Nonprofits and the Trump Agenda

The government shutdown is compounding financial strains on nonprofits. Leaders are considering measures such as applying for loans and seeking emergency aid from funders to stay afloat.

The move came after complaints from some conservatives and prominent allies of President Donald Trump.

Some conservatives fear the president’s attacks on progressive foundations could come back to haunt them. “What might President AOC not like?”

The Democracy Fund’s Joe Goldman offers a three-part framework for donors who are concerned that America is backsliding into authoritarianism.

A government shutdown is likely to add stress to nonprofits that have been grappling with federal cuts since the start of the year, according to advocacy groups.

Freedom Dreams in Philanthropy provides a record and a time capsule of Black foundation leaders as the backlash against racial equity reaches the highest levels of government.

Open Society Foundations issued a statement saying they “unequivocally condemn terrorism and do not fund terrorism.”

The number of demonstrations has grown threefold since 2017. Anger, new research says, is driving so many people to the streets.

The executive memorandum follows reports that the Department of Justice is calling on federal prosecutors to investigate George Soros’s Open Society Foundations.

Miguel Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez are bringing together some of the country’s wealthiest Latinos to support college students and fight Trump’s anti-immigration policies.

In preparing a response to expected policy changes, foundation leaders appear to walking a delicate line between exposing themselves to threats from the administration and remaining stalwart — and visible — institutions.

After last week’s killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, organizations are assessing their risks and taking steps to protect staff, buildings, and events.

Under the Bill of Rights, the U.S. has strong protections in place that shield nonprofits. Still, there are some precedents for attempts to repress them.

The Open Society Foundations has spent significant time developing new programs and has searched for new ideas as it’s redesigned its work.

The philanthropies wrote an open letter that condemns political violence and defends their freedom of speech and the freedom to give.

Right-of-center donors would join with their progressive counterparts to replace lost federal funding — if the money went to local stations.

In a year of tests for nonprofit leaders, one of the most challenging decisions is whether to take a public stand for diversity and inclusion.

Amid the chaos of 2025, organizations are adapting and innovating to survive. The new approaches might eventually make them stronger.

What will change for big donors, corporate giving, charities? Test how much you know.

Experts and state housing agencies say that would set back tens of thousands of future affordable housing developments nationwide, particularly hurting Appalachian towns and rural counties where government aid is sparse and investors are few.

Even when government dollars support good work, they often come with strings attached, making it harder for nonprofits to fulfill their missions and serve their communities.

Groups that work with unhoused people, communities of color, and immigrants are aiming to provide additional resources if National Guard troops and federal agents are deployed to their cities.

Survival strategies to help nonprofits adapt to the tumultuous funding environment.

Over seven weeks, 22 book tour events, and discussions with thousands of funders, the message was clear: the structures of the past are damaging the sector and must change.

A new executive order gives presidential appointees the power to reward allies and punish opponents. Here are seven actions nonprofits can take to lessen the blow.

Philanthropy leaders recognize the need to counter authoritarian narratives but aren’t sure where to begin. Here’s a game plan.

The government shutdown deals another blow to nonprofits facing economic uncertainty and federal funding disruptions.

Each agency will have a political appointee to ensure its grants advance the president’s priorities, and agencies will be free to terminate grants for any reason.

At a time of escalating threats to journalists, grant makers should bolster the security of nonprofit media outlets but also can’t ignore their own risks.

A new digital ad campaign highlights the work of charities and encourages people to contact their lawmakers to defend the sector.

The new policy echoes decades of donor-backed work — but philanthropy is divided on its potential.

The ‘disappearing safety net’ will harm people throughout the country.

The center-right policy wonk claims all is normal, when that’s far from true.

How 15 years running a nonprofit camp helped shape Sen. James Lankford’s legislative priorities.

The answers to nonprofit leaders’ pervasive anxiety could be found in an African approach to healing.

More than 1,000 organizations have signed a letter asking the Trump administration to keep politics out of houses of worship.

