Are you scratching your head like I am, wondering if we’re in some alternative universe and wishing you could hit the reset button on 2025?
To my nonprofit friends and superheroes, please know that I see you, hear you, and walk by you in these unsettling times. Over the last few weeks, many of you have been grappling with recent federal decisions and unclear Executive Orders.
It’s a lot right now. Lots of change. Lots of confusion. Lots of fear.
Staying abreast of the EOs and their related actions will continue to be crucial for ensuring nonprofits are aware of upcoming hurdles to their work. Nonprofits with federal grants and contracts– especially those providing DEI trainings and programs to or in partnership with the federal government, or work in immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, or environmental protection– will want to review your programs and contract language immediately as it pertains the various EOs.
It’s not a matter of if this will impact us further – it’s when.
I wish I had better answers for you. What I can promise is that my team and I are in this with you and will share resources that will help you navigate uncertainty in the months ahead.
Below are a handful of resources to get you started:
- Executive Orders Affecting Nonprofits– A chart of the most pertinent executive orders, expected impacts, and related actions
- Governing in a Time of Crisis (Propel Nonprofits)- 10 Actions for Boards
- Nonprofit Legal Compliance in an Unfriendly Political Environment (Nonprofit Quarterly)- List of compliance matters to prepare to address a threat
- Bolder Advocacy Resource Library– Actionable how-to’s, insightful fact sheets, and powerful tools that turn advocacy challenges into triumphs
- Donor Communication Tips During Times of Crisis (Lisa Sargent)- Good reminders for us all
- Navigating Through Times of Financial Crisis (Nonprofit Finance Fund)- Assess your nonprofit’s potential financial risks and create a plan to respond to them
- Census and Survey Data (IPUMS)- With many federal data sources being removed, find census and American Community Survey microdata