A Year That Tested Us — and Affirmed Why Panorama Exists

2025 was a year of profound change and uncertainty for the social impact sector. Sudden cuts to USAID had real and immediate impacts in communities around the world, underscoring how fragile progress can be when systems falter. At the same time, philanthropy itself was in flux, adding new layers of unpredictability for leaders across health, human rights, and democracy.

It's moments like this that remind me why I started Panorama in 2017. I wanted to build something different: a hub where bold ideas could take root even when conditions are unstable, and where changemakers had access to the infrastructure, partnership, and collaboration they needed to move from vision to action. Over time, Panorama has grown into a social impact accelerator that enables leaders to transform bold ideas into impact.

A Video Message From CEO Gabrielle Fitzgerald

Across Panorama Global, Panorama Strategy, and Panorama Action, we are structured to meet unpredictable times, moving quickly with clarity to support partners with strategic and practical guidance. This is what it means to be architects of social change – designing structures that allow progress to continue when conditions are far from ideal.

This year made our purpose unmistakably clear. Panorama’s theory of change is simple: when people doing hard, necessary work have the right support – strategic thought partnership, operational stability, and flexible funding – they can adapt faster, collaborate more effectively, and build solutions that endure.

This message was echoed throughout the year, in an Alliance magazine feature I co-authored mid-year, and in recent media conversations I’ve engaged in about MacKenzie Scott’s latest giving (in The Chronicle of Philanthropy and in December and NovemberAssociated Press coverage). Across these conversations, a consistent insight emerged: tackling the world’s biggest challenges will require new ways of working.

The challenges we are all confronting — across borders, sectors, and issue areas — are deeply interconnected. They demand bold leadership, cross-sector partnership, and systems thinking, not siloed effort. This year reinforced that progress comes from listening generously, sharing what’s working, and staying open to new and radical ways of collaborating as conditions shift.

I am proud to share what we achieved in 2025.

When the ground shifted, we focused on what was essential. Following the USAID cuts, many organizations faced the possibility of losing critical work overnight. Because we had systems and trusted relationships already in place, we were able to swiftly partner with Unlock Aid to launch the Foreign Aid Bridge Fund and get funds flowing to nearly 50 organizations in just weeks. It wasn’t about speed for its own sake — it was about providing stability when social impact leaders needed it most.

When political pressure intensified, we stayed close to the people feeling it most.
Through The Ascend Fund, Panorama continued supporting Latinas Represent, as its leaders navigated heightened intimidation toward women of color in public life. Living our commitment to knowledge sharing, Panorama’s Unfinished Business report documented the barriers women still face in politics.

When trusted information felt increasingly fragile, we co-designed something new in The Fund for Alternative Journalism. It came from a straightforward need: communities rely on trusted local journalism, and journalists need stability to provide it. Together, we built an approach intended to meet that need without adding unnecessary burden.

Across our broader body of work, we also saw how progress and momentum are possible when we co-develop creative solutions with our partners — a reminder that constraint often sparks innovation. The T1D Community Fund elevated grassroots voices in global NCD discussions. And The Panorama Fund continued its commitment to maternal health equity — supporting organizations deeply rooted in the communities most affected.

As we look toward 2026, I’m focused less on prediction and more on preparation. We can’t control the political or philanthropic winds, but we can build steady structures around the people doing the work. That’s what we will continue to do — strengthening the scaffolding, clearing barriers, and helping leaders move forward in a moment that demands both courage and care.

To our partners, funders, and the leaders who trust us with their boldest ideas — thank you. It is a privilege to listen, learn, and build alongside you.

Gabrielle Fitzgerald
CEO, The Panorama Group