Adapted from National Council of Nonprofits
Download an infographic with all of this information here.
After his inauguration Monday, President Trump signed dozens of Executive Orders (EOs) covering a broad range of issues, many of which could have impacts on the nonprofit community. Some of the EOs won’t take effect immediately, and many are expected to be immediately challenged in court. Thanks to National Council of Nonprofits, here’s what we know so far about those EOs that will directly or peripherally impact the charitable nonprofit sector.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Trump rescinded dozens of EOs or memorandums issued by President Biden including most EOs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Specifically, the rescission Order rescinded three Biden Orders that expanded DEI in federal government programs, the federal workforce, and underserved communities, all of which had been held up in the courts. A separate EO directs the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management to coordinate with all federal agencies to terminate all DEI programs in federal agencies, including equity related grants, and equity action plans. A Trump official told a group of reporters that more actions impacting DEI initiatives in the private sector may be coming soon.
Immigration
Trump signed EOs declaring a national emergency at the southern border and revoking birthright citizenship (which is very likely unconstitutional). He also issued a sweeping EO entitled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion. This EO:
- Directs relevant federal agencies to take action to remove undocumented immigrants from the country,
- Directs the creation of statewide Homeland Security Taskforces and detention centers,
- Requires the identification of all “unregistered illegal aliens”,
- Directs relevant agencies to take action to block federal funding to sanctuary cities,
- Requires all federal agencies to ensure undocumented immigrants do not receive any public benefits, and more.
Possible impacts on government contracting
Trump signed EOs to:
- Order federal workers back to full-time, in-person work.
- Implement a federal hiring freeze.
- Make changes to the federal workforce such that career employees can be more easily fired for “insubordination.”
- Remove pay transparency and equity requirements for federal workers, contractors, and subcontractors.
- Freeze any outstanding regulations pending review.
Census
Trump also rescinded Executive Order 13986: Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census. The previous Order required all persons, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, to be counted in the Census. This new EO lays the groundwork for legislation and other actions to not include noncitizens in the count.
Nothing Yet on Nonprofit Nonpartisanship
Throughout the day, President Trump referred multiple times to “stopping government censorship and bringing back free speech.” This language was concerningly similar to Trump’s 2017 EO attempting to revoke nonprofit nonpartisanship (e.g. the Johnson Amendment) through “promoting free speech and religious liberty.” However, the text of the EO on “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship” is not related to nonprofit nonpartisanship, but rather of Trump’s and other conservative commentors’ social media accounts being banned in previous years. However, troubling language in the EO claims that the federal government “infringed” First Amendment rights “[u]nder the guise of combatting ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ and ‘malinformation’.”
Other
President Trump signed additional EOs to rescind previous Biden Orders that:
- Required executive employees to commit to an ethics code and not accept gifts from lobbyists;
- Established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships;
- Directed federal agencies to provide access to voter information;
- Promoted the arts, humanities, and museum and library services.
Additionally, President Trump signed EOs to:
- Challenge birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment when the person’s mother was unlawfully in the US and the father was not a US citizen or permanent resident or the mother’s presence was lawful but temporary and the father was not a US citizen or permanent resident.
- Establish the Department of Government Efficiency to implement the DOGE Agenda, modernize federal technology and software and provide access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems.
- Roll back several initiatives aimed at addressing climate change (through several EOs).
Next Steps
This is just the beginning of a wave of actions by the Trump administration, and we expect many more EOs and official actions this week and the coming days and weeks. We are monitoring all executive actions (and congressional legislation) that can impact the nonprofit sector, and we’ll share updates and needed action as we have them.