Note: These stories were written in 2017. You can follow the Chronicle’s coverage of the 2024 election and what it means for the nonprofit world on our home page.
With the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the country has a new leader with new priorities that could spell major changes for nonprofits. On Republicans’ docket for an action-packed 2017: repealing or replacing the Affordable Care Act, big cuts in nondefense spending, and an overhaul of tax legislation.
Below is a round-up of Chronicle news coverage about what’s at stake for nonprofits, as well as opinion pieces by charity leaders and philanthropy experts on negotiating this new environment.
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NewsNonprofits Mull Prospect of Losing Thousands of AmeriCorps Volunteers
Charities that rely heavily on manpower from the Clinton-era federal program say proposed White House cuts would drastically reduce their ability to provide services and recruit the next generation of leaders. -
News
Charity Leader Sees New Urgency for Global Outreach in Trump Era
Sean Callahan, the new head of Catholic Relief Services, is determined to make private donors and government officials alike understand the value of American assistance to the world’s most vulnerable populations. -
News
Where Should Trump Donate His Salary? Disease Charities Get the Big Win
Disease-research organizations, veterans groups, and a few White House antagonists such as the ACLU and Planned Parenthood top a Chronicle survey asking which nonprofit should get the president’s $400,000. -
News
Trump Budget Makes Deep Cuts to Broad Array of Programs
Nonprofit leaders across the country say the plan is shortsighted and may ultimately end up costing the nation more money than it saves in many areas. -
News
Nonprofit Leaders Respond to White House Spending Plan
Environmental nonprofits are calling it a “scorched-earth budget,” diverse foreign-aid groups are united in their fury, and leaders in science, education, the arts, and social services are voicing grave concerns. -
News
Nonprofit Causes Lose Big in White House Spending Plan
Shifting federal spending priorities to the military and his border wall, President Trump’s first budget blueprint calls for defunding dozens of social, environmental, and cultural programs. -
Opinion
Trump’s ‘America First’ Stance Alarms Globally Active Foundations
Some grant makers that support international programs are taking a wait-and-see approach, but others say they may revamp spending plans as the White House readies huge cuts in foreign aid. -
News
International Charities and Civil-Rights Groups Fight New Trump Travel Plan
Some nonprofits worry about their efforts to resettle refugees in the United States. For other organizations, the travel ban complicates their work. -
News
Trump’s Call to End Nonprofit-Politicking Ban Revives Yearslong Debate
But a lack of public support and opposition from major charity associations could make altering or repealing the Johnson Amendment a tough row to hoe. -
News
Museum Leaders Fear Deep Budget Cuts Are for Real This Time
Arts leaders have been anxious about reductions in federal funding before but worry they are more likely under the Trump administration. -
News
Deep Well of Angst Over Trump Policies Rouses Volunteers to Aid Nonprofit
How one immigrant-rights group is building a volunteer team to tap into anger over the president’s policies. -
News
NEA and AmeriCorps on White House Budget Hit List
Several federal programs with significant nonprofit constituencies are among nine targeted for elimination by President Trump’s budget office, according to an internal memo obtained by The New York Times. -
News
200 Charity Leaders Visit Washington to Push Lawmakers to Keep Tax Write-Offs
Nonprofits are worried about proposals they fear would depress the incentive to give. -
News
Trump’s Itchy Twitter Finger Making Charities Uneasy
Communications experts say nonprofits that are worried about the president’s online ire should have a plan to weather sudden tweetstorms. -
News
Trump Restrictions on Immigrants Send Charities Scrambling for Donations
With more limits likely to come and federal aid cut-offs possible, nonprofits are seeking money for services and advocacy. -
News
Charity Coalitions Vow to Fight Trump’s Effort to Allow Politicking
Two major associations said they worry that charities would lose their ability to promote change and raise money if they became too partisan. -
News
With Anti-Trump Windfall, Nonprofits Are Digging In for a Fight
Nonprofits like the Natural Resources Defense Council are hiring lawyers setting up hotlines, beefing up staff, recruiting more volunteers, launching defense funds, and more. -
News
Trump and Taxes: A Guide for Nonprofit Leaders
Rewriting the tax code is a top priority for the White House and congressional Republicans, and it could have big consequences for nonprofits. The Chronicle explains key provisions that influence charitable giving. -
News
Nonprofits Brace for Big Changes Under Trump Administration
A Republican-controlled White House and Congress means sweeping efforts to overhaul tax laws, redirect spending, and roll back programs important to many charities. -
News
Women’s March Protesters Urged to Join Nonprofits
Filmmaker Michael Moore and actress Scarlett Johansson were among those who said now is the time for people to join charities that will fight Trump administration policies. -
News
Nonprofits Scramble as GOP Vows Spending Cuts
Charities that rely on federal funding worry that a Republican Congress and White House spell deep cuts in funding for their programs, although some say the fears may be overblown. -
News
$50 Million Social Innovation Fund May Continue Under Trump, Some Predict
Supporters of the effort hope that Republicans in Congress see the similarities between their values and the fund’s goals. -
News
Trump Tax Overhaul Could Cause Short-Term Fundraising Spike
Lessons from 1986 suggest that the fear of smaller deductions causes donors to speed up giving, but the long-term effects are more nuanced. -
Opinion
Opinion: How Congress Can Go Beyond the Charitable Deduction to Spur Giving
Charities are worried about the tax overhaul the president has promised. But they also should seize the opportunity to push for changes on other fronts that could be equally important. -
Opinion
Opinion: Trump Era Requires Philanthropy to Change How It Operates
Working with religious institutions, offering general operating support, and listening to what grantees need is critical. -
Opinion
Opinion: More Scrutiny, Transparency, and Leadership Needed for Nonprofits in the Trump Era
New watchdogs and new requirements on foundation spending are among Chronicle columnist Pablo Eisenberg’s six steps for philanthropy to fend off threats to programs serving the needy. -
Opinion
Opinion: Nonprofits Need to Stand Together to Push for Smart Public Policies
Anticipating a flurry of legislative and regulatory changes at all levels of government, nonprofits can’t afford to fixate on just one issue or on Congress alone. -
Opinion
Opinion: For Philanthropy, Time to Double Down to End Injustice in the Trump Era
Nonprofits waging battles need unrestricted, long-term grants that give them the flexibility to deal with the threats ahead, write Jennifer and Peter Buffett and Pamela Shifman of the NoVo Foundation. -
Opinion
Opinion: Foundations Must Muster Their Money and Courage to Fight Trump
At a time of profound challenges to our democracy, grant makers must spend generously and be strong advocates for the vulnerable, writes Gara LaMarche, former leader of the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Open Society Institute. -
Opinion
Opinion: How Philanthropy Can Help Community Development Survive Trump
Nonprofits and social enterprises are building local engines of economic opportunity that can be expanded when the political winds change — if grant makers act now to support them.