Eighty percent of nonprofits say they will be interested in pro bono assistance within the next six to 12 months. Expert volunteers appear to be ready to meet the demand.

The vast and interconnected set of programs funded by taxpayers has been significantly dismantled in just months, nonprofit leaders, researchers and funders say. And even deeper, permanent cuts are still possible.

The $1.1 billion cut in federal funding to public broadcasting delivered a blow to democracy and an agency that does a great deal to bridge divides in America.

President Trump’s policies are poised to upend decades of partnerships the federal government has built with nonprofits to help people in their communities.

One leader’s idea to bring new funding to the arts and why it could be a model for other fields facing government cuts.

Many of the West Virginia county’s 17,000 residents rely on federal programs to get by. Trump administration cuts could deepen poverty.

Over 84 percent of nonprofits based in the Bronx that received government grants would be at risk of not covering their expenses, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute.

Two Republican senators and a broad bipartisan coalition of funders and nonprofits prevented a 600% increase in taxes levied on the endowments of the largest private foundations.

Churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status, the Internal Revenue Service said in a recent filing.

The chief fundraiser of Save the Children talks about how to sustain core programs during challenging times.

Even if the megabill boosts charitable giving, nonprofits providing social services are likely to find themselves financially squeezed, an economist says.

The Black Freedom Fund has raised $100 million — and plans to double that amount — in a rare effort to build a Black-led endowment.

To soften the blow of new tax rules, companies and nonprofits must rethink how they work together.

About half of Jumpstart’s funding came from AmeriCorps, support the Trump administration recently cut.

The lawyers, grant makers, policy wonks, faith leaders, organizers, fundraisers, philanthropists, and advocates making a difference.

To survive future scrutiny, foundations need to reform how and where they give.

Nonprofits are the third-largest nongovernment employer, providing 10 percent of American jobs. A future dip, though hard to decipher, looks likely.

Her new position as a senior fellow at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation places her back at the center of the very debates over American culture that surrounded her dismissal.

The Senate version includes a larger charitable deduction for non-itemizers than the House version, but it also sets a floor and a cap for wealthy donors, which could reduce giving.

The Senate removed the sharply escalating taxes in the measure approved on Tuesday, but foundations worry they could still re-emerge in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

Individuals and corporate donors could cut back — just as safety-net charities face a sharp rise in demand.

Heather Gerken, dean of Yale University Law and former Obama adviser, is expected to focus on social justice, democracy, and equity.

Independent Sector commissioned studies to measure the potential impact of two key proposals that are in both the House and the Senate versions of the tax bill.

Female philanthropists say they are increasing donations to nonprofits affected by anti-DEI policies, per a new survey from Women Moving Millions. They also have tips for doing so.

Defending civil society from Trump administration threats isn’t possible without a clear understanding of what it actually means.

It greatly increases the charitable deduction for non-itemizers and eliminates proposed tax increases on foundations. But other provisions harmful to nonprofits remain.

Large numbers of donors in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta have lost jobs because of federal cuts and companies that have lost business. Fundraisers’ experiences in those cities might be a preview of what nonprofits elsewhere will face if the country slides into a recession.

Drawing from a long career in philanthropy, Barron Segar discusses the important role leaders play as a steady hand during challenging times.

A proposed new tax on foundation earnings should push foundations to align endowment investments with mission — and help grantees survive.

More than a third of respondents in a Nonprofit Finance Fund analysis ended last year with an operating deficit.

These workers — at different stages of their careers and representing various fields — illustrate the personal fallout from the federal government’s defunding of the nonprofit sector.

Brenda Solórzano argues that the protests against ICE raids have been mischaracterized for political purposes and to sow fear among Latinos. Her health and racial equity foundation is granting more and faster.

Joshua Arce, head of Partnership for Native Americans, is thinking seven generations behind and ahead to keep his nonprofit on mission. “It’s time to get centered on what you stand for,” he advises.

Finding community is the “holy grail” to keep going when you’re trying to solve social problems against what seem like impossible odds. Joy is important, too.

To protect democracy, grant makers should fund security details for members of Congress.

