Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America—they will be met... Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

President Barack Obama
Inaugural Address
January 20, 2009

The hundreds of community activists, individual and institutional donors, and social entrepreneurs that comprise the Tides community are—and will continue to be—critical to the hard work of "remaking America" that the President referred to in his inaugural address. In this first issue of our re-launched email newsletter Tidings, we share with you reflections from thought leaders about the impact of the recession on the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, practical tools to share from our work with the sector, and updates about the work of the Tides community.

Recession Philanthropy

As we begin 2009, the volatile economic climate and impact from the Madoff scandal continue to define the environment in which we work. Responding to the realities of a constrained economic environment has led many organizations to new opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Send us your stories, and peruse the links below.

• Nonprofit 911: a blog that defines how the nonprofit sector operates in this new fiscal reality

• A giving recession? The downturn poses new challenges for philanthropy, from Economist.com

• Fundraising in Tough Times: A No-Nonsense Guide to Surviving in a Challenging Economy, from Mal Warwick

• Stimulating Equity: Talking Points For State Implementation of Federal Stimulus Dollars, from Tides project Center for Social Inclusion

Photo: Students at Out of Site Center for Arts Education, a project of Tides