The Trump administration continues to weaponize the federal government to attack President Trump’s critics, higher education institutions, independent media outlets, and federal workers, alongside a parallel assault on progressive philanthropy and civil- and human-rights-supporting movements, media organizations, and nonprofit institutions. Leena Barakat, President and CEO of the Women Donors Network (WDN), spoke with TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez regarding how the administration’s actions are impacting the philanthropic sector and how organizations are navigating the pressure.
Impact on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Institutions
According to Maximillian Alvarez, the Trump administration and its allies are waging war against progressive philanthropy and progressive philanthropists, with impacts that will be seismic. Alvarez noted that while attacks on the media, higher education, and federal workers have received public attention, significantly less attention has been paid to the pressure facing the world of progressive philanthropy.
Leena Barakat stated that the administration is utilizing its power to intimidate organizations, generate chaos and fear among nonprofits, and induce funders to pull back resources precisely when communities need them most. Barakat explained that WDN and its C4 affiliate organization, Women Donors Action, have spent nearly three decades operating as a national network of donors committed to advancing justice. The organization has moved over $160 million to frontline organizations, funded grassroots movements, built political power, and organized peers across the sector.
Response from the Women Donors Network
We’re not taking the bait,
Barakat told TRNN, adding that the current environment has sharpened the organization’s focus.
President Trump and his allies have built a network of groups financed by wealthy donors and businesses that are advancing his priorities with little public disclosure. WSJ’s Marianne LeVine explains how the Journal tracked the vast network of donations. https://t.co/UwSYuxqVoH pic.twitter.com/Fk3nG1cxGi
