Established in 1990 as the Literacy Council of Tyler, PAVE East Texas began humbly with 30 students and has grown significantly, now serving approximately 2,100 adult learners annually with the support of over 130 volunteers. The organization recently changed its name, reflecting a new chapter that community members are encouraged to keep following. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

I love a book.

Notice I didn’t say a good book – just a book.

I’m sure books are in my DNA. Books were ever present in my early years: trips to the library, treasured Christmas and birthday gifts, and encyclopedic answers to many of my childhood questions.

Today, common advice is to read to your children at an early age. I have no memory of books read to me. I’m pretty sure that’s because when my parents had free time, they read themselves. One of my earliest goals was to learn to read and figure out what was so important about those books.

Television competed with books in elementary school years, but only one or two nights a week and on Saturday mornings. Of course, movie theaters competed when my dad could afford the tickets.

Today the greatest competition to my stack of books is streaming – Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Paramount, and so on.

Streaming has changed how we consume stories. Told over eight or 10 episodes per season, popular series are now much like book chapters. We can stop at the end of the chapter or binge-stream the entire season in a day. It’s just like reading a book.

A feature absent from my books are the skip recap and intro buttons. But have you noticed those options are often absent when you get to the last episode of a season? They don’t want to miss one last impression on our highly suggestible minds.

The life of nonprofit organizations bears a strong resemblance to streaming. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the flow from one year to the next. Occasionally, the next season, or chapters, brings significant changes for an organization.

At the end of the year, I opened an email from Andria Horton, Executive Director of Smith County Champions for Children. She started with a recap of 2024, describing it as a great year with statistics to back it up. I remember 1996 when C. C. Baker and Melody Hughes started the organization with a simple mission to improve the quality of early childhood education with training and resources for caregivers, teachers, and families.

Fast forward to 2025, and SCCFC has focused its mission on two key program areas: Help Me Grow East Texas and an Early Learning Institute. Focusing on the needs of families with young children and continuing to provide high-quality training to early childcare providers and caregivers is their next chapter. And a very important one that I look forward to reading and watching.

Last week, I opened a different email to find the announcement of a new Executive Director at Smith County Habitat, Robert Manley. I’ve not met Mr. Manley yet, but I look forward to learning what his leadership will bring to another vital organization in our community.

One of my favorite nonprofits has been the Literacy Council of Tyler — oops, sorry, it’s now PAVE East Texas, a name change that better reflects their mission and the region they now serve. It’s a definite new chapter, even if it will take me a while to make the name shift.

Each is creating the next chapter. As a supporter of many nonprofit organizations, I’m always skimming newsletters and fundraising letters, reading announcements, and listening to friends, family, and colleagues when they mention one on my list.

Your favorite organization is likely starting its new chapter. It’s our role to keep reading, streaming, and following what comes next for the important work they do.

What about that recap and intro feature? Don’t hit the skip button every time. Check the recap so you don’t miss important changes and announcements. Equally important is the intro; don’t skip it. That’s where the list of board members and important partners shows up. They do change from time to time, so we need to stay current.

The next chapter in the life of a nonprofit is just as important as the chapters in our personal giving legacy. How we give well changes all the time, but hopefully, always for the good of our community and those we deeply care about.