A Message from The Nonprofit Alliance President & CEO: Defending Our Sector’s Independence

Dear Members of The Nonprofit Alliance,

We are living, working, and leading through an extraordinary time in the history of American civil society. Over the weekend, concerning statements emerged confirming the Administration’s intent to challenge charitable nonprofits’ tax-exempt status. According to the Wall Street Journal, attorneys and senior officials at the IRS have discussed altering rules governing tax exemption denial, prioritizing investigations of targeted types of nonprofits, and changing public policy to allow for easier revocation. This escalation tracks the President’s social media post last Friday announcing plans to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. It also follows the White House’s April 22 denial that such plans were underway.

Adding to these concerns, the Administration recently issued an executive order intended to build support for eliminating nonprofit nonpartisanship under the Johnson Amendment, which prevents the use of charitable nonprofits and charitable donations to support or oppose candidates for public office.

The direct threats to the fundamental independence of our sector come on the heels of the February 7 executive action that broadly described NGOs as “undermin[ing] the national interest.”

These statements and actions explicitly challenge the foundation of nonprofit work across our nation.

In the face of profound adversity, I see our community’s greatest strength emerging: our capacity to face uncertainty together. The Nonprofit Alliance is a unifying force for nonprofits and their service partners across America. Today, this network of connections, alliances, and partnerships is more essential than ever.

When I speak with leaders across our membership, there is a clear consensus that this moment requires us to stand together with renewed purpose and determination. Our members repeatedly reaffirm the value of their participation in The Nonprofit Alliance as both an organization and a network focused on practical solutions, rapid response, and a trusted space for strategic collaboration.

The Nonprofit Alliance’s strength in advocacy is built on a balanced bipartisan approach, and we remain committed to that fundamental philosophy while firmly defending the principles that underpin our sector’s work. We are restructuring our policy team and have added external support to meet the very different demands of the new political climate. Our action is three-pronged:

1. Facilitating conversations among legal experts, nonprofit leaders, and policymakers to develop coordinated responses.

2. Working with coalition partners to create a united front to defend nonprofit independence.

3. Developing resources that amplify the critical value of nonprofits and fortifying the long-term resistance to misinformed and damaging official rhetoric.

Our work to improve public trust in nonprofits continues to gain momentum. One example: Our award-winning PSA campaign that launched in late 2023 reached its highest monthly viewership in March, including national reach to key audience demographics like Fox Business, and placement in 49 of 50 top markets. Our message about the essential role of nonprofits is resonating with the American public. You can find the PSA on our homepage, along with our downloadable public research reports on public attitudes toward federal funding and trust of nonprofits, a copy of a press release defending NGOs, and links to our position statements. Please share these resources with your networks.

The stakes have never been higher. This is our moment to demonstrate the indispensable value of our sector. The Nonprofit Alliance is proud to lead and serve in this moment of change, and together—in defense of our members—we will continue to promote, protect, and strengthen the nonprofit sector as the backbone of American civil society.

With determination,

Shannon McCracken, President & CEO