Susan Goldberg discusses running a nonprofit in the crosshairs of the Trump administration’s attacks on PBS, among other challenges.

Republican lawmakers alleged a “money laundering” scheme funneling taxpayer dollars to Democratic officials. Democrats claimed the Trump administration is “weaponizing the federal government” to chill nonprofit activity and speech.

We learned that staying silent amid baseless lies and attacks only makes matters worse.

Two experts explain what it would take for the federal government to revoke a university’s tax-exempt status.

Decades of global philanthropic aid missed the mark. It’s time for a new strategy.

In a Center for Effective Philanthropy survey of 585 of nonprofit leaders, a majority said they were confronting unprecedented financial and other challenges that included the politicization of their work.

A Middle East peace expert argues the legislation will likely reappear because some in the GOP see it as a means to silence free speech.

The new tax bill would impact foundations and nonprofits — and charity advocates are scrambling to limit the damage.

For groups whose mission involves providing services to historically marginalized communities, Trump administration executive orders pose an existential threat.

Wealthy foundations and nonprofits need to change their ways — not scare the rest of the field into submission.

Donors and the leaders of major foundations and nonprofits should be willing to shoulder more risk, she says, especially at a time when more are fearful about speaking their minds.

President Trump’s proposed budget eliminates much of the federal CDFI Fund, which since 1994 has enabled community development nonprofits to support millions of small businesses and housing efforts. Smaller borrowers are most at risk.

While grant makers can’t make up the budget shortfall, they can coordinate fast, local action when federal help falls short.

Some nonprofits say it’s an arbitrary standard to financially punish charities that advocate for issues that don’t align with his agenda.

Taxes could top hundreds of millions per year at the Gates Foundation and others.

As charities focus on Trump, little-known Scott Hodge pushes for $40 billion in new taxes on nonprofits.

The Trump administration intends to dismantle the national service program that fuels the work of big charities like Habitat for Humanity as well as local organizations and faith-based groups.

Funding a ‘Democracy Corps’ national service program would ensure valuable expertise doesn’t go to waste.

Across the country, foundations are weighing the pros and cons of digging into their endowments. For some, increasing funding to grantees is a moral imperative.

Charities are legally permitted to lobby more than their leaders may realize. A law professor tells you how.

Digital donations are dropping in the wake of the president’s tariffs. Experts weigh in on whether charities should back off appeals or push ahead with ambitious campaigns.

Rising costs are sending more families to food banks, including people with jobs.

In her nearly four-month tenure as head of the National Council of Nonprofits, Diane Yentel has joined two lawsuits against the Trump administration and warned against silence and infighting.

Elite universities have alienated many Americans, leaving these institutions vulnerable to government attacks. The social change world is next.

Nonprofit leaders react to the first three months of President Trump’s second term, which has left the sector stunned, transformed, and weakened.

During the next 1,300 days of Trump’s presidency, let’s put the bricks in place for a better future while doing everything we can to hold up the foundation.

Sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option as immigrant advocates are targeted.

Donors rattled by stock market volatility and gloomy economic forecasts may be hesitant to give. But that doesn’t mean they won’t, say experts.

The grant maker, which has given $23 to $57 million annually since 2019, is increasing its support in response to the Trump administration’s actions.

There is tremendous pressure on the groups to provide services to their communities amid a flurry of Trump administration policies that affect immigration, higher education, and potential cuts to federal health care programs, advocates say.

Local nonprofit leaders in Republican districts need to speak out against proposed changes and ensure lawmakers understand the consequences, suggests a former leader of United Way Worldwide.

Nonprofits are bracing for what may represent the administration’s most direct action against them to date. Experts caution groups not to panic.

Vera’s experience is a ‘harbinger’ for the rest of the nonprofit world, says Nicholas Turner, president of the criminal-justice reform organization.

The law permits most colleges and universities to increase spending from their endowments in light of financial pressures, the author argues.

When a progressive group posted in support of Palestinians in Gaza, it saw funding evaporate. Similar fissures are reverberating across the nonprofit world.

