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The Fierce Urgency of Now: Our Time to Trust and Give

Last December, I was in an all-day training, ready to wrap up when the trainer’s final words made me sit up straighter. “We all have two gifts we can give,” Adam Schwartz said. “One is time and that is finite. The other is love and that is infinite.”

That moment struck me. At its core, philanthropy simply means “the love of humankind.” And today, that love is needed right here in this community.

As someone privileged to lead the Athens Area Community Foundation, I witness the power of generosity every day. I see how time, talent, and resources come together to change lives. But I also see gaps, growing needs, and the fatigue that weighs on those trying to hold it all together.

What gives me hope is this: when people give of themselves, their stories, and their support, you witness transformation happen.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once spoke of “the fierce urgency of now.” I believe that urgency is real, and I believe that now is the time to make an impact in our schools, our neighborhoods, our health systems, and our civic life.

The beautiful news is that each of us has the ability to meet that urgency with action.  Everyone can be a philanthropist.

Here are three ways to love humankind.

• Connect. Share a conversation. Learn something new. Meet someone new.
• Serve. Listen deeply. Volunteer your time. Be present.
• Give. Give understanding. Give generously. Give love.

These small, powerful acts are how we move from individual concern to collective change.

And the data backs this up: After four years of decline, public confidence in the nonprofit sector has grown again. According to Independent Sector’s 2024 Trust in Civil Society report, 57% of Americans now say they have high trust in nonprofit organizations. That marks a five-point increase from 2023, when trust had fallen to 52% after several years of erosion. Nonprofits now stand as the most trusted sector in the nation, ahead of business, government, and media. This renewed trust shows that people believe nonprofits are part of the solution and remain central to the work of building stronger communities (Independent Sector, Trust in Civil Society 2024, independentsector.org).

In 2023, more than $557 billion was donated to charity. That figure is inspiring but what matters more is who gave and why. Giving is an act of belief. Belief in people. In community. In the idea that we can make something better together. (Giving USA 2024: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2023.)

I want to invite you to give. You can give not just with money, but with presence, purpose, and love.

Trust. Give. Urgently.

The fierce urgency of now is not just a call. It is a commitment to our community where everyone can live, thrive, and give. Together, we can build the community we all deserve. Be a philanthropist. Love one another. Be humankind. Be both (human and kind).

Sarah McKinney

President | CEO

Athens Area Community Foundation

ABOUT ATHENS AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

The history of the Athens Area Community Foundation is rooted in the trusted leadership of community members focused on expanding our ability to serve as a public grantmaking foundation partnering with donors, nonprofits, and institutions to grow, preserve, and share philanthropic assets. Its stated mission is “to help passionate donors leave permanent legacies, foster strategic philanthropy, and shape effective responses to community needs through collaboration.” Serving Barrow, Clarke, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe counties. For more information about the Athens Area Community Foundation, please visit www.athensareacf.org.