Mastodawn

Nonprofits are currently facing a 'squeeze' caused by high inflation, rising operational costs, and increased demand for services, all while experiencing shrinking donations and decreased government funding. For more #ThoughtsAndObservations about #nonprofits #charities #fundraising #generosity and #compassion go to https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-239749992

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

“Nonprofits are currently facing a ‘squeeze’ caused by high inflation, rising operational costs, and increased demand for services, all while experiencing shrinking donations and decreased government funding. Many organizations are cutting programs and reducing staff … Inflation has driven up expenses for rent, utilities, and supplies, with 81% of nonprofits reporting higher operational costs, averaging a 15% increase. … Individual giving is slowing as households face financial pressure, forcing many nonprofits to face reduced revenue. … Over 33% of nonprofits reported disruption or loss of government funding, leaving many, particularly those dependent on public money, in survival mode. … Despite limited resources, nonprofits are facing a high demand for services, particularly in food security, healthcare, and housing. … Nearly 40% of nonprofits have reduced staff or face high turnover, and many are reducing, delaying, or canceling programs. … Donors are prioritizing urgent needs, causing gaps for organizations focused on arts, culture, or long-term environmental projects. … Organizations are enhancing digital fundraising and adopting data-driven tools to demonstrate effectiveness, which is critical for retaining cautious donors. … Some nonprofits are strengthening cross-sector partnerships to maximize impact in a constrained economic environment.” From the article “How Nonprofits Can Adapt Their Operational and Financial Strategies in Today’s Economic Environment” posted May, 2025, on The CPA Journal by David Rottkamp – U.S. certified public accountant. For more Thoughts And Observations about Non-Profits, Charities, Philanthropies, Generosity and Compassion go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/philanthropy-begins-charity-goes-beyond-mike-temkin/

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Mike Temkin Mar 30

New Survey on MentalHealth and the Workplace regarding PSTD, Bipolar Disorder, Severe Depression, Eating Disorders and Substance Use and other challenges. Go to https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-235619806

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

New survey on Mental Health in the Workplace: “One-third of employees globally are "merely surviving" at work, with a significant rise in complex mental health conditions such as PTSD and bipolar disorder, according to Lyra Health's 2026 State of Workforce Mental Health report. … The study surveyed over 500 benefits leaders and 7,500 employees across six countries. It reveals multiple crises hitting at once, creating an environment that’s tough on HR leaders as well as the workforce. … While 95% of benefits leaders believe child and teen mental health care is accessible, employees increasingly disagree, highlighting a gap in specialized care. Meanwhile, managers are under significant strain, with 54% reporting that their role harms their mental health. … The data shows a rise of complex, severe conditions. A decade ago, most workforce mental health conversations centered on stress, anxiety and mild depression. This is the territory where EAPs and short-term therapy were designed to help. According to the study, the territory has expanded. Ten percent of the global workforce now reports a complex condition such as PTSD or bipolar disorder, a 67% increase year over year. More than one-third of employees report personal or family experience with serious conditions, including severe depression, eating disorders and substance use challenges. When those employees seek care, they run into a system built for a different level of need. According to researchers, 56% struggled to find the right level of care, 55% faced long waitlists and 54% couldn’t find a specialist or specialty program. … Researchers found that nearly seven in 10 benefits leaders say employee mental health challenges significantly hurt performance over the past year, and 65% report more mental health–related disability leave. Costs that were once hard to quantify are now visible in lost productivity and rising leave claims.” From the article "Why are so many employees struggling to access mental healthcare?" posted October 6, 2025, on HR Executive Magazine by Tom Starner - U.S. journalist and on CHRO SmartBrief on March 25, 2026, by Nina Snyder - U.S. journalist, editor, author. For more Thoiughts And Observations about Mental Health and the Workplace go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thoughts-observations-mental-health-mike-temkin/

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Mike Temkin Mar 25

Survey of 1,250 executives on workplace issues Stress, Logistics, Cyberattacks, Trade Uncertainty, Health Care. See Thoughts And Observations on Substack. https://substack.com/@miketemkin/note/c-233091904