Attorneys who specialize in nonprofit law and freedom of speech weigh in the president’s battle with the university.

Advocacy groups are the latest targets of the Trump administration, which is seeking to limit the independence of various civil society organizations — or put them at risk of losing their federal funds and professional livelihood.

Funding shortfalls and the growing public perception that Spanish-speaking people are “potential invaders and potential criminals” are putting Latino organizations in crisis mode, said Frankie Miranda, president of Hispanic Federation.

Grant makers must rally to challenge disregard for rule of law because it affects virtually every issue that philanthropy works to advance.

President Trump’s shifting approach to tariffs is adding new headaches for nonprofits already grappling with chaos related to executive orders from his administration.

After Edward Blum’s complaint to the IRS about the Gates Foundation’s “illegal” scholarship program for students of color, the Seattle philanthropy giant said it would change the scholarship’s eligibility criteria to include all races.

Trust-based funders are taking a stance to shore up nonprofits defunded by the Trump administration, although 10 of them declined to identify themselves publicly. Separately, a group of foundations offered a ‘statement of solidarity’ in response to the federal cuts.

As federal budget cuts ripple through an uncertain economy, at least 23,000 documented, full-time positions have been eliminated since Inauguration Day.

Fighting Trump administration policies requires grit and sacrifice more typical of college athletes than social justice warriors. Booker showed how it’s done.

In reaction to the Trump administration’s efforts to cut federal grants to some nonprofits, more foundations are offering emergency support.

There’s good news and bad, according to analyses of how donors responded to the four most recent economic downturns.

The far right has spent millions peddling its anti-immigrant narrative. Philanthropy can help tell a more powerful story about immigrants’ value to the nation.

The president’s moves highlight fundamental questions about the role of the U.S. government in the nation’s artistic life.

Nonprofit workers stressed by the uncertainty their groups face should acknowledge their emotions, set limits around work, and find purpose beyond their jobs, experts advise.

Some fundraisers are unhappy with the organization’s response and are pushing for ways to participate virtually.

Progressives have criticized the orders for being vague and attacking a concept — DEI — that does not have an agreed-upon legal definition. Conservatives argue that race-based grant making amounts to illegal discrimination.

Claire Dunning, author of “Nonprofit Neighborhoods: An Urban History of Inequality and the American State” talks about how the 1964 war on poverty expanded federal grants to nonprofits to provide social services in low-income communities and how Trump appears to be dismantling that strategy.

Philanthropy should invest big in projects that give more Americans a voice in policy decisions that affect their lives.

In response to recent op-ed, reader argues that nonprofits should stay in their lane and out of politics.

In the battle to influence public opinion, democracy funders have fallen behind. Here’s how to change that.

Progressive foundations have been largely silent in response to Trump administration policies that affect many of the nation’s nonprofits. But some insiders say a response is coming.

Organizations struggle to plan amid uncertainty about federal funds. As a result, some are crafting multiple spending plans.

The PhD Project aims to help diversify the business world and higher education faculty.

We foundation leaders have long been insulated from threats. It’s time to shed our chicken feathers.

In reaction, targeted nonprofits are developing ‘subpoena playbooks’ and new cybersecurity strategies.

Forty-five of those inquiries are focused on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world.

The nonprofits featured in a recent article need to stop acting shocked and start getting to work.

After cuts in federal spending, charities are making carefully worded appeals to donors to continue critical programs.

A few nonprofits are taking aggressive stances toward the Trump administration’s attempts to cancel funding, while others are using more of a discreet, wait-and-see approach.

The action, which could target those working in immigration and other areas, drew quick backlash, and is almost certain to face legal challenges.

As federal climate policy is dismantled, grant makers need to end their silence and get to work.

Data-driven analysis draws criticism and praise.

Nearly 70 percent of nonprofit leaders say Trump’s policies have hurt their organizations’ work, and data shows much of the sector would collapse if federal funding were discontinued.

Philanthropy experts see Trump’s approach to the nonprofit sector as unprecedented for its lack of plan and philosophy as well as sweeping and questionably legal implementation.

