After months away, Jonathan Hicken returns to Designing Tomorrow — and this time, we’re recording from the brand new Seymour Studios at the Seymour Center in Santa Cruz.
In this episode, Eric and Jonathan take a real look back at 2025: a year that felt like a grind but delivered surprising wins across the sector. They dig into what the data actually says about giving (spoiler: it’s not all doom), why the story you tell yourself shapes your reality, what it means to actually invest in storytelling instead of just talking about it, and the personal lessons they’re carrying into 2026.
If you’re ready to shed 2025 and enter the new year with big moves and big ideas, this one’s for you.
Notable Quotes
“Those beliefs drive your actions, they drive your perception, they drive how you show up in real life, how you show up in your work.” — Eric [28:51]
“We just kept banging that drum. We kept banging that drum as long as things were working and we were moving in the same direction.” — Jonathan [25:31]
“Everyone says they want to do storytelling. You just don’t see it in their investments. You don’t see it in their energy. You don’t see it in the dollars.” — Eric [20:07]
“Vulnerability and radical honesty — it’s been a superpower. And it’s something I want to carry into 2026.” — Jonathan [31:16]
“In my work, I’m seeing these huge wins from these growing nonprofit organizations, and it just gave me a lot of hope and kept me going.” — Eric [10:00]
Episode Highlights
0:00 — Jonathan’s Back: Welcome to Seymour Studios
2:06 — Looking Back on 2025: What Went Well
3:43 — The $350K House Party and Santa Cruz Generosity
5:00 — Why Jonathan’s Been Missing from the Show
6:12 — The Interviews That Kept Us Going
6:30 — Major Donor Giving Is Up (What the Data Says)
7:46 — Should We Worry About Fewer Donors?
9:00 — Client Wins: $13M, $14M, and More
11:00 — How Cosmic Celebrates Client Success
12:43 — Eating Our Own Dog Food: The Case for Support
15:00 — The Questions That Forced Hard Conversations
17:00 — What Even Is a Case for Support?
19:00 — Building a Storytelling Engine (Content Brokerage)
20:07 — Why Most Orgs Talk Storytelling But Don’t Invest
22:00 — What Charity Water Knows About Storytelling
23:26 — Getting the Whole Team Aligned
25:27 — Growth Isn’t Linear, It’s Cyclical
27:00 — Big Moves Aren’t Knee-Jerk (They’re Secretly Researched)
28:00 — “What If It’s Not All Falling Apart?”
30:00 — Turning 40 and the Midlife Recalibration
30:44 — Jonathan on Vulnerability and Radical Honesty
32:00 — Thank You, Listeners — and What’s Next
Referenced Episodes & Resources
Fewer Donors, Bigger Checks: Interpreting the Latest Giving Data https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/nonprofit-donor-trends-2025/
Growth Isn’t Linear. It’s Cyclical. https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/growth-isnt-linear.-its-cyclical.
How to Build a Strong Case for Support https://designbycosmic.com/podcast/how-to-build-a-strong-case-for-support/
Seymour Center Case for Support Example
https://www.canva.com/design/DAG4hkxvfvQ/zRnCdWPZkovr3v-KSSyTyg/view
Connect
Cosmic:
https://designbycosmic.com
Seymour Marine Discovery Center:
https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu
P.S. — Feeling a disconnect between your mission and your brand? Cosmic helps social impact leaders build trust through story-rich brands, compelling campaigns, and values-aligned strategy. Let’s talk about how to elevate your impact:
https://designbycosmic.com/
Congrats on the new studio and set up! Looks fantastic -- looking forward to more in 2026.