’s the act of showing up. It’s choosing to connect again and again, even when it’s messy or imperfect. The best communities are not built once — they are built over and over in tiny, intentional ways.
2. Cadence and ritual are quiet superpowers.
There’s something almost magical about rhythm. Weekly Hive Chats, recurring sponsors, small rituals like our LinkedIn Lives or now Idealist Days; they create safety, predictability, and momentum.
In a world of chaos, cadence says, “You can trust this space.”
3. Diversity is the multiplier of meaning.
The Hive started as a North American idea. Today, we span more than 90 countries — and that diversity changed everything.
Different time zones, languages, and perspectives forced us to slow down, listen deeper, and redefine what “community” means. I was dreaming way too small at the start; the global Hive showed me what “more” truly looks like.
If I had to name one truth that’s carried me through these two years, it’s this:
Community doesn’t just make the work easier — it makes the work matter.
It keeps us humble. It keeps us honest. It reminds us that the nonprofit world isn’t a collection of organizations, it’s the most incredible collection of people. And right now we are all struggling with being asked to forever do more with less, drowning in the responsibilities we have taken on.
As my good friend Zoe says, we are the people who stand up and say “If not me, then who.”
I also can’t help but note that 1 year ago this was still primarily a 1 person team. And now behind me I have 12 ambassadors, 7 advisory board members, an additional 1500 members and the best co-director a person could possibly ask for. (Nicole Jamrozinski, what did I do before you…)
So, as we move into year three, I want to pause here; not to announce anything new, not to pitch or promote; but just to say thank you.
For believing in the experiment.
For showing up.
For proving that when connection is the goal, everything else, collaboration, innovation, joy, follows naturally.
Here’s to the next chapter.
With deep gratitude,
Tasha