Mauri Ingram, president and CEO of Whatcom Community Foundation, a philanthropic hub for nonprofits in the county, spoke with The Northern Light about the uncertain federal funding issues nonprofits are apparently facing.
The Trump administration ordered a freeze on federal grants and contracts on January 28. U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan partially blocked the freeze in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Nonprofits and other organizations. Twenty-three attorney generals have also sued to block the freeze. However, on February 10 a federal judge ordered the administration to unfreeze billions, saying it had not followed the order to unfreeze the funding.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
TNL: What do you want nonprofits to know right now?
WCF: Your work is valued. It’s easy to feel discouraged and disregarded in a situation like this. Second, remember to breathe. I don’t mean that to sound patronizing because this is a very stressful time. That said, people are more creative and make better decisions when they are calm.
Take stock of what you can control and plan accordingly. Stay in communication with your contacts in federal departments to the best of your ability and communicate needs proactively to donors.
TNL: Where can they go for more information?
WCF: The National Council of Nonprofits and the Nonprofit Association of Washington are great resources. We will do our best to keep organizations informed and will continue to rely on our state and national partners to have the most current information.
TNL: What resources are available for nonprofits in this uncertain time?
WCF: Current and former board members, staff and other key supporters who are thinking together about how best to navigate this uncertainty. The other critical resource is donors. Nonprofits are supported by donors of all political stripes who value their work. This is not a partisan issue.
TNL: What are the biggest challenges for nonprofits dealing with this uncertainty regarding federal funding?
WCF: The difficulty in planning, particularly if a significant portion of their budget comes from the federal government. Scenario planning is important. Even if funding isn’t technically frozen, it may be delayed due staffing shortages, technology issues or both. Organizations need to be as prepared as possible. For many organizations, this is an incredibly hard time to support staff who may be concerned about the security of their jobs.
TNL: How would a federal freeze on funding to these nonprofits negatively impact them?
WