Leading Boldly

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Upcoming Subcommittee DOGE Hearing

Last Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) held a hearing to “expose NGOs’ use of federal funds to advance destructive policies.”

According to analysis from our partners at Integer, subcommittee chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene opened the hearing by accusing left-leaning NGOs of misusing billions in taxpayer dollars to push a radical left agenda and praising efforts to expose and eliminate these so-called “NGO slush funds.”
Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), was one of four witnesses testifying in support of the work of charitable nonprofits across the country.

“Nonprofits address local needs with local solutions, reaching people and communities that might otherwise be overlooked. They deliver critical services that strengthen neighborhoods, support families and improve lives,” Yentel shared during the hearing. Several of the subcommittee members did not ask Yentel any questions. Those who did ask questions focused on the politics of the environmental and climate organizations and her compensation.

NCN is sharing Yentel’s full testimony (linked below) advocating for the work of charitable nonprofits, highlighting their nonpartisan position and how recent federal administration attempts to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits will harm the communities they serve. Yentel also emphasized that it would be illegal for the federal administration to pull the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations.

Rep. Greene concluded the hearing by stating that the DOGE subcommittee will hold a vote this week on DOGE recision cuts that the committee has discussed during its hearings. She shared that the committee will be “cutting government funding, government spending, government waste, fraud and abuse.”

NCN’s resource Myth v. Reality (linked below) outlines how the executive branch lacks the authority to target nonprofit organizations. The resource shares that the executive branch does not have the authority to unilaterally limit what types of organizations are eligible for 501(c)(3) status and highlights other actions that the branch does not have legal authority over.

Resources related to this hearing from National Council of Nonprofits

May 27 Education Update

On May 27, the Trump administration asked federal agencies to cancel all remaining contracts with Harvard University worth nearly $100 million. The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for Harvard.

May 22 Tax Bill Update

The tax bill passed the House and will now move to the Senate for consideration. As we have shared, this legislation would significantly challenge the foundational ways philanthropy operates, threatening resources, operational support and the flexibility to meet the needs of our communities. Visit our Active Legislation tab to learn more. 

On May 22, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking President Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon from carrying out Trump's executive order calling for the secretary to close the Education Department. The judge also told the administration to reinstate Education Department employees who lost their jobs during the reduction-in-force announced on March 11 and "to restore the Department to the status quo."

Timely Resources

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