Hi Reader,
It's a new year, so let's start things the right way. Here's what you get in this issue:
- A One Big Win story focusing on how you can partner to improve outcomes and a playbook that you can use to make a difference.
- A What's Most Good noting a successful Maryland program to reduce child poverty.
- AI prompts to improve your connection to other people and make your meetings more effective.
In 2025, a food delivery driver knocked on the door of a homebound senior in Washington, D.C., carrying a bag of groceries from the local food bank. It wasn’t a routine takeout order – it was a lifeline. That knock marked one of over 7 million deliveries that brought more than 125 million meals to people facing hunger across the U.S.. This massive effort was the result of an innovative partnership between Feeding America (the nation’s largest hunger-relief nonprofit) and DoorDash’s logistics platform, in a program called Project DASH. Together, they found a way to reach those who can’t always get to a pantry – by bringing the food directly to their doorsteps.
Project DASH started quietly in 2018, partnering with food banks to enlist DoorDash’s network of drivers (known as “Dashers”) for social good. By mid-2025, tens of thousands of households in both city neighborhoods and remote rural areas were receiving deliveries of fresh groceries that they otherwise might have gone without. “This effort … is filling a critical gap, especially for people who often fall through the cracks of traditional services,” one state senator noted at a Project DASH event.
Volunteers and nonprofit staff coordinate with DoorDash drivers to deliver groceries directly to people in need. This on-the-ground collaboration means those who are homebound or in food deserts aren’t left behind. Local organizations across the country have embraced the model: from Washington State’s Emergency Food Network – which celebrated 6,000 DoorDash deliveries totaling 75,000 meals in one county – to a New Jersey community food bank piloting home deliveries for 500 vulnerable seniors.
The impact became even more evident during a national crisis. In late 2025, a sudden federal funding freeze halted SNAP benefits (food stamps) for millions of Americans. Almost overnight, hunger threatened to surge. Project DASH sprang into action: DoorDash waived fees and, together with its food bank partners, delivered 1 million free meals to struggling families in just a few weeks. Grocery orders that would have gone unfilled were brought to homes at no cost, plugging at least a part of the gaping hole in the safety net.
By the end of that tumultuous year, the Feeding America/DoorDash alliance had shown what nimble, cross-sector collaboration can achieve. A staggering number of meals had reached those who needed them most, and a new model for last-mile charity delivery had proven its worth. The success story isn’t just in the big numbers, though – it’s in the everyday resilience of people like that D.C. senior who heard a knock and found hope in a simple bag of groceries. The message to other nonprofits is clear: when technology and compassion ride together, no one needs to go hungry.
Playbook
How can you replicate this “deliver-to-door” success? The following playbook breaks down the key steps that made Project DASH a triumph, so organizations anywhere can adapt the approach to their own mission – whether it’s fighting hunger, delivering medicine, or providing any critical service to those who can’t come to you.
1. Identify the Hidden Barrier Holding Back Your Mission. Start by pinpointing what keeps your community from accessing your services. In Feeding America’s case, the barrier was transportation: millions of low-income seniors, disabled individuals, and rural families simply couldn’t get to food distribution sites. Every nonprofit has its equivalent – maybe it’s patients who can’t travel to a clinic, or students who lack internet for online tutoring. Listen to your community and use data to map out who’s being left out and why. For example, before launching its delivery program, one New Jersey food bank knew that in Atlantic City over 35% of seniors live near the poverty line and many reside in a food desert. These insights spotlight where a new approach is most urgently needed, ensuring your solution targets a real gap in access and equity. (Even if you do nothing else in this playbook, this first stage should net you strong returns!)
2. Find a Partner with the Missing Piece – and Aligned Values. No nonprofit can do it all alone. The magic of the Project DASH model is how it matches complementary strengths: Feeding America has the food and local networks, DoorDash has the drivers and tech platform. Look for a partner (corporate, government, or another nonprofit) that has what you lack, be it technology, logistics, or expertise. The best partner will share your commitment to the cause. DoorDash, for instance, was already interested in “growing local economies” and addressing hunger, making it a natural fit. When vetting partners, consider both practical capabilities and ethos. Start the conversation with a clear win-win proposition – e.g., a meal delivery service that showcases a company’s platform in a positive light while advancing your mission.
3. Start Small. Before scaling up to millions of deliveries, this initiative began with pilots in select communities. In fact, Project DASH launched in 2018 with just a few cities and food banks, gradually proving the concept by delivering about 100 million meals over its first few years. Your organization should similarly design a pilot around a manageable scope. Identify one geographic area or target group to serve first. Measure outcomes on a small scale – how many people did you reach, and what changed for them? Solid results and lessons from a pilot will build the case (and improve your strategy) for expanding the program.