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Update on Stress, Logistics, Cyberattacks, Trade Uncertainty, Health Care and other issues in the Workplace: “54% of surveyed executives felt confident their companies will thrive this year, but 60% said they were more stressed than a year ago. … The survey polled 1,250 executives in December, 2025….by mutual insurance group Sentry for insights on leaders’ expectations for 2026. … When asked to identify their top threats to business, supply chain and logistics challenges were cited most frequently, with 45% of respondents selecting that option. Also cited were economic pressures (44%), tariffs and trade uncertainty (39%), labor shortages (38%) and cyberattacks (37%). …. Other key findings: Most executives (84%) are asking more of their employees, including tasks outside their roles, above their level or for which they haven’t been trained. At the same time more than half (51%) are calling on employees to work longer. The majority of leaders (83%) plan to increase investments in worker safety, hoping to increase retention and support recruitment. As the population ages and average retirement age increases, 46% of executives say the aging population is driving increased health care expenses.” From the article “CEO’s confident, but stress on the rise” posted March 13, 2026, on BizJournals by Marq Burnett – U.S. journalist covering diversity, equity and inclusion, workplace culture, the impact of Generation Z and mental health in the workplace. For more Thoughts And Observations about Stress and the Workplace go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/overcoming-suffocating-stress-adversity-michael-temkin-iwjqc/ For more Thoughts And Observations about Uncertainty go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/frenzy-uncertainty-seeking-clarity-confidence-michael-temkin-nw8ee/ For more Thoughts And Observations about Cybersecurity go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/694-data-breaches-so-far-2023-july-31-healthcare-education-temkin/

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Mike Temkin Mar 24

See how Ame Igharo, senior director of sustainability strategy at Ulta Beauty is guiding her company through environmental, social and governance issues, attracting customers who want to buy sustainable products. #ThoughtsAndObservations on #Sustainability on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-232565713

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Update on Sustainability: At a recent GreenBiz conference, Sustainability executives discussed “how persistent, data-driven communication and aligning sustainability with business drivers helped them secure regular engagement with top executives.” … “For cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty, environment, social and governance issues are also critical drivers of consumer engagement. Even though sustainability technically reports into the legal function, the merchandising team is an important ally in advancing strategy. ‘Our customers want to know that the products they’re buying are sustainable, and we essentially work with our brand partners to highlight the work that they’re doing, which helps bring customers in our door and drive sales,’ said Ame Igharo, senior director of sustainability strategy at Ulta Beauty. … When Igharo joined Ulta four years ago, she spent her first few months meeting with executives from across the retailer, getting up to speed on their accountabilities and asking leaders how they envisioned being involved in the work of developing its science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, eventually validated in 2023. ‘From the very beginning, it was about co-creation versus me coming in and defining what it was going to be,’ Igharo said. ‘We weren’t going to actually be able to drive something forward unless we were on the same page of what this could be and what we wanted it to be for the organization.’ When it came to communicating about Ulta’s science-based targets, the messaging came from the chief merchandising officer rather than the sustainability team, because they were the partners in that work. The entire merchandising organization received training on how to discuss the goals, because they would have to convince the companies behind the brands Ulta sells that this is something to prioritize. ‘Having these internal advocates bringing it into their day-to-day relationships and meetings with brand partners really helped us make significant progress,’ Igharo said. … (Furthermore internally in the company a line of respected communication is crucial.) ‘Someone’s direct report generally has more trust with them than I will ever be able to build with an occasional face to face,’ Igharo said. ‘They can really be both your champions and your advocates for pushing things forward.’” From the article “3 ways to win sustainability allies in the C-suite” posted on March 16, 2026, on Trellis (formerly Green Biz) by Heather Clancy – U.S. journalist specializing in transformative technology and innovation and from the article “How to gain C-suite support for sustainability” posted March 16, 2026, on SmartBrief on Sustainability by Lindsey Feth – U.S. journalist. For more Thoughts And Observations about Sustainability go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/prioritizing-sustainability-environmental-social-mike-temkin/?trackingId=%2FleXDYBBQ%2BSkKTn1NxMnRw%3D%3D

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Mike Temkin Mar 16

55% of companies surveyed (by the salary data company Payscale) said they are not offering any pay premiums or bonuses to employees who have upped their AI skills. See update on AI Jobs and Compensation on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-228787231

