His work models how nonprofits work
Federal hostility. Funding cuts. Public smears. These are not hypotheticals—they’re daily realities for nonprofits across the United States in 2025.
Many organizations are fighting to survive, let alone thrive. And in that fight, it matters deeply who stands with you.
As we’ve explored in the first two posts of this series, Pope Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—is emerging as a surprising but powerful ally to the nonprofit sector. His leadership style champions humility, listening, and service. But his background may be even more important than his style.
This pope knows what it means to serve amid scarcity. He knows what it means to speak up when others are silent. And he knows that when governments fail to protect the vulnerable, nonprofits and faith-based groups must step up.
That’s what makes his papacy so timely—and so relevant.
Before he became a Vatican official or a bishop, Robert Prevost was a missionary. He spent nearly two decades in Peru, serving in urban slums and rural dioceses. He wasn’t cloistered in luxury—he was out in the streets, working with people who lived on the edge of survival.
He became a Peruvian citizen. He learned the culture and language. He worked with laypeople to build churches and clinics, train leaders, and support communities neglected by the state.
This wasn’t photo-op charity. It was long-haul solidarity.
And that experience left a mark.
Unlike leaders who rise through bureaucratic ranks, Pope Leo XIV has seen firsthand what it means for civil society to be the safety net. He’s experienced what happens when political systems are unstable or indifferent. And he’s lived the power of nonprofits—religious and secular—to offer dignity, protection, and hope.
That’s why he’s more than a spiritual figure. He’s someone who understands the on-the-ground role of community-based service.
Pope Leo XIV’s understanding of mission goes far beyond pastoral care. He believes in structural justice. In Peru, he joined other bishops in speaking out during political upheaval. He called on national leaders to put aside partisanship and corruption to meet the basic needs of the people.
And now, as pope, he inherits Pope Francis’s legacy of deep concern for migrants, refugees, the environment, and the poor.
This is not performative. This is priority.
In fact, many Vatican observers believe that one reason Cardinal Prevost was elected pope was to continue and deepen this commitment. He has shown that the Church must not only comfort those in pain—it must challenge the systems that create that pain.
For nonprofits, especially those under attack for “being political,” that’s a vital message: Standing up for vulnerable populations is not radical. It’s righteous.
In today’s U.S. context, federal leaders have:
In this environment, many nonprofit professionals feel discouraged—or worse, afraid.
But Pope Leo XIV’s consistent message offers something radical: validation.
He reminds the world that serving those in need is not only necessary—it’s sacred.
When the state abandons its responsibility, nonprofits are not overstepping by speaking out. They are stepping into the very heart of their mission. And having the Pope—the spiritual leader of over a billion people—reinforce that can bolster morale, build resilience, and restore confidence.
Importantly, Pope Leo XIV’s call to solidarity is not limited to Catholics. His theology is rooted in the dignity of all people, not just the faithful. His encouragement of nonprofits extends to any organization that seeks to feed, house, educate, protect, or uplift others.
That’s a critical bridge in a divided time.
Whether your nonprofit is secular or interfaith, liberal or conservative, urban or rural, this papacy invites you to re-anchor your mission in the core truth that we belong to one another.
Even the Pope’s name signals continuity with this legacy. As Leo XIV, he evokes Leo XIII, who in 1891 authored Rerum Novarum—the encyclical that launched modern Catholic social teaching and defended the rights of workers and the poor.
The message, then and now, is the same: economic and social systems must serve human dignity. That principle is the foundation of most nonprofit missions. And in an age of institutional fragmentation, it’s one worth reaffirming.
So, what can you take from this?
This is a moment of reckoning for civil society in the United States. It’s tempting to play small. To avoid controversy. To wait it out.
But Pope Leo XIV’s example urges a different response: stand up, stay grounded, and keep going.
The people you serve are worth it. And you’re not the only one who sees that.