I think it was around this time last year that our publisher Cassidy Frazier wondered aloud about doing a nonprofit issue timed to Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday, the annual global day of giving that follows the holiday. We were all feeling pretty raw after the election, but still – I don’t think any of us could have dreamed how chaotic the country would feel a year later. How many folks would be hurting. How massively our nonprofits would be asked to fill gaps, fulfill needs, and sustain their communities.
For decades, the Chronicle has used the holidays as an opportunity to highlight the specific items nonprofits were in need of – pencils, wheelbarrows, Clorox wipes, Q-tips, children’s snorkel sets, what have you – and collated it all into an annual “Wish List.” We’re still doing that in this issue – in fact, the Wish List, under the continued stewardship of Managing Editor James Renovitch, is bigger than ever. Additionally, we’re going a little deeper into eight Central Texas nonprofits, spotlighting the good work they’re doing in diverse fields, from food insecurity to hospice care and international diplomacy, as well as exploring some of the pressure points they’re experiencing in this uniquely challenging time.
The Nonprofit Issue isn’t close to completist – there are so many orgs doing incredible work in this town, we’ve barely scratched the surface here. So consider this a conversation starter, and a gentle nudge. What we really hope we can do with this issue is help get our readers in the spirit of giving. It doesn’t have to be money – nonprofits need our time and our advocacy, too.
And since it’s also the time of year when we remember to say thanks: Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or this is the first time you’ve picked up a Chronicle, you have our gratitude.
Happy holidays, y’all.
This article appears in November 28 • 2025.