Stimpunks Foundation

Mutual Aid and Human-Centered Learning for Neurodivergent and Disabled People

Close up photo of an hourglass with sand streaming from top to bottom. Text reads: What We're Doing now

Now

🗺️

Home/Now

▶ Table of Contents

  1. What is a “now page”?+
  2. What We’re Doing Now
    1. Ongoing
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Objectives and Key Results
    1. Objectives and Key Results for Q1 2026
      1. Objective 1 — Expand Care & Support Infrastructure
      2. Objective 2 — Grow and Deepen Learning Pathways
      3. Objective 3 — Increase Visibility & Outreach
      4. Objective 4 — Strengthen Financial Stability
      5. Objective 5 — Build & Share Knowledge Publicly
      6. Implementation Notes
      7. Alignment With Past OKRs
    2. Objectives and Key Results for Q2 2025
    3. Raise $1,700 in funds and apply for 3 grants
    4. Host 13 virtual events and 24 public meetings
    5. Develop 2 learning experiences
    6. Objectives and Key Results for Q1 2025
    7. Raise $1,700 in funds and apply for 3 grants
    8. Host 19 virtual events and 24 public meetings
    9. Develop 2 learning experiences
  5. Transparency Log
  6. Next Steps for Our Community
  7. 4 Pathways
  8. We Will
  9. Problems to Keep in Mind
  10. Changelog
  11. Newsletter
  12. Glossary
  13. Feeds
  14. Pebble Board

This page shows what Stimpunks is working on right now — not polished outcomes or perfect plans, but the real, messy process of building tools, care, and ideas that make life more livable.

We track work that aligns with our values: lived experience leads, access is a right, and care is infrastructure. This space is meant to be transparent about what we’re focusing on, where energy is going, and how progress is actually happening — not as a performance metric, but as an honest reflection of labor, choices, and ongoing commitment.

You’ll find current priorities, experiments in progress, and the small steps that matter most to everyday survival, learning, and connection. We update this often because what matters changes with needs — and we expect that change.

The Now page isn’t a scoreboard; it’s a living snapshot of ongoing work, capacity, and real impact. Think of it as what we’re doing, why it matters, and how far along we are — honest, transparent, and humane.

Most websites have a link that says “about”. It goes to a page that tells you something about the background of this person or business. For short, people just call it an “about page”.

Most websites have a link that says “contact”. It goes to a page that tells you how to contact this person or business. For short, people just call it a “contact page”.

So a website with a link that says “now” goes to a page that tells you what this person is focused on at this point in their life. For short, we call it a “now page”.

about nownownow.com

What We’re Doing Now

This week we kept building the Stimpunks ecosystem into something more portable, more practical, and more structurally honest.

We deepened our work on power, coercion, and compliance culture, adding new real-world stakes to The Cult of Compliance and the Policing of the Norm. Systems of power are not abstract. They are enforced.

We expanded our philosophy of free, life-changing public knowledge—the library tradition, the open source tradition, the liberation tradition.

We continued to evolve Cavendish Space as a living pattern language, spinning out a new standalone page: Neuroqueer DIY: The place where we belong does not exist. We will build it.

We published a run of new work on Relational Pattern Languages, including a glossary entry and a careful sidebar on Indigenous influence and relational pattern thinking.

We significantly expanded the Systems of Power pathway, strengthening the lens that helps us see inequity as structural, not personal.

We launched Zine Walls as a new format: low cognitive load, high signal, poster-ready declarations you can tape up anywhere. This week we published zine walls for ADHD, Autistic identity, and Sensory Experience.

We expanded the Enable Dignity pathway, reinforcing a core Stimpunks commitment: accommodations for natural human variation should be mutual.

We pushed forward our access infrastructure work with major expansions to:

And we published a new practical resource: the Sensory Checklist Gallery—printable lily-pad blocks for making spaces safer right now.

This week was about turning philosophy into infrastructure:

Power named.
Dignity centered.
Patterns shared.
Access made portable.

