Philanthropy Today

We recognize all the challenges related to the administration, increasing economic uncertainty, and how leaders are responding to this moment of chaos. That’s why we will be providing you with a bonus newsletter, Need to Know This Week, giving you a snapshot of the storylines we think you should follow. Keep an eye on your inbox.

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate AmeriCorps grants in 24 states and Washington, D.C., in response to a lawsuit filed by those jurisdictions in April. Elon Musk’s DOGE team sought to dismantle AmeriCorps, which supports volunteers in communities across the country. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who joined the lawsuit, “said the administration violated a federal commitment to community organizations across his and other states.” But while the judge said the administration’s rescission of the grants “probably violated administrative procedures,” she said the states do not have the authority to stop mass firings at the agency, which she let proceed. (Washington Post)

• Background from the Chronicle: AmeriCorps Cuts Threaten Service Programs and Their Unifying Power, Advocates Warn

As many of the billionaire signers of the Giving Pledge die or approach the end of their lives, their children are seeking guidance and fellowship in the task of giving away trillions of dollars to charity. One outlet is the pledge’s Next Gen group, launched in 2014 with 24 members. It now counts 300 members who share the rare experience of growing up with vast wealth and being charged to give it away upon their parents’ deaths. Others are becoming more involved in their family’s philanthropy and thinking about how to ensure that future donations honor their parents’ legacies. (Bloomberg)

• Background from the Chronicle: A New Giving Pledge? Tech Mogul Promises Accelerated Donations

Public Broadcasting

• Opinion: If Trump Cuts Funding to NPR and PBS, Rural America Will Pay a Devastating Price (Guardian)
• Can Public Media Survive Trump? (New Yorker)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: ‘We Need to Be Strategic’: How GBH’s Leader Makes Hard Choices After Federal Funding Cuts

More News and Opinion

• Points of Light, Founded by Former President Bush, Aims to Double American Volunteerism by 2035 (Associated Press)
• How a Manhattan Private School With a Utopian Mission Suddenly Collapsed (New York Times)

Cuts, Layoffs, and Closures

• Judge Says Administration Can Dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Associated Press)
• Ohio Food Banks Strain as Trump Slashes Federal Aid Programs (Reuters)
• Disabilities Service in Fresno Ending Program, Putting Dozens of Jobs in Jeopardy (Fresno Bee)
• Seattle International Film Festival Lays Off Staff Amid Financially Challenging time (Seattle Times)
• Leading Immigrant Rights Nonprofit Make the Road Lays Off Dozens, Sparking Staff Outcry (Documented)
• Elon Musk Is Gone, but DOGE’s Actions Are Hard to Reverse. The U.S. Institute of Peace Is a Case Study (Associated Press)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: The Nonprofit Sector Is Bleeding Jobs. Here’s What Our Tracking Data Reveals.

Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup.