Tired of fair-weather funders who pull funding when it’s most needed? Fund it yourselves.

By Maria Rio, CEO of Further Together, provider of no-nonsense truths and actionable tips, and host of The Small Nonprofit podcast

Self-funding means your board doesn’t have to side-eye every press release. It means you can call out injustice, push for systemic change, and stay true to your mission—without sugarcoating or playing nice. Our work is about breaking chains, not asking for longer ones.

You want to advocate for housing rights? To challenge racist policies? To demand environmental justice? Then stop tying your fate to a system designed to keep you quiet. 

The funding freezes and recent House bill threatening nonprofits over alleged “terrorist ties” are just the latest reminder that the same systems you fight against are the ones writing the checks. The nonprofit industrial complex is on full display right now, and if we want to make it through the dark times ahead, we need to build our own power—starting with our wallets.

If we want to keep our voices loud and our movements strong, we need to fund them ourselves. 

No more cancelled DEI initiatives. No more appeasing donors who “aren’t comfortable” with radical truth-telling. No more wondering if today’s politician will tank your budget.

Social enterprise is the answer. It’s viable. It’s scalable. The question isn’t if your organization can make this work; it’s how fast you can get started. How can your organization deliver value in a way that addresses a gap in the market? Maybe it’s a product, a service, or even a fee-for-service program that serves your community and fuels your mission.

Why we need to fund it ourselves:

Advocacy

Many donors are terrified of being “too political.” They’ll write checks for safe, non-controversial causes but vanish the second you push for real change. And the truth many of us understand is that we could never fully rely on white liberal dollars; they either have skin in the game, or they don’t.

Self-funding means your board doesn’t have to side-eye every press release. It means you can call out injustice, push for systemic change, and stay true to your mission—without sugarcoating or playing nice. Our work is about breaking chains, not asking for longer ones.

Resilience

As Kamala said: “We organize, mobilize. We educate, and we advocate—because, you see, our power has never come from having an easy path. Our strength flows from our faith—faith in God, faith in each other—and our refusal to surrender to cynicism and destruction, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary, not because victory is guaranteed, but because the fight is worth it.” 

State and local leaders are being strong-armed into submission, and entire communities are being held hostage by funding threats. The danger of losing programs and progress when funders and governments pull support isn’t a hypothetical—it’s happening now.

With trans rights, immigrant protections, and reproductive justice under fire, we can’t afford to lose ground. 

Funding ourselves means our communities can count on us through every storm. While others scale back, self-funded organizations can double down, meeting immediate needs and building long-term resistance. 

Organizations with social enterprise successes:

💥 FoodReach – program by North York Harvest Food Bank (NYHFB)

NYHFB’s FoodReach program is living proof that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” 

This social enterprise uses collective purchasing power to help nearly 200 nonprofits get high-quality food at deeply reduced rates. Acting as a bulk buyer, FoodReach negotiates lower prices on essential food items and passes those savings directly to its partners.

With $2 million in annual revenue, FoodReach is funding NYHFB and creating a ripple effect of stability across the sector. By helping partners save an average of 35% on food costs, the program gives funds and power back to nonprofits. In turn, those savings fund programs, increase capacity, and provide a financial cushion against funding cuts. This business-to-business social enterprise model helps build a nonprofit sector with real muscle, ready to push back when it matters most.

💥 The SEED – program by Guelph Community Health Center

The SEED believes access to healthy food is a human right; and their business-to-consumer social enterprise model is a masterclass in dignified programming. Their Sliding Scale Grocery Program allows those experiencing poverty to shop in spaces with people who are not experiencing poverty. There’s no “us” and “them,” just a shared space where everyone is treated with respect. 

Customers can pay anywhere from $0 to full price, with wealthier shoppers naturally subsidizing those in need. It’s community solidarity in action, and it builds a culture of equity and mutual support. 

On top of that, The SEED runs a business-to-business social enterprise model by buying and reselling food wholesale, generating a steady stream of revenue. 

What started with just $60k in sales nine years ago has exploded to $800k in wholesale revenue and $2.2 million in donated food annually. This model now covers a third of The SEED’s operating costs, giving them stability and independence.

💥 Southside Blooms – program by Chicago Eco House

Southside Blooms, a project by Chicago Eco House, believes that every community deserves beauty, opportunity, and real agency. They’re turning neglected urban spaces into vibrant flower farms that deliver both economic and environmental benefits. They then deliver locally grown flowers sold to businesses and consumers, generating $2 million in annual revenue. 

Through this program, they support Chicago’s Englewood community by offering training and employment in urban agriculture and horticulture. By providing job skills and work opportunities, they give residents a paycheck and a stake in the revitalization of their own neighborhood. 

This social enterprise model turns blight into bloom, joblessness into opportunity, and community spaces into hubs of pride and ownership. 

Southside Blooms proves that when nonprofits adopt a business mindset, they can achieve lasting change. Moreover, this financial independence means Southside Blooms can expand its initiatives without constantly chasing donor dollars.

This is what innovation looks like; solving a problem and strengthening the community simultaneously. But these organizations aren’t the only ones. Through their fee-for-service Out In Schools programs, Out On Screen is delivering critical education on inclusivity and acceptance while generating sustainable revenue. Similarly, Strong Minds Strong Kids has covered 17% of their operating budget through paid program delivery. These innovative social enterprise models support the community and positions these two orgs as leaders in providing meaningful, paid educational services.

As a final example, let’s take Back 2 School America—an organization dedicated to ensuring that kids of all income levels have access to much-needed school supplies. To meet this vision, B2SA partners with companies who give funds to participate in their team-building “Build a Kit” days, giving employees a valued experience while creating school supply kits for kids across America. Through this business-to-business social enterprise model, B2SA has managed to cover over 70% of its operating expenses.

How do we get started?

• Step 1: Identify services: What does your organization already do that could generate income?
• Step 2: Start small: Pilot a product or service with a clear value proposition.
• Step 3: Measure profitability: Ensure alignment with your mission and financial viability.

If you are seriously considering it, I interviewed Quilen Blackwell, ED of Southside Blooms, on my podcast, The Small Nonprofit. In it, he walks you through how he did it, along with the challenges and opportunities along the way. 

Funding yourselves is an act of resistance. It’s a declaration that your mission won’t be held hostage by donors or politicians with ulterior motives. When you build your own revenue streams, you reclaim the power to say what needs to be said, to serve who needs to be served, and to fight the fights that matter most.

This is the future we need: leaders that can’t be silenced, organizations that can’t be starved out, and boards that won’t compromise on justice.

The world doesn’t need more nonprofits surviving on life support. It needs movements with muscle, missions with money, and leaders who refuse to play small. 

It’s time to break your chains — fund it yourself.  “Not because it is easy, but because it is necessary, not because victory is guaranteed, but because the fight is worth it.”