3 Bold Truths the Funding World Can’t Ignore
Why We Started Atharii
Launching Atharii is a response to what we see happening in communities and across the funding world right now. If you care about real impact, and you’re frustrated by how hard it is to move money where it matters, this is for you.
We work with people who care deeply about the problems facing their communities. These are leaders and entrepreneurs who are brave enough to do something about it. But too often, the folks doing real work on the ground get sidelined by a funding system that’s out of touch with reality. The truth is, many of the best ideas and most passionate leaders don’t have the language or traditional backgrounds that make funders comfortable.
That’s the gap Atharii was created to fill. We know how to speak “funder,” and we’ve seen the process from the inside. Our mission is to translate between the institutional world of philanthropy and the realities of on-the-ground impact work. We’re here to break down walls, educate both sides, and make sure resources get to the people who need them most.
The Reality in 2025
Since early 2025, federal funding for social impact and community work has collapsed. More than $400 billion in grants have disappeared almost overnight under the Trump administration and the “Defending Our Great Economy” (DOGE) Act. For countless organizations, the loss is existential.
This isn’t just policy, it’s personal. I was managing a $1.9 million green energy project for the Department of Energy. Within 48 hours of the Trump inauguration, the approved contract for this multi-year project was broken and the money was taken back. My cofounder Ameen’s $2 million program, which supported young mothers battling substance use disorders, was also cut. He had to tell the women he couldn’t pay their rent that month, with almost no notice. These are just two examples from our small consulting practice. Multiply that across the country, and the scale of harm is impossible to fully grasp.
3 Bold Truths the Funding World Can’t Ignore
1. Playing It Safe Is Failing Us All
Philanthropic funders love to talk about innovation and impact, but most play it painfully safe. They fund only established organizations with track records, endless paperwork, and the right credentials. Meanwhile, the most effective solutions often come from grassroots leaders who get ignored or buried in bureaucracy. Playing it safe is not neutral. It’s a choice with real human costs.
2. The For-Profit vs. Nonprofit Divide Is Outdated
It’s 2025, and the idea that only nonprofits deserve funding no longer holds up. Funders can legally support for-profits as long as they deliver real social impact. Clinging to the “501c3-or-bust” mindset means missing out on organizations solving problems faster, more creatively, and with broader reach than many traditional nonprofits. The for-profit social impact model applies capitalist methods to address public problems that neither government nor traditional markets have solved effectively. Because these ventures fill critical social and environmental gaps just like nonprofits, they deserve access to similar funding opportunities.
3. Communities Are Suffering Now — And Philanthropy Alone Can’t Save Us
The loss of federal grants is not just another political shift. It’s an outright attack on civil services. When I hear people giving up or dismissing the issue by saying things like, “We just have to suck it up for three more years ,” or “Philanthropy will step up,” it makes my blood boil. The need is urgent: children are hungry today, veterans need homes now, we are watching climate-induced weather disasters unfold in real-time. The money we have lost from federal support is already three times greater than the amount of ALL philanthropic giving in 2023, combined. Every dollar needs to stretch further, and funders must act with urgency, courage, and a real grasp of the scale of this crisis.
What’s Next
Every day, I’m inspired by the people who keep working, keep fighting, and keep finding ways to help their communities even as the system fails them. Atharii exists to get them the funding and support they need to keep making real impact. That’s what “Atharii” means: impact.
If you’re a funder who understands this urgency, or a team looking for honest advice on funding your mission in 2025, let’s connect. Drop me a line at bhayes@atharii.co. We’re early stage, always learning, and we genuinely welcome advice or collaboration from anyone who wants to move money where it matters.
Here’s to making impact mean something again.
