Last week, Candid’s team headed to Philadelphia for our annual retreat. It was my first as a staff member, and being together in person, reconnecting with each other and our shared work, still has me buzzing.

What I keep thinking about is the time we spent alongside Philadelphia nonprofits. Some of us sanded and stained picnic tables at Eastern State Penitentiary Park; others pitched in at the Philly Book Bank. At the Free Library of Philadelphia, we helped local nonprofits earn their own Seals of Transparency, a way to increase their visibility . And we learned how The Community Grocer is reimagining the corner store as a pillar of nutrition access, health equity, and community resilience.

Working side by side with the people who do this work reminded all of us why Candid exists. Thank you to each organization for welcoming us into your communities. We came to help, and we left inspired. It’s an honor to be in service to you.

P.S. You can’t visit the birthplace of the U.S. without thinking about democracy. Check out this fascinating read on how foundations fund it.