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Update on #Jobs … #AI and #Compensation: “55% of companies surveyed (by the salary data company Payscale) said they are not offering any pay premiums or bonuses to employees who have upped their AI skills. The survey which gathered more than 3,400 responses from managers, directors, executives and other company representatives, found that just 14% offer higher base pay, 10% offer bonuses and about 9% offer long-term incentives for building AI skills. … (Nevertheless) companies are already adding AI-related skills to job requirements, with 31% saying they have done so for at least some non-IT jobs. About 33% said they have not changed any role expectations due to AI. … The majority of companies that responded to the survey are not replacing workers with AI and have no plans to do so in the future. However, roughly 13% are moving forward with plans to replace roles with AI, while 17% are considering it, according to the report. When ranked by industry, construction had the highest share of companies saying they were working to replace workers with AI tools, at 27%. About 19% of business service companies and 17% of technology companies said they were actively replacing workers with AI.” From the article “More Employees Prioritize AI Skills” published March 6, 2026, in Business Journals by Andy Medici – U.S. journalist. For more #ThoughtsAndObservations about Jobs, AI, Retraining and other trends related to #ArtificialIntelligence and the #Workplace go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-ai-current-future-shifts-employment-training-michael-temkin-bngdc/

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Mike Temkin Mar 13

“The convergence of biological sciences & advanced computing technologies is setting the stage for the next wave of innovation in bioengineering." See Thoughts And Observations about Bioengineering and the growing Bioeconomy on Substack at https://miketemkin.substack.com/p/building-a-bioeconomy

Building A Bioeconomy

Thoughts And Observations about Bioengineering

Mike’s Substack

Mike Temkin Mar 5

AgenticAI can re-execute refined workflows on your computer with parallel execution that can run the same task for multiple inputs simultaneously. See Using Agentic Tools To Refine Workflow on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-223410069

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

From the MIT Sloan School of Management: “Agentic AI coding tools are not just for developers. Versatile capabilities make tools like Claude Code widely relevant for leaders and knowledge workers, too, according to MIT Sloan professor of the practice Rama Ramakrishnan. Writing in MIT Sloan Management Review, Ramakrishnan explains that, unlike standard AI chatbots, agentic tools can work directly with files on your computer — reading, editing, and creating them. That seemingly modest difference unlocks three meaningful capabilities: memory that persists across sessions, automation that lets you re-execute refined workflows on demand, and parallel execution that can run the same task for multiple inputs simultaneously. Here’s how you might use these agentic tools to prepare for a meeting: 1) Prompt the tool to research a client and draft a briefing, pulling information from web pages, social media, and your own notes. 2) Instruct the tool to refine the output — shorten it, add sections, shift the focus — which it will do directly in the file. 3) Save the refined instructions as a text file for future use. 4) From there, you can rerun the process for any new client in seconds or share the files with a colleague. Ramakrishnan cautions that organizations with strict data confidentiality requirements should review data-handling policies before adopting these tools.” From a report posted March 3, 2026, in the Thinking Forward Newsletter from the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Sloan School of Management. For more Thoughts And Observations about Agentic AI go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/more-ai-potential-third-wave-michael-temkin-zsugc/

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Mike Temkin Mar 4

What are the #HR Priorities for 2026? Employee Retention and Upskilling lead the list per new surveys. See Thoughts And Observations on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-222909321

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

HR Priorities for 2026 Per New Surveys: Many employers are investing more in internal development and skills-building with 74% of 800 U.S.-based hiring decision makers surveyed planning to invest in AI training or upskilling this year. The Hiring WorkWatch Report issued by Monster also indicates employers are prioritizing retention over hiring in 2026, with 52% citing retention as their top workforce priority …. while only 45% cited hiring talent. 64% of employers said it was hard to find qualified candidates. 41% said they are already using AI in hiring or workforce management, whjile another 31% said they planned to adopt AI tools soon. 54% of employers said return-to-office mandates are making hiring harder. 72% of employers expected their current hybrid or on-site policies to stay the same, and 22% planned to increase in-office requirements. Another report released earlier this month by human capital management tech company Isolved found that nearly half of the HR leaders said they’re dealing with a self-inflicted skills crisis because they’re not adapting fast enough to technology and industry shifts. From the report “Retention is top of mind for employers” posted February 27, 2026, on HR Dive by Lara Ewen – U.S. journalist and from the report “Employers Focus On Retention Amid Skills Gap” posted March 3, 2026, on CHRO SmartBrief by Nina Snyder – U.S. editor, author. For more Thoughts And Observations about Upskilling and Workplace Learning go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/repowering-workplace-workforce-reskilling-mike-temkin/ For more Thoughts And Observations about Employee Retention go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/recruiting-retaining-minds-hearts-employees-mike-temkin/

