This year is not completely broken. But, umm, WTF?

Howdy Christina, Kate, John, Kara, Derek, Jessica, Brendan, and Megan. Thanks for being part of Future Community. Click reply and reach out if you have questions or are looking for specific information.

That goes for you, too, dear reader. What are you working on? What's your biggest hope (or plan) for 2026?

Me? I'll settle for regime change (hope) and steady cash flow (plan). Is either too much to ask?

BTW, the newest jobs are down near the bottom of the page. ⤵️

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My Ten predictions for 2026 ended up being 11 ideas of what we may experience and learn about community, communications, and change in 2026. These generally fall into the hope-leavened realism category.

And here we are. In 2026...

It's January 7th and the state of things in politics, public health, human rights, climate, the economy is, well, rough looking. Where is the care? The calm? The hand reached out to help?

You won't find much of that in the national news or your social media platform.

A defining tension of 2026 will be our search for care and community while being pressed - and often pressed hard - by fear, AI, surveillance tech, unstable employment, rising costs, uncertain futures.

We'll respond by seeking small, trusted groups. Those could be online but also certainly in person. We'll seek escape and experiences as we come to terms with diminished agency and ability to influence the "big issues" of the day. The challenge for nonprofits, news, communicators, and leaders is to be part of those experiences and opportunities. Don't give up! Instead, dig in and create memorable and meaningful events.

Bright Ideas

7 Communications Trends for 2026 from The Communications Network. Most useful here is guidance on the sorts of capacities and roles organizations should look to have if they want to adapt to trends in community, AI, trust, and more.

Please please please...ask your supporters to be part of something meaningful. Invite them to take actions that matter. And do it with one another. Not alone. Those are my passable cliff notes on Haley Bash's wonderful(!) The Revolution Will Not Be Webinar-ed.

Venezuela and the broken analysis all around us: despite the title this piece is less about Venezuela and more about how leaders see multiple steps ahead, adapt, shift, and operate in an almost comically complex and leaderless world. This comes from the COMMON community via Julia Roig.

Sooo, we are going to talk about email deliverability, after all? Here are two good non-technical pieces for comms practitioners. Something worth noting: You really do have control over the relational value that you build with subscribers.

• Why your 99% deliverability rate is a lie via 4Site Studios.
• Stop Saying Deliverability. Start Worrying About See-Ability. By Roger Craver at The Agitator.

How CalMatters kept our government transparent and our leaders accountable in 2025 is an impact report that is actually an impact report. This is rare, worthy of note, and should be modeled by others. Via Andrew Losowsky.

Events and Trainings 🧑‍🎓

Join New Media Mentors for The New Digital Best Practices: What every nonprofit or labor staffer needs to know about digital strategy today. Three sessions beginning February 5.

✋ Raise your hand if you or someone you know could use help running better meetings. If you're not raising your hand you're probably lying. That's ok. Anyway, check out this meeting facilitation workshop run by Sticky Note Labs on January 23rd. Recommended by Malinda Frevert.

Coming tomorrow...

• What's Working to Grow Your Newsletter is a chance to learn from Lex Roman and the Revenue Rulebreaker community. January 8.
  • FYI that Lex has put together an incredible calendar of community events for indie creators and entrepreneurs. A lot more overlap here for newsletter and email publishers, content strategists, and community builders. Check it out.
• From Reactive to Strategic: Your 2026 Leadership Reset, a free workshop hosted by ​Maya Hasan, Founder & CEO of Fearless. January 8.

Future Community Jobs

These are the latest links. Check out the full job list here.

Hiring? Consider shipping a featured job out into this amazing community. Learn more here or just reach out on email.

Audience, content, journalism and news roles

• Audience Development Manager (3 roles) : City Cast [Chicago / Denver / Portland]
• Producer, Think Out Loud : Oregon Public Broadcasting [Portland, OR]
• Investigative Editor : The Investigation [Remote] ⏱️ January 15
• Director of Revenue & Growth : [Helena / Remote in Montana]

Communications

• Director of Editorial Strategy & Storytelling : The American Civil Liberties Union [New York]
• Storytelling & Content Manager : Widelands Network [Remote in the US]
• Strategic Communications Lead : [Remote in the US]
• Head of Communications : Barrow Cadbury Trust [London]

Nonprofit organizations

• Digital Campaigner and Press Officer : Uplift [Remote in the UK / Scotland preferred]
• Network Programs and Partnerships Lead : Food Systems Leadership Network [Remote in the US]
• 👀 Senior Political Director : End Citizens United [Washington, DC]

Fundraising and Development

• Director of Philanthropic Advising : Movement Voter Project [Remote in the US]

Foundations and Philanthropy

• Director of Programs : The Buell Foundation [Denver]
• Controller : Schott Foundation [Remote in the US]
• Program Officer : Movement Strategy Center [Remote in the US]
• Program Manager, Campaigns : Energy Action Fund (EAF) [Remote in the US]

Agencies, politics, products, projects & more

• Director of Strategic Campaigns : Ground Media [Remote in the US]
• Head of Product and Controller : Engaging Networks [Remote in the US or Canada]

Future Community is a product of Ted Fickes and Bright+3. Reply or visit Bright+3 to get in touch and learn more about our work. It's fabulous.