Career Trajectory: From Grassroots Advocacy to Institutional Analysis
Sara Herschander has established herself as a leading voice in philanthropy journalism through her nuanced coverage of systemic challenges in the nonprofit sector. Her career began in direct service roles within education and homeless services, grounding her reporting in practical understanding of social systems.
Key Milestones
- 2017-2019: Freelance reporting on housing justice movements for regional publications
- 2020-2022: Transitioned to podcast production at Futuro Media, focusing on labor rights narratives
- 2023-Present: Senior reporter role at The Chronicle of Philanthropy analyzing funding flows and policy impacts
Defining Works: Three Articles That Shaped the Conversation
- "Seeking Rapid Response Grants? These Funds Are Offering Help." This 2024 investigation revealed how emergency funding mechanisms adapted during the Trump administration's nonprofit defunding campaign. Herschander tracked $87 million in stopgap grants through 14 intermediaries, identifying patterns in geographic distribution and recipient demographics. Her methodology combined FOIA requests with donor interviews, exposing systemic gaps in rural access to crisis funding.
- "Recession Ahead? How a Tariff-Induced Downturn Might Change Giving" Analyzing four previous economic crises, this 2025 piece predicted how proposed trade policies might reshape donor behavior. Herschander introduced the "Giving Resilience Index," quantifying how different nonprofit subsectors weather financial storms. The article became essential reading for endowment managers after being cited in Federal Reserve briefings.
- "10,000 Job Cuts in 70 Days. Introducing the Nonprofit Layoff Tracker" This groundbreaking 2024 accountability project combined automated job market scraping with manual verification across 50 states. The interactive database exposed disproportionate cuts in mental health services and revealed how workforce reductions correlated with executive salary increases at 23% of surveyed organizations.
Strategic Pitching Guidance
1. Lead With Equity Metrics in Program Design
Herschander consistently highlights grantees who embed DEI tracking into program architecture. In her analysis of the Borealis Foundation's grants [6], she praised organizations using intersectional outcome measurements. Successful pitches should include:
- Demographic data collection methodologies
- Third-party audit processes
- Board diversity statistics
2. Connect Local Impact to National Trends
Her coverage of Press Forward's $500 million initiative [6] demonstrated how local newsroom grants affect civic participation rates. Effective pitches should frame community work within larger patterns:
- Comparisons to similar regions
- Policy implications beyond immediate service areas
- Scalability assessments
3. Highlight Unconventional Sustainability Models
Herschander's profile of the American Journalism Project [6] emphasized their "venture philanthropy" approach. She seeks stories about:
- Earned revenue experiments
- Cross-sector partnerships
- Endowment innovation
Awards and Recognition
2024 Nonprofit Media Award for Investigative Reporting
The Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized Herschander's layoff tracker project for its role in prompting 17 states to revise nonprofit accountability laws. Her data journalism approach set new standards for transparency in workforce reporting across the sector.
2023 Media Impact Funders Fellowship
This selective program honors journalists bridging philanthropy practice and policy analysis. Herschander's fellowship research on donor-advised fund reform influenced proposed IRS reporting requirements for mega-donors.
