Earlier this month, New Profit announced that Tulaine Montgomery concluded her tenure as Chief Executive Officer, launching the next phase of her work as a New Profit Proximity Fellow. The Board of Directors unanimously appointed Shruti Sehra as Chief Executive Officer and Molly O'Donnell as President to shape New Profit's next era. Sehra and O'Donnell bring deep institutional and sector knowledge and an enduring commitment to New Profit's mission, grantees, and community of donors.

From Shruti Sehra: "Stepping into the role of CEO of New Profit is a great honor for me. After 20 years with the organization, I feel more confident than ever about what New Profit was built to do, and how urgently that work is called for now, and in the years ahead. Our mission is clear: catalyze the impact of the most innovative social entrepreneurs to expand access and opportunity in America."

NEW PROFIT FEATURE

Spend an hour with the New Profit team and you’re guaranteed to hear one word: proximity. We believe this concept is central to achieving transformational social change in our lifetimes. So what do we mean by it? When it comes to systems change, proximity means that those closest to a challenge or need are those with the greatest insight on how to solve these problems. But too often, these are exactly the leaders and organizations who are overlooked by funders.

NEWS FROM NEW PROFIT

• On April 15, New Profit hosted a community breakfast at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego, bringing together 60 social entrepreneurs and portfolio team members to connect, relax, and share a meal.
  
  

• Read Tulaine Montgomery's love letter to the New Profit community, where she reflects on her time at New Profit and her next chapter as a New Profit Proximity Fellow.
  
  

• New Profit was recently highlighted in an article 'Collaboratives as a Philanthropic Asset Class', from Alison Powell of The Bridgespan Group, Neha Dalal of Jasper Ridge Partners, and Kimberly Dasher-Tripp of Strategy for Scale as an example of a collaborative that sources and evaluates organizations, provides support beyond the grant, and engages its donor community.
  
  

• Vanessa Kirsch, Founder-in-Residence and Senior Partner at New Profit, joined a panel at Harvard Venture Capital Group's 2026 Entrepreneurship Summit on impact investing.
  
  
• Our inaugural Catalyze Alumni Lab held their first in-person convening in Atlanta, GA. The Economic Mobility Catalyze Cohort gathered for their second convening in New Orleans, LA.

   

• Last month, we released our 2026 Field Insights to reflect how the nonprofit landscape is evolving. The report identifies four emerging themes from our grantees and field networks—insights we believe philanthropy must act on to strengthen our collective efforts. Learn more. 

COMING SOON 

At a moment when polarization, mistrust, and disconnection are making it harder to find common ground and pursue shared goals together, New Profit is launching Connected Futures—a new Catalyze cohort for organizations whose core work helps people move across divides toward trust, collaboration, and collective action. 

This cohort is for organizations working across health, economic mobility, democracy, and/or education that are building the relationships, skills, and structures people need to work together across sources of division and accelerate social progress.

Look out for the open call launching on May 5, with submissions accepted through May 26.

PORTFOLIO NEWS

• Seanicaa Edwards Herron, founder and CEO of Freedmen Heirs Foundation, has been named a McNulty Catalyst Fund Awardee. The McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund recognizes promising ventures led by leaders in the Aspen Institute network with significant early momentum at critical junctures in their path to creating meaningful change.
  
  

• Emergent Works will host a celebration of its yearlong T.RAP program on Friday, June 26, featuring artist performances, graduations, and a panel on building new pathways forward.
  
  
• Empowerment Avenue will join Look2Justice, Institute to End Mass Incarceration, Inquest, and Haymarket Books in Chicago on May 29–30 for "Bridging the Gap: Amplifying Incarcerated Voices." Executive Director Rahsaan Thomas will participate in panels exploring tools for supporting incarcerated writers and addressing systemic barriers in the field. Additionally, Empowerment Avenue visual artist Orlando "O. Smith" Smith will be the first currently incarcerated artist to have a solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). The opening reception takes place on July 25, 2026.
  
  
• Teen Tech Launchpad, The Knowledge House's 6-week virtual summer tech intensive for high school students. Participants build digital skills, explore computer science, and create a tech portfolio. Apply through May 15.
  
  
• Rural Opportunity Institute was selected by Education Design Lab to design and pilot career pathways in eastern North Carolina. The cross-sector effort will strengthen healthcare workforce pathways, connecting schools, health systems, and funding streams to expand access to locally rooted career opportunities.
  
  
• New research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking found that state Future Caucus members are 24% more effective than comparable lawmakers in states without a Future Caucus. The study of nearly 300 members confirms the caucus itself—not pre-existing talent—drives this impact.
  
  
• Centro Unido is hosting the Culturas Unidas Festival on September 12 from 3:00–8:00 PM in Marion, NC. Everyone is invited to join them in celebrating culture, community, and connection.
  
  
• Rhizome brought Youth Organizers together this spring to drive democratic decision-making around power analysis, midterm actions, and a visionary platform addressing root causes. On May 8 at 12pm ET/9am PT, Rhizome will be hosting a Funder Brief moderated by Lucien Rothenstein and Cecilia Conrad. Sign-up to hear from Youth Organizers about the long-term civic infrastructure Rhizome has built and the actions they are planning next year.
  
  
• Texas education leaders across the state recently discussed why they chose Zearn Math for their K–5 students, citing the program's SBOE-approval, top-quality rating, and proven results. 
  
  
• Basta is expanding its career navigation model to HBCUs in the Carolinas and Philadelphia, providing first-generation students with personalized guidance, employer connections, and clearer pathways to strong first jobs.
  
  

• Cara Collective’s Board of Directors is honored to announce Karin Norington-Reaves, previously CEO of i.c. Stars, will assume the role of President & CEO effective May 4, 2026. The i.c.stars Board of Directors appointed Meighan Newhouse as Interim CEO. 

   

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