Letter from the Executive Director.
Folks,
Not long ago, in our 2025 Annual Report, I painted a not-so-rosy picture of the state of our social sector. Nearly half of American households are failing to cover their basic needs. SNAP enrollment has climbed, eviction rates have risen, and the number of unhoused individuals continues to grow, all while federal policy changes are poised to cut the very benefits people depend on to get by.
In the first two quarters of 2026, the picture is no better. Inflation is rising once again. People are hurting, and the organizations in our sector are in a familiar position—relied upon to uphold the livelihood and dignity of those they serve, with little help on the way.
It is in moments like these that a camera operator pulls focus, bringing what matters most into sharp clarity while the background softens. The McGowan Fund has always been a place-based philanthropy, serving the families and communities where the McGowan family works and resides, helping to bring dignity to the lives around them. At times like this, our Vision, which I also championed in our 2025 Annual Report—to impact lives today, create sustainable change, and empower future generations to achieve their greatest potential—can feel almost too broad to grip the immediate weight of what people are facing. But the answer isn’t to widen the lens. It is to pull focus, to build strong bridges with the core changemakers in each community we serve, and to be of service to the people who rely on them.
And what really matters amid the noise? You. Our grantees, your staff, and volunteers are the very fabric of the communities we serve. Our job is to back the organizations our neighbors rely on and to make sure they have what they need to keep going.
This isn’t a new mission. We’ve been doing this for 34 years. What’s different now is the urgency to stay close to place, people, and purpose and not stray from that path. Each quarter, as we put this newsletter together, I’d like to think that the stories within it—the photos, the quotes, the features—are a small window into what community impact does, what hand-in-hand service really looks like.
The work ahead is not easy. But with the partners on these pages and the communities they serve, I have no doubt about where our focus belongs.
Sincerely,
Brian Peckrill, Executive Director