We keep building at the edges.

This week was about infrastructure, scaffolding, and making Stimpunks more usable in the real world.

We did maintenance where it matters, fixing broken embeds on Dolphining, a page that’s been drawing significant traffic.

We expanded our public story with new additions to A Brief History of Stimpunks, including an “In a Minute” version and a timeline view — making our origin easier to hold and share.

We strengthened the editorial backbone of the site by adding extensive further reading to the House Style Guide, along with new accessibility-centered sections on form design, punctuation as pacing, and how our style choices serve cognitive access.

We refreshed the Field Guide with a clearer layout, new subpages, and new intros — building it into a more navigable toolkit rather than a loose archive.

We published major fundraising infrastructure for 2026: our Goal Stack, our Fundraising page, and our approach for the year. Sustainability is part of access work.

We expanded the Encyclopedia with a new Memory Craft section, exploring how humans have always used story, grouping, and visual structure to support memory — and how lily pads function as modern illuminated-manuscript scaffolding for neurodivergent readers.

We continued building Cavendish Space into a full ecosystem: a Why Sheet, a clearer glossary definition, a project hub, and new work on how Cavendish Space supports authenticity.

We deepened our core language of neurological pluralism, updating Dandelions/Tulips/Orchids and adding a plain-language definition of neurological pluralism itself.

We expanded our Covenant — our community commitment to learner safety, truth, and care — because culture is also infrastructure.

We added first-pass OKRs to the Now page to make our work more transparent and trackable.

And we continued evolving our front-page lens, adding new briefs on meritocracy myths and emergence: designing conditions where better worlds appear.

This week was about turning Stimpunks into a more coherent commons:

More navigable.
More teachable.
More accessible.
More durable.

We keep building at the edges — with lily pads, pattern languages, and dignity-first design.

This week was about public infrastructure: fundraising, transparency, governance, and the scaffolding that makes Stimpunks sustainable and trustworthy.

We published the Stimpunks Fundraising Manifesto and launched the Care Infrastructure Fund on Givebutter — grounding fundraising in dignity, mutual aid, and systems-change rather than charity narratives.

We added operational clarity with a new Volunteer Internet Access Policy, and continued building the Field Guide as a practical resource for real-world support, including updates to Coping resources and online community links.

We strengthened organizational transparency across the site:

  • updated Frequently Requested Information
  • posted our latest 990-PF
  • published a Changelog
  • added a Transparency Log to the Now page
  • published new governance policies on effectiveness and conflict of interest
  • began roughing in a 2026 budget plan

We also published our Charting Impact page, articulating how we define effectiveness outside the traditional charity measurement frame.

On the front page, we expanded how newcomers enter Stimpunks:

  • added “Stimpunks is a DIY Humanizing Rebellion”
  • launched the new “Our Lens” briefs section
  • added audience-specific “Stimpunks in a Minute” intros for donors, educators, healthcare workers, community members, and people seeking help

We continued deepening our editorial and cultural infrastructure:

  • expanded Scrollytelling and added it to the Style Guide
  • added new sections on comics/webtoons pacing and gutters
  • published The Tenets of Stimpunks
  • clarified identity-first language, including why we write Autistic

We also expanded our Learning Space work with new purpose, mission, and core educational beliefs rooted in human-centered, trauma-informed, self-determined learning.

Finally, we published both A Brief History of Stimpunks and our January 2026 Changelog — continuing our commitment to default-to-open documentation.

This week was about building the bones:

Transparency.
Governance.
Sustainability.
Storytelling.
Entry paths.

We keep building a commons that can hold us.

