What moved forward this week? Finished a lesson, posted your intro, had a conversation with your board: it all counts. Reply with one win. Then cheer on two others. 👏

🌙 **TONIGHT: Caregiver Support Circle** Thursday, October 22 • 7:00–8:00 PM ET • On Zoom Caring for someone you love is hard work, and you don't have to carry it alone. Join fellow family caregivers tonight for an hour of real conversation, encouragement, and practical ideas. Come as you are. Listen or share; either is welcome. 💻 **Join Zoom:** https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81284915200?pwd=UaA7f0AL0cQh8uXmMbqONkw4UDv9fU.1 Meeting ID: 812 8491 5200 Passcode: 738812 Free to attend. Bring a cup of tea and a friend who's caregiving too. 💙 More support anytime in the CareCFA Community: https://www.skool.com/carecfa-community-7806 #Caregivers #FamilyCaregiving #CaregiverSupport #CareCFA #SupportGroup ---

📘 Readiness Wednesday: What's your most urgent gap? Course 1 names four things that need to be in place before writing: a working mission, linked cycles (operations, assessment and budget on one fiscal calendar), documented work systems, and compliance. Reply with: the one that's weakest for your organization right now, and one sentence on why. (This is the Module One task in Course 1. If you haven't started yet, this is your sign. 😊)

💰 Funding Opportunity of the Week: Week 1 Funder: Sparkplug Foundation Program: Fall 2026 Grant Cycle (Education, Community Organizing, or Music) Official page: https://www.sparkplugfoundation.org/apply/ Deadline: Letter of Intent due November 1, 2026; if invited, full application due November 16, 2026 (confirm on their site) Award range: $1,000 to $20,000 (most awards are $10,000–$15,000) Who can apply: U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations, or projects with a U.S.-based fiscal sponsor; annual budget under $1 million; work in education, community organizing, or music. Not for religious activity, lobbying, or election campaigns. What it funds: Early-stage organizations and new projects—materials and activities that make a new idea real and sustainable, including short-term staff and start-up general operating for new organizations only. Start-up fit: Good fit, because Sparkplug explicitly funds early-stage organizations and new projects, allows fiscal sponsors, sets no minimum years of operation, and caps org budgets at under $1 million. Readiness check: before you write a word This opportunity will ask you to show: - 501(c)(3) status or a signed U.S. fiscal sponsor agreement → Course 7 - A clear one-year project plan with specific steps and who you will reach → Course 1 / Course 3 - An annual budget under $1 million and a project budget for the year → Course 6 This week's readiness angle: Use the five funder questions from Course 1. Which of them could you answer today with evidence, not just a claim? 💬 Your turn: Is this a fit for you? Reply with Go, Not yet or Not for us and one reason. If you know of another open opportunity, share it below with a link to the funder's page. Reminder: always confirm deadlines and eligibility on the funder's own site. Sharing an opportunity is not advice to apply, and no one here can guarantee an award.

Many nonprofit founders are also caring for someone at home: a parent, a spouse, a child. Building an organization while caregiving is a lot to carry. The CareCFA Community is our free community for family caregivers, from the same 501(c)(3) that runs this Academy. Inside you'll find a supportive feed, two free starter courses, a free Caregiver Daily Plan Checklist, and a weekly 30-minute Caregiver Support Circle on Thursdays at 7:00 PM ET. 👉 https://www.skool.com/carecfa-community-7806 It's also a good place to listen if your nonprofit serves caregivers. Please join as a caregiver or a supporter, not to promote services (the same no-selling rule applies there). Edward Peer support and education, not medical advice.