The news isn’t good. But then, when is it?

A new administration, a funding freeze here and abroad, and suddenly, nonprofits and the programs of organizations we count on in a crisis—are on the chopping block.

This time, though, it’s different. It’s deliberate. It’s a systematic, cold-blooded dismantling of programs that actually help people. Why? Because the billionaire puppet master of the mean-spirited president is pulling the strings of power having decided he doen’t like them. And just like that—poof!—they’re gone.

Carnage and chaos,  all in broad daylight despite the 83% of Americans who say nonprofits and the services they provide are essential. Not “nice to have” or “worthy causes,” but essential, like food, water and electricity. The kind of thing you don’t think much about until you need it, and then, by God, you need it.

That’s the kind of trust people have in nonprofits. It’s not sentimental. It’s practical. When disaster strikes, when the economy falters, when the government screws things up (which it has and now seems determined to do so at a rampage rate), nonprofits step in. The food banks, the shelters, the medical clinics—they fill the gaps.

And people notice. They don’t say it outright, but their actions speak. Support for funding nonprofits jumps nearly threefold when folks see these organizations’ work in action.

Even the skeptics—the ones who don’t think the government should fund much of anything—come around when the crisis is close enough to touch. When floodwaters rise, the power goes out, a wildfire bursts forth, then suddenly, ideology takes a back seat to reality.

Trust Matters Now More Than Ever

So trust matters. According to a national survey conducted by The Nonprofit Alliance (TNPA) in Q4 2024, 86% of Americans say they support nonprofits that deliver on their promises. The same way you count on a good mechanic or a doctor who listens. It’s a trust built on action, not talk. And when that trust rises, so does support for funding. Every single percentage point increase in trust equals a 31% jump in willingness to invest public dollars in nonprofits (TNPA, “Protecting Vital Services: Mobilizing Support for Nonprofit Federal Funding,” February 2025).

But guess what? This administration doesn’t care. Not even a little.  And yet, while Republicans in the House and Senate quake and cower in silence, we’re supposed to wring our hands because Democrats aren’t speaking up loudly enough?

The destruction of USAID is happening in real time. As I write this the agency’s name is being chiseled off its Washington headquarters.

We’re all supposed to pretend this is just bureaucratic reshuffling? No. This is targeted demolition. It’s unfair as hell to pretend both sides are complicit while one side is actively swinging the wrecking ball.

Wrecking Ball On The Move

For nonprofits all across America and around the world that woke up one morning to find millions in funding gutted overnight, now is the time to raise the alarm. These organizations need to call on their donors—loudly, publicly—to demand action. Because if you think USAID is the last institution in their sights, you’re not paying attention.

Consider the scale of the USAID destruction alone, and this doesn’t begin to take into account all the medical, social service, school lunch, Head Start, housing assistance, scholarship help—you name it –now under the Trump/Musk/Republican axe.

Here are five major organizations that have seen their funding slashed by tens and even hundreds of millions in a single stroke:

• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Health clinics shuttered, refugee assistance programs halted. Sorry, desperate war victims, hope you can figure it out on your own.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS): Disaster relief programs frozen, millions in aid lost. God helps those who help themselves, right?
• World Vision: Education and child welfare programs collapsing under the cuts. Nothing says “family values” like letting children starve.
• Save the Children: Food and medical assistance programs for the most vulnerable children terminated. Hey kids, try bootstraps instead of food!
• CARE: Women’s empowerment and poverty relief programs decimated. Because why would we want to help women out of poverty when we could just punish them for existing?

These organizations need to call on their donors—not just for money—but for the most important treasure right now—their voice, their actions.  Donors need to call the local offices of their Members of Congress to ask, “What the hell is going on?  Please explain why this is happening and what are YOU my Member of Congress, My Senator doing to stop it?”

Capitol Hill’s switchboard is already on fire—1,500 calls a minute, by some reports. But you know where a call really counts? At the local office. The Representative’s congressional district office. The U.S. Senator’s local office. That’s where these lawmakers feel it. That’s where staffers answer the phones and tally up the anger.

Some Suggestions for Action

Ask your donors in specific geographic areas to help ratchet up the heat. For example, the destruction of USAID will cause great financial damage in the farm states.  With $2 billion in USAID agricultural purchases wiped off the map, farmers—and farming communities– in Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and Montana are watching their markets disappear overnight.

And so, the charities affected by these cuts should be activating their donor bases in these states, mobilizing them to hammer the phones in every local congressional district office and every local U.S. Senate office.

Specifically, by way of example, here’s where those calls need to be going:

Iowa:

Senator Chuck Grassley(R) (Des Moines): (515) 288-1145

Senator Joni Ernst ( R ) (Des Moines): (515) 284-4574

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ( R)  (Davenport): (563) 232-0930

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R)  (Cedar Rapids): (319) 364-2288

Rep. Zach Nunn ( R) (Des Moines): (515) 400-8180

Rep. Randy Feenstra ( R ) (Sioux City): (712) 224-4692

Kansas:

Senator Jerry Moran ( R ) (Manhattan): (785) 539-8973

Senator Roger Marshall  (R )(Wichita): (316) 269-9257

Rep. Tracey Mann ( R ) (Salina): (785) 829-9000

Rep. Jake LaTurner ( R ) (Topeka): (785) 205-5253

Rep. Ron Estes ( R ) (Wichita): (316) 262-8992

North Dakota:

Senator John Hoeven ( R)  (Fargo): (701) 239-5389

Senator Kevin Cramer ( R ) (Bismarck): (701) 258-4648

Rep. Kelly Armstrong  ( R ) (Fargo): (701) 353-6665

Montana:

Senator Steve Daines ( R ) (Billings): (406) 245-6822

Rep. Matt Rosendale ( R) (Billings): (406) 969-1736

What Will We Let Them Destroy Next?

Now’s the time to act. This isn’t just about USAID. It’s about trust. It’s about what institutions we—the organizations and our donors– let them destroy next.

This is not the time for nonprofits to sit on the sidelines. TNPA strongly advises nonprofits to actively engage with Congressional representatives—especially Republicans The key is demonstrating accountability and impact with clear data: how many people would lose essential services, how much funding is at risk, and what the economic consequences would be.

The more specific and measurable the case, the harder it is to ignore.

Now’s the time to act. This isn’t just about USAID. It’s about trust. It’s about what institutions we—the organizations and our donors– let them destroy next.  This isn’t just about politics—it’s about making sure lawmakers understand the real-world consequences of inaction

Roger

 P.S. Even though you may not  be involved with a charity that provides essential human services and support I’m pretty sure  the Trump/Musk Menu holds something for you and your donors.

For example, Trump’s new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is on a publicly announced mission to investigate PBS and NPR.  The charge? That they’re somehow blurring the line between sponsor acknowledgments and commercial advertising. A serious offense, if true.

One can only imagine the number of innocent preschoolers out there lured into binge-watching PBS Kids by an underwriting message from a cellular phone or financial services company.