4. Leverage Technology – But Keep it Simple and Secure. Technology is the engine driving partnerships like this, but it must be accessible to all players involved. Feeding America didn’t need to build a new app from scratch; instead, they integrated with an existing platform (DoorDash) that people already use. Explore whether an app, website, or platform can be adapted for your purposes. At the same time, prioritize privacy and data security. When dealing with personal information (names, addresses, health data, etc.), establish clear protocols with your partner about how data is used and protected.
5. Build Capacity with Training and Volunteer Support. A delivery partnership relies on human coordination as much as tech. Ensure your staff and volunteers are prepared for the new workflow. This might mean training food bank volunteers to use a delivery app or scheduling software. It also means working out the division of duties. Create guidelines and provide resources for frontline helpers, including cultural sensitivity and any privacy rules. Designate a point person (or team) to oversee the program, handle communication between the nonprofit and the partner company, and continually troubleshoot issues. Remember, scaling up will require scaling your human infrastructure too – more volunteers or staff, more training, and perhaps new roles (like a volunteer coordinator specifically for deliveries).
6. Expand Strategically – and Adapt When Crisis Hits. Once your pilot is successful, plan for growth. Use data from the pilot to identify other communities that would benefit, and gather support (funding, buy-in from local organizations, etc.) for expansion. Feeding America was able to roll out Project DASH nationwide, reaching over 300 local food banks and pantries as partners in the delivery network. You don’t have to go national right away; scaling can mean adding one more town, then another. Stay flexible and responsive to external events. The true test of this model came during the 2025 SNAP funding freeze: because the infrastructure was already in place, the partnership could quickly pivot to emergency response. Likewise, be ready to leverage your platform in a crisis – whether it’s a natural disaster, a pandemic resurgence, or an economic downturn. This might mean temporarily expanding eligibility, speeding up delivery frequency, or rallying additional volunteers/donors. Agility can save lives; build it into your program’s DNA.
7. Tell Your Story and Nurture Support for the Long Haul. As you achieve results, document your impact and share it. This not only attracts funders and partners, but also helps inspire other communities to adopt your model. Use both data and human stories: for instance, Project DASH publicized reaching 125 million meals delivered and highlighted testimonials of individuals served, which drives home the real-world significance.
By following these steps, you can adapt the Project DASH blueprint to your cause. This is a reminder that innovation in service delivery doesn’t always require expensive new infrastructure; sometimes it just takes seeing an unmet need and asking, “Who can help us meet this in a new way?”
ENOUGH Is Enough
Maryland is investing $19+ million in the second year of its pioneering Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households (ENOUGH) Initiative to reduce childhood poverty through community-led solutions. Governor Wes Moore announced that $18 million in state grants will go to 28 high-poverty communities across 12 counties, with philanthropic partners contributing $1.5 million via a new ENOUGH Alliance.
Launched in late 2024, ENOUGH is a first-in-the-nation program supporting local cross-sector partnerships – spanning nonprofits, schools, local governments, employers, and more – to tackle root causes of poverty. In year one, ENOUGH communities built a network of 550+ partner organizations and served over 12,000 residents through various programs. The initiative offers tiered pathways (capacity-building, planning, implementation) and has already leveraged an additional $20 million in aligned state grants for these neighborhoods.
Maryland’s model demonstrates how state governments can coordinate with philanthropy to empower community-driven anti-poverty coalitions. Other states or regions could adapt this approach – combining public funding with private alliances – to address entrenched social challenges in a locally tailored manner.
AI can help us be better connectors and communicators, as shown below.
Make Better Connections
Act as a social dynamics coach and relationship-building expert. Ask me questions, one at a time, to gauge my current strengths and weaknesses in building and maintaining relationships. Teach me how to genuinely connect with others — whether it’s colleagues, new friends, mentors, or networking contacts. Suggest conversation starters, body language tips, and listening techniques that build trust quickly. Help me tailor my approach to different settings like work events, casual meetups, or online communities. Include examples of small talk that leads to deeper conversations, questions that spark authenticity, and strategies for remembering important details about people. Share creative ways to maintain and nurture these connections over time without feeling forced. Finally, recommend one small daily habit I can build to become naturally better at forming meaningful relationships.
(Adapted from Superhuman, April 30, 2025)
Improve Your Meetings
Act in the role of an expert in interpersonal dynamics and communication. Help me prepare for an upcoming meeting on [topic] with [attendees]. The goal of this meeting is to [objective, e.g., make a decision, brainstorm ideas, align on strategy]. Provide a structured agenda, key talking points, and potential questions to ask. Also, suggest strategies to keep the discussion engaging, handle difficult conversations if they arise, and ensure clear action items are assigned by the end. Also recommend an icebreaker or an engaging way to start the meeting to set a positive tone.
(Adapted from Superhuman, April 1, 2025.)
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Happy 2026!
Ted
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Founder and CEO Risk Alternatives, LLC 202.758.7572 (cell) 608.709.0793 (office) Website
Author of Managing Your Nonprofit for Resilience
We help nonprofits thrive by providing practical tools and support to address uncertainty and improve risk management.
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