In the world of social impact and sustainability, 2025’s word of the year could have been “headwinds.” It became a euphemism for everything from political pressure and regulatory changes to economic uncertainty, AI disruption, and social upheaval.
But in many ways, “headwinds” is an understatement for what impact and sustainability leaders across the corporate and nonprofit sectors navigated in a year of budget cuts and evolving risk factors. For much of the past year, leaders across the corporate and nonprofit sectors have been recalibrating approaches to advancing their missions against these trends. In 2026, we’ll start to see those new approaches in action.
Based on interviews with dozens of experts, here are five big shifts to pay attention to over the next year in social impact and sustainability.
1: Evolving the sustainability narrative
One of the most visible shifts to note is that social impact and sustainability are becoming much less, well, visible. For years, companies have been making bold commitments, setting lofty goals, and engaging in the kind of storytelling—but not always following through, a trend that finally led Merriam-Webster to add “greenwashing” to its dictionary in 2022.
2025 felt like a correction, as companies reacting to a changing landscape of risk and political attention ushered in a period of “greenhushing,” where companies were reluctant to talk about their sustainability initiatives. As Andrew Winston of Winston Eco-Strategies puts it, “The biggest issue in the U.S. is the very strong desire of leadership teams to keep their heads down and say nearly nothing about sustainability. The work seems to be mostly continuing, but it’s certainly not great for morale or moving at speed and scale if your bosses are telling you to hide out.”
That’s why 2026 is likely to bring another narrative correction that grounds sustainability storytelling in business performance and operational rigor—which has always been where sustainability is heading. “The best companies aren’t just making pledges, they’re building and executing solutions that scale, measure, and return value,“ says Dave Stangis at Apollo. “Seeing capital, innovation, and outcomes align always gives me optimism.”
2: Adopting a new leadership mindset
An organization laser-focused on delivering results also requires a laser focus from its leaders. As Alison Taylor of Ethical Systems notes, the rapid-fire disruption of 2025 made this focus hard to find: “Many of sustainability’s core assumptions no longer apply, and there is a need for a reframe of the profession. The practitioners I talk to are struggling with terminology, legal risk, and threats to their roles. While it is true that much great work is going on behind the scenes, it is difficult for most leaders I speak to to maintain organizational momentum, simply because there is so much fire fighting to do.”
2026 will bring new fires to fight, but the demand for results and focus will give rise to a new mindset for leaders. Kristen Titus of the Titus Group predicts that leaders will emerge from this period of uncertainty and paralysis with a renewed willingness to engage: “Clients, customers, and employees are hungry for engagement—and they’re craving moral leadership. Those that step forward with clarity and courage will help define the next chapter of impact and sustainability.”
3: Aligning rapid response with long-term goals
One strategy that helps impact leaders maintain their focus involves finding ways to connect their communities’ immediate needs with long-term business strategy.
Uncertainty demands agility, as Laura Turner, VP and Head of Community Impact at TIAA points out: ”Most companies hold flexible funding that can be adapted for unexpected needs. When the government shutdown hit, TIAA’s first-generation college student program pivoted quickly, redirecting funds to local food banks. That flexibility isn’t just nice to have anymore, it’s essential for navigating uncertainty.”
For many organizations, balancing immediate and long-term needs also means AI-proofing their impact strategy. Royal Bank of Canada, for example, is leveraging business expertise and resources around AI adoption to support nonprofit partners in keeping pace with innovation. “There is a broad consensus that AI and digital innovation can drive the biggest economic transformation in a generation. And yet, at this very same moment, the non-profit sector faces unprecedented strain and ongoing barriers to funding and technical training. Without intentional support, the sector risks falling behind.” said Kara Gustafson, President of the RBC Foundation USA.
4: Putting well-being first
All of this uncertainty and disruption has taken a toll on professionals in this space in 2025. In 2026, well-being will become a core function of impact strategy—both as a response to workforce and community needs.
Haviland Sharvit, Executive Director of Susan Crown Exchange (Susan Crown Exchange and TIAA, above, are clients of mine), predicts that more companies and nonprofits will meet the moment with an impact strategy focused on youth well-being in the age of AI: “Rapid advances in technology and AI offer powerful opportunities for learning and connection. Yet impact leaders face rising youth mental health strain, widening digital inequities, advancements that have outpaced youth protections, and the erosion of real human connection. We’ll see a shift toward promoting and safeguarding youth wellbeing in an AI-driven world, more attention on responsible tech, and greater investment in human connection.”
5: Investing in community
Amid all of this disruption, we asked leaders what gives them hope, and a common refrain emerged: we find hope in each other.
Community is, and will continue to be, everything. In real and virtual rooms all over the country—and across impact networks like Trellis, UN Global Compact, NationSwell and many more—leaders spent 2025 reflecting, commiserating, and charting a new course forward.
The last prediction I’ll offer is one of my own: impact networks and convening spaces will grow rapidly in 2026, as new communities of practice emerge and existing communities grow. With all of the growth and learning 2026 has in store, finding safe spaces for reflection, knowledge sharing, and collaboration is a top priority for impact leaders.
Discover more from The Veteran-Owned Business Blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
You must be logged in to post a comment.