Field Notes

Writing from the build.

Essays on what separates funded, durable organizations from struggling ones. No hype, no jargon, nothing we haven't built or lived. The newsletter in the footer gets each one first.

May 26, 2026

4 min read

What 21 years inside taught me about building organizations that last

Richard Mireles spent 21 years in California prisons and came home a builder. The lessons that survived are the ones organizations need most.

Read the essay →

May 12, 2026

4 min read

How justice-impacted founders should think about their first grant

Your record is not the obstacle you think it is, and the grant you're chasing is probably the wrong one. A field guide to first funding for justice-impacted founders.

Read the essay →

April 28, 2026

4 min read

AI for nonprofit leaders: the 10 systems to build first

Skip the hype and the fear. These are the ten AI systems a small nonprofit team should build first, in order, to work like an organization three times its size.

Read the essay →