Sing for Coffee, Charity or the Joy of It

August 2025

                                                                                         Credit: Charity Navigator

Your Charity Navigator Rating Tells a Story, So Make it a Good One

Everyday donors naturally are cautious about where they give, especially when they first investigate who is worthy of their money. They’re not just giving —  they’re fact-checking, comparing and asking hard questions before they click “donate.”

That’s why Charity Navigator rates charities in four different areas, or “beacons.”

Each beacon tells a part of an organization’s story: Accountability & Finance shows fiscal health, Impact & Results shows whether your programs are working, Culture & Community reflects values and inclusivity, and Leadership & Adaptability signals long-term sustainability. Together, they give donors the transparency and confidence they’re looking for.

And here’s the thing: Donors notice. Nonprofits with top-tier ratings don’t just look good on paper —  they see real gains in visibility, engagement and giving, especially during high-traffic moments like Giving Tuesday or a crisis.

If you run a nonprofit, submit your data by Sept. 8 to be included in Charity Navigator’s Oct. 7 release. Head to the Nonprofit Portal to get started!

                                                                       Credit: Caroline Hughes

Fuel for the rest of Assistant Account Executive Caroline Hughes’ day.

Coffee, Fuel for the Brain

It’s late afternoon in the office and there is total silence. Lunch is a memory and the fans are humming. There’s a sluggishness in the air that is universal: the afternoon slump.

Between the hours of 2 and 4 p.m., the human body experiences a malaise caused by the natural cycle of our circadian rhythm. The natural impulse may be to push through or grab a sweet treat, but sometimes taking a break from work altogether can boost productivity more effectively.

Enter caffeine: the most popular drug in America. It’s also the most popular beverage – more Americans drink coffee than water. Since the Boston Tea Party over 250 years ago, coffee has been most Americans’ daily stimulant of choice. Over half of the adult population in the US relies on at least one serving a day, but a cup of joe can be good for more than just a morning jumpstart to your brain – it’s a great way to combat midday lethargy, too. A coffee break encompasses multiple solutions to the afternoon slump: fresh air and sunlight, exercise and even social connection if you drag a colleague along with you.

The midday coffee break is a state of mind. Even if you don’t indulge in caffeine, the next time three o’clock rolls around and your focus dips, consider taking a spiritual coffee break. Walk around, call a friend or colleague and come back with fresh eyes 15 minutes later.

Your brain (and your local coffee shop) will thank you.

The Common Purpose of Choral Singing

                                                               Credit: Noboru Miller

Jim Miller and the Hudson Valley Singers

Power and purpose can come from unexpected sources. Momentum President Jim Miller explains the draw of choral singing for him:

Singing in the shower has its merits (especially if you’re not very good), but for a deeply immersive musical experience, there’s nothing like singing in a chorus.

I started singing choral music in high school. It was popular; plenty of boys as well as girls sang (unlike today, when boys seem to have almost completely ceded the performing arts to girls, at least at my son’s school). I continued to sing in college and then not until decades later when I joined the Hudson Valley Singers, a chorus in my community, and started singing again. It’s been wonderful.

What happens when you sing together, at least in a good chorus, is more than a bunch of individual voices singing at once. Something new emerges: a communal voice that breathes together, rises and falls together, speeds up and slows down together. Unlike playing in an orchestra or band, all that sound is coming from your own body. It is primal: a living embodiment of the beauty and power of voices united in common purpose.

So, whatever kind of music you like, if you want to feel more connected to your fellow humans, join a chorus. Even if you only ever sing in the shower.

Pitch the Negative Space

Account Supervisor Stephanie Gentile recommends to hit ‘em where they ain’t. She explains:

Most organizations focus on what they want to say. Smart PR looks at what isn’t being said in the media and fills that gap.

We call this “pitching the negative space.” It means identifying:

• Trends everyone’s hyping, but no one is questioning
• Topics the press covers, but never from your sector’s point of view
• Voices that are missing in conversations your audience is watching

When you insert your organization into the silence, you don’t just join the narrative — you redirect it.