California Wellness Foundation: "As foundations dedicated to advancing health equity and social and racial justice in California, with national impact, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to support and protect the communities we serve."

James Irvine Foundation: "The Irvine Foundation has a long history of protecting immigrants’ rights and supporting immigrant integration in California. We stand with the communities and organizations that will support working families who are under threat."

MacArthur Foundation: "The need for a surge in funding is plain. Philanthropy needs to step up. We at MacArthur believe it is time to tap our reserves to get more money flowing."

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: "We at RWJF recommit ourselves to creating a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right ... And we rededicate ourselves to taking bold leaps even in the face of hostility and obstruction."

San Francisco Foundation: "We know firsthand that philanthropy can be tempted to suppress voices of protest and dissent, especially during times of crisis such as recent global events. Genocides and humanitarian crises require us to show up with moral clarity across borders."

Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation: "At WRF, equity is not just a goal. It is our promise. We honor the past, confront the present, and shape a future where all Arkansans can thrive."

Several other foundations have also issued public statements, and one has said it will increase payout to 10 percent of its endowment:

Freedom Together Foundation President Deepak Bhargava said in a Letter, "This crisis demands an extraordinary response from philanthropy. At Freedom Together, we’ll have the back of those answering the call. I’m proud that our board decided to spend 10% or more of our endowment — double what the law requires and what most foundations typically spend."

"Public Welfare Foundation remains unwavering in our commitment to promote efforts that are community-led, restorative, and racially just," shared President & CEO Candace Jones in a recent statement. "We will not mince words, scrub websites, or capitulate from ushering in a world that demands justice that is truly just."

Barr Foundation President & Trustee Jim Canales addressed partners directly in a recent blog post. "The past several weeks made plainly evident the challenges that the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors will face in the years ahead ... As I write now, in February 2025, we are focused on four areas: sustaining our commitments; showing care for our partners; coordinating efforts; and embracing creativity."

In the February 13 issue of the Bush Foundation's newsletter President Jen Ford Reedy shared the following message: "We still believe that our approach to equity is squarely aligned with our purpose, is within the law, and makes us better at what we do."

The Woods Fund has increased its payout rate on an annual basis from 6% at the beginning of 2020 to 13% as of 2024, with further increases planned for the years ahead. By directing investment returns out the door in the form of grants rather than retaining a percentage to grow its endowment, the Woods Fund is prioritizing impact over turns and invites fellow funders to do the same. “I have been challenging our sector to rethink our role as funders during a time in which federal funding is being weaponized and pulled from nonprofits doing the critical work in our communities,” Woods Fund Chicago President Michelle Morales tells Inside Philanthropy.

In the face of relentless attacks on DEI, ABFE is not backing down. In the article, "In War On DEI, Law Is Being Used As A Weapon - These Leaders Are Fighting Back", ABFE's President & CEO, Susan Taylor Batten, describes READI (The Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative) and shares suggestions on ways for nonprofits and funders to collaboratively push back against anti-DEI legislation and a coordinated series of legal attacks on the nonprofit sector.

“We need at this moment, leaders of conviction, who won't sacrifice racial equity for anything.” - Susan Taylor Batten.

"From Fighting Back to Cutting Back: Funder Responses to Trump Anti-DEI Orders Are Mixed" explores the various responses to the Presidential Administration’s recent Executive Orders that target DEI and require federal agencies to identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations into an array of private sector entities (e.g., foundations and large nonprofit organizations).

Among the responses is a legal challenge by a group of civil society organizations. The National Urban League, National Fair Housing Alliance, and AIDS Foundation of Chicago filed suit with the federal district court in Washington, D.C., seeking to overturn Trump’s anti-DEI, anti-transgender and anti-diversity Executive Orders.

The new U.S. administration has shown hostility toward the LGBTQI+ community, intensifying threats to roll back civil and human rights and campaigning against the lives of transgender people. The article "Major LGBTQ Funders Vow to Stay the Course Despite Attacks" explores how some of the largest funders to LGBTQI+ issues are working to defend and uplift the community at this time. Grantmaking and strategic legal action are two major ways these organizations are fighting forward.

The nonprofit sector is grappling with the flurry of executive actions made by the new administration and cuts to government spending, and organization leaders worry for the fate of work that they see as critical to bettering society. The article "Nonprofit Leaders Are Frightened – and for Good Reason" summarizes insights from two recent studies, one by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and the other by the Urban Institute, about how the sector is navigating such a dynamic landscape.

The article "Executive Orders Affecting Charitable Nonprofits" lists many of the Executive Orders that were recently signed by The President and may directly and indirectly affect nonprofit organizations. It is important to note that some of the Executive Orders will not take effect immediately, and many are expected to be immediately challenged in court.

Researchers have published a new study investigating how political tension could be affecting advocacy efforts by nonprofit organizations. Groups cite the risks of donor backlash and government retribution as major factors. Read more about the study and its findings in "Polarization’s Chilling Effect on Advocacy."