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Mike Temkin Mar 3

“In negotiations, everyone goes home with a slice of tactful compromise, but nobody gets to binge on the whole cake & leave selfish, greedy & unrealistic crumbs for the rest.”
Stewart Stafford–U.S. author.

More Thoughts And Observations about Negotiaing on Substack at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-222396442

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Advice on how to #Negotiate: “Typically to get toward a productive outcome in negotiation you have to make the initial move of genuinely exploring someone's model. If you don't, it is unlikely that they will be willing to explore yours. And if you genuinely explore and understand theirs - without judging it - they will be willing to explore yours. Once they reach that point, they are primed to explore the productive combination of both models and won't be as obsessed about trying to make sure their model prevails.” Roger Martin – Canadian academic, author. “Negotiation is often described as the art of letting the other side have your way. You have to give the other side a chance to put stuff on the table voluntarily.” Christopher Voss - U.S. businessman, author, academic, former FBI hostage negotiator, CEO of The Black Swan Group. “Tell me again how much you agree with me.” Ashleigh Brilliant – U.K. born/U.S. author, cartoonist. ‘I think, with a negotiation, you have to go in knowing what you want, knowing what your bottom line is, and knowing what you might accept if you're absolutely pushed.” Jacob Rees-Mogg – U.K. politician, broadcaster. “In negotiations, everyone goes home with a slice of tactful compromise, but nobody gets to binge on the whole cake and leave selfish, greedy and unrealistic crumbs for the rest.” Stewart Stafford – U.S. author. “The most difficult thing in any negotiation, almost, is making sure that you strip it of the emotion and deal with the facts.” Howard Baker – U.S. politician. “True negotiation takes place when each side respects the other, and their point of view, and enters into the discussion positively. If you are determined that your solution, and your particular solution only, is the correct one - to be imposed on the other side if necessary - that is not negotiation; it is dictatorship.” Tony Buzan – U.K. author, educational consultant. “If you do not know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.” Henry A. Kissinger – U.S. political scientist, diplomat. “If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” Yogi Berra – U.S. major league baseball player, manager. For more #ThoughtsAndObservations about #Negotiating go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/discipline-determination-effective-negotiation-michael-temkin-mdbnc/

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Mike Temkin Feb 25

"2026 is the Year of the #AIAgent. CIOs and CTOs ... still have concerns about the risks of moving too fast—data risks, legal risks ...But for the most part, they are plowing ahead, afraid of being left behind." See more Thoughts And Observations about AI at https://substack.com/profile/23237822-mike-temkin/note/c-219605248

Mike Temkin (@miketemkin)

Update on AgenticAI from the Wall Street Journal: “2026 is the Year of the AI Agent. Any doubts I had about that were erased this week (week of February 9, 2026) at the WSJ Tech Council Summit. The CIOs and CTOs attending still have concerns about the risks of moving too fast—data risks, legal risks, the risks of a corporate bureaucracy unable to keep pace with technology, the risk of ‘unknown unknowns.’ But for the most part, they are plowing ahead, afraid of being left behind. … Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson said the latest unemployment data out this week showed an uptick in overall economic productivity that also may reflect the AI invasion. ‘My estimate of productivity...is that…it's probably about 2.7% in 2025, which is roughly double what it was during the previous 10 years.’ Some of that is due to companies shedding workers because of tariffs or higher interest rates or excess hiring during the pandemic. But Brynjolfsson said his dive into the data shows ‘AI-exposed occupations’ accounted for a disproportionate share of the jobs lost, suggesting AI may be responsible.” From the article “The Risk of Moving Too Fast, and Too Slowly, With AI” posted February 13, 2026 on the Wall Street Journal by Alan Murray – US. Journalist, founding president of the WSJ Leadership Institute. For more Thoughts And Observations about Agentic AI go to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/more-ai-potential-third-wave-michael-temkin-zsugc/

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