The president’s order for investigations of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs target philanthropies that hold $900 billion in assets and account for roughly 55 percent of all grant dollars awarded.

As the U.S. funding freeze cascades through the international-development ecosystem, nonprofits are fundraising to help organizations struggling with the cuts.

For inspiration, they should consider the successful example of Hillsdale College, which cut the federal funding cord four decades ago.

The move was prompted by the Trump administration’s freeze on federal foreign aid and the now-suspended freeze on federal grants.

Foundations’ inaction under Trump, as detailed in a recent article, will only hurt the marginalized people they serve.

Except for Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s CZI Initiative, most big grant makers have not closed their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

A recent op-ed was right that there’s no replacing government aid — but this solution can help.

“I think everybody has to start looking at language,” says the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. “It doesn’t mean you have to go do away with your core mission, but you’re going to have to wordsmith to get through this season.”

On the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian nonprofits are facing yet another test of endurance.

The future of nonprofits is likely to be determined by Congress, not the judiciary. But can nonprofits effectively lobby conservative lawmakers about their worth?

The flood-the-zone strategy coming from the White House has had a chilling effect on nonprofits, according to a new survey from the Communications Network.

The Climate Justice Alliance was among 11 organizations chosen by the EPA to distribute $600 million to nonprofits. It was the first to be completely defunded.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy wants to hear from you. Plus, a primer on Trump administration executive orders and actions affecting the nonprofit sector.

Jane Addams showed how the seeds of social change can be planted at the local level even as the wealthy gain power and economic inequality grows.

Groups are shying from lobbying and policy work, fearing donor blow back and government retribution, a survey finds.

The memo has already drawn opposition and concerns about potential First Amendment conflicts.

In a post-aid world, philanthropy can be a potent bulwark against authoritarianism and a powerful voice for human rights around the world.

Grant makers need to reassure nonprofits that they have their backs during these tumultuous times.

Most large private foundations have been slow to respond to the Trump administration’s policy changes affecting nonprofits. Bloomberg Philanthropies is the one exception.

More than a dozen federal lawsuits have already been filed against President Trump and his administration by a wide range of nonprofits.

It will be especially important for nonprofits that rely on federal grants to communicate with their donors, fundraising experts say.

A federal judge extended a block on Trump’s rescinded federal funding freeze, but some nonprofit leaders think the fight to keep federal payments has just begun.

A coalition of nonprofits declared that a Trump administration freeze on federal payments would have “catastrophic consequences” for charities that rely on government support.

While Trump criticized DEI in his first administration, his recent executive order targets for-profit and nonprofit government contractors, universities with large endowments, and foundations with assets north of $500 million.

Coalitions that aim to counter what they see as the President’s authoritarianism are overlooking key potential partners: faith-driven Trump supporters.

Trivial lawsuits and endless audits can quickly hinder nonprofits’ ability to operate. Foundations should ready their defenses.

While widely seen as a threat to civil society, HR 9495 actually gives nonprofits more power to fight back than the existing law.

Trump’s first term triggered a wave of immigration grant making. Where the money will go this time is starting to take shape.

Lessons learned in 2020 can serve the field well as it faces another period of uncertainty and upheaval, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan in the first in a series of dispatches on Trump’s initial 100 days in office.

As companies and universities back away from DEI policies, grant makers that focus on racial equity are bracing for litigation.

Expect donors and organizations to be attacked by name, harassed and threatened online, and investigated on questionable grounds, says the author. Here’s how groups can defend themselves.

Republican lawmakers are committed to nonprofit reform in 2025. That could spell challenges for the field.

A new incentive for giving is one bright spot on a congressional slate filled with peril for philanthropy.

Billions spent fighting Trumpian populism hasn’t worked. Practicing a pluralistic approach to grant making will.

Despite opposition from a wide range of nonprofits, lawmakers in the U.S. House passed a bill designed to give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism.

To counter attacks from the Trump administration, philanthropy should adopt Walker’s pluralism playbook.