The US non-profit sector is reeling from the double whammy of increased calls on its services and severe cuts in its federal funding.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025, his administration has waged war on non-profit organisations. Actions have included federal funding cuts to the tune of billions of dollars, targeting of specific organisations with investigations or indictments and threats to tax-exempt status. While some efforts have been turned back by the courts, the administration has been unrelenting; sadly, every American community will suffer as a result of this sustained attack.

Presidential announcements warn of ‘anti-American NGOs’ and allege, without any credible evidence, that networks of non-profits are acting as ‘domestic terrorist organisations'. Recently, the administration issued proposed regulations intended to impose sweeping new restrictions on non-profits that receive federal funding – including that such organisations not advance diversity, equity and inclusion or assist in voter registration.

The consequences of these attacks are dire. New data from a survey our organisation conducted earlier this year show that non-profits, which employ one in 10 Americans, are reeling. We see a dramatic increase in burnout among non-profit leaders, whose stresses often include new worries about the safety of their staff and those they serve; financial distress as more organisations book deficits; increased difficulty raising funds from foundations (which are facing unprecedented........

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