Ongoing

  • Prepping for Weird Pride Day on March 4th.
  • Working on providing mobile hotspots for volunteers.
  • Working on training presentation for Cavendish Space.
  • Reading grant submissions in preparation for the next round of mutual aid and creator grants.
  • Helping people navigate healthcare and housing.
  • Hosting weekly “Solidarity Sessions” in our Discord community.
  • Hosting weekly “Campfire Learn Together” sessions in our Discord community.
  • Adding to our always growing glossary.
  • Consistently updating our Coping Page with new resources for food assistance, coping tools (such as: the new A.C.T. Tool), and more listings in our service directory.
  • We’re trying to cover all of the 20 “BBB Standards for Charity Accountability” and hopefully get accredited. It’s a lot of work.
  • Check out our Web Store for some awesome Stimpunks swag!
  • Stay tuned by subscribing to our monthly newsletter!

Last updated: February 15, 2026

Table of Contents

Objectives and Key Results

Objectives and Key Results for Q1 2026

Objective 1 — Expand Care & Support Infrastructure

Why this matters: Direct support and care systems are core to mission and reduce harm in real lives.

Key Results

  1. Distribute at least 5 care grants (e.g., aid, tech access, services) to community members
  2. Launch 2 new coping tools or resources on Coping and Field Guide pages

Objective 2 — Grow and Deepen Learning Pathways

Why this matters: Education grounded in lived experience reframes systems and supports community capacity building.

Key Results

  1. Finalize and publish 1 new learning module (e.g., Neuroqueer Learning Spaces, Cavendish Space, Ed Design)
  2. Host 6 Campfire Learn Together sessions focused on these modules
  3. Gather 10 pieces of user feedback (qualitative) to improve future editions

Objective 3 — Increase Visibility & Outreach

Why this matters: More people reached means more liberation language and more community connected to resources. (Stimpunks Foundation)

Key Results

  1. Grow newsletter subscription by 15%
  2. Deliver 8 public events (solidarity sessions, public editorial meetings, or community forums)
  3. Publish 5 guest articles or collaborative pieces with allied networks (e.g., education or disability justice partners)

Objective 4 — Strengthen Financial Stability

Why this matters: Sustainable funding protects care infrastructure, honors labor, and plans for long-term support.

Key Results

  1. Apply for 4 community-aligned grants focused on mutual aid, education, or accessibility
  2. Raise $3,000 in unrestricted support from individual donors
  3. Secure 1 funding partnership with aligned organization

Objective 5 — Build & Share Knowledge Publicly

Why this matters: Stimpunks prioritizes lived experience and open resources that challenge harmful norms and systems.

Key Results

  1. Publish 10 new “In Brief” entries (frameworks and models)
  2. Release 1 visual zine or poster collection summarizing key briefs and manifesto points
  3. Create a “Take a Walk in Our Shoes” interactive series for deeper engagement

Implementation Notes

  • Qualitative feedback (stories, testimonials, user comments) should be collected alongside numbers for true impact reflection.
  • OKRs are not about perfection; they are directional beacons to guide work rooted in care and lived reality.
  • Emphasize tools that genuinely help the community survive and thrive—not just visibility metrics.

Alignment With Past OKRs

Past efforts in 2025 included fundraising, virtual events, and learning experience development. Q1 2026 builds on those foundations by scaling support infrastructure, advancing educational content, increasing reach, and stabilizing funding.

Objectives and Key Results for Q2 2025

American dollar, money & banking

Raise $1,700 in funds and apply for 3 grants

  • Apply for 3 grants
  • Raise $1700 in organic and peer-to-peer donations
  • Raise $500 with partners
Apply for 3 grants
100%
Raise $1700 in donations
100%
Raffle tickets

Host 13 virtual events and 24 public meetings

Host 1 conference
100%
Host 12 public operations meetings
100%
Host 12 public editorial meetings
100%
Never stop learning

Develop 2 learning experiences

  • Develop Neuroqueer Learning Spaces training
  • Develop Map of Monotropic Experiences training
Develop Neuroqueer Learning Spaces training
100%
Develop Map of Monotropic Experiences training
100%

Numbers updated on June 28, 2025.

