Are you concerned about the recent attacks on nonprofit funding? Wondering how the sudden dissolution of USAID and cuts to federal agencies are impacting vital organizations and the communities they serve? In this eye-opening installment of our Defend Nonprofits / Defend Democracy series, host Rusty Stahl delivers critical updates on the Trump Administration's actions against nonprofits, and speaks with Laura Andes, Chief Operations and Program Officer at Charity Navigator about how these cuts are affecting nonprofit organizations and leaders across America and globally.
Rusty begins with alarming updates on recent developments, including the hostile takeover of the federal grants portal, AmeriCorps staff furloughs, attacks on the Vera Institute of Justice, and legislation that would limit courts' ability to stop illegal administrative actions. He emphasizes the estimated loss of 10,000-20,000 nonprofit jobs. And he highlights concerning precedents that may be set through attacks on universities and other 501(c)(3) organizations. These moves represent a coordinated assault on both government services and the nonprofit sector that traditionally fills gaps when government falls short.
Laura Andes from Charity Navigator joins us to share insights from her decade on staff at USAID and her current role evaluating nonprofit effectiveness. Andes details Charity Navigator's response—creating resource lists of affected highly-rated organizations and launching a "Giving Is American" campaign to encourage immediate support. Both Rusty and Laura urge listeners to take action: donate now rather than waiting until year-end, encourage foundations to increase payouts, and if you're in a red state or district, contact your elected Senators and Member of Congress about the value nonprofits bring to communities and the need to keep attacks on nonprofits out of the tax bill.
Bio
Laura Andes is an evaluation professional with 20 years of experience in the non-profit and government sectors. She is the Chief Program Officer, where she oversees the development of the Encompass Rating System. Before this role, she served as Vice President of Impact Ratings. She joined Charity Navigator in 2021, having considerable experience, most notably implementing and evaluating global health programs, and developing enhanced placed-based service programs in affordable housing domestically. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and an M.P.H. from Yale University. In her free time, you will find Laura exploring the mountains near her home in Colorado with her husband and two children.
Resources from Episode
For an extensive list of action items, go to the show notes page on our website: https://www.fundthepeople.org/ftp_podcast/red-state-nonprofits/. You can find all the episodes of this podcast plus our blog, toolkit and other resources at fundthepeople.org.
Action Opportunities
Sign your organization to The Pact: A Civil Rights Coalition Unity Commitment
Add your foundation to the new pledge to support nonprofits through this crisis, Meet the Moment Commitment: A Call to Action for Philanthropy in 2025 (and Beyond)
Sign your foundation on to the Public Statement from Philanthropy, a pledge of solidarity among funders