Objectives and Key Results for Q1 2025

American dollar, money & banking

Raise $1,700 in funds and apply for 3 grants

  • Apply for 3 grants
  • Raise $1700 in organic and peer-to-peer donations
  • Raise $500 with partners
Apply for 3 grants
33%
Raise $1700 in donations
100%
Raise $500 with partners
0%
Raffle tickets

Host 19 virtual events and 24 public meetings

  • Host 9 Weekly Solidarity Sessions
  • Host 9 Weekly Variety Hours
  • Host 1 conference
  • Host 12 public operations meetings
  • Host 12 public editorial meetings
Host 9 Solidarity Sessions
100%
Host 9 Variety Hours
100%
Host 1 conference
100%
Host 12 public operations meetings
100%
Host 12 public editorial meetings
100%
Never stop learning

Develop 2 learning experiences

  • Develop Neuroqueer Learning Spaces training
  • Develop Map of Monotropic Experiences training
Develop Neuroqueer Learning Spaces training
95%
Develop Map of Monotropic Experiences training
95%

Numbers updated on March 31, 2025.

Transparency Log

We default to open — not because transparency is easy, but because openness is a form of care. This log is where we share what’s happening behind the scenes: decisions, changes, setbacks, and ongoing work that usually stays hidden.

Most organizations hide context, labor, and uncertainty. We don’t. When we document what we tried, what worked, and what didn’t, we make space for collective learning, mutual accountability, and real trust.

This isn’t a polished record of outcomes. It’s a living journal of the choices we’re making, the labor involved, and the reasons behind them. You’re invited to read it, learn from it, and hold it with us — because defaulting to open means you don’t just see the finished product, you see the hands that built it.

DateActivity
2026/02/05Published Fundraising transparency documents.
2026/02/05Working on compliance with BBB Standards for Charity Accountability
2026/01/19Closed grant pipelines
2026/01/01Opened grant pipelines

Next Steps for Our Community

Here are some next steps for our community at Stimpunks:

4 Pathways

Our next steps travel these 4 pathways.

PROTECT PEOPLE harm reduction, protect targeted people DISRUPT AND DISOBEY strategize acts to support disobedience and protest policy DEFEND CIVIC INSTITUTIONS safeguard democratic institutions (elections, EPA, etc) BUILD ALTERNATIVES parallel institutions, alternative party platforms, new culture-building
10 ways to be prepared and grounded now that Trump has won | Waging Nonviolence

We Will

Problems to Keep in Mind

You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear or read a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say, “How did he do it? He must be a genius!”

—Richard Feynman via “Forte, Tiago. Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential (p. 62). Simon Element / Simon Acumen.”

Feynman’s approach encouraged him to follow his interests wherever they might lead. He posed questions and constantly scanned for solutions to long-standing problems in his reading, conversations, and everyday life. When he found one, he could make a connection that looked to others like a flash of unparalleled brilliance.

Ask yourself, “What are the questions I’ve always been interested in?”

Forte, Tiago. Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential (p. 63). Simon Element / Simon Acumen.

In the spirit of Richard Feynman’s 12 problems, here are some questions to keep in mind as we go about our business:

  1. How do we raise more funds?
  2. How do we keep our community safe while including more people?
  3. How do we set boundaries to protect our mental health without being called performative?
  4. How do we help people survive the dismantling of healthcare systems and the administrative state?
  5. How do we increase community engagement in Discord and on social media?
  6. How do we support our 4 pillars: Mutual Aid, Creator Grants, Learning Space, Open Research?
  7. How do we resist behaviorism in education and healthcare?
  8. Who should we add to our board?

What should we add?

Changelog

We publish a monthly changelog.

Newsletter

We publish a monthly newsletter.

Glossary

We constantly update our glossary.

Feeds

We’re on pretty much all of the social networks, but we are most active and engaged on our Bluesky.

You can find the latest feeds for our social networks on our Feeds page.

Pebble Board

Our Pebble Board lists the fidgets and media we’re enjoying lately.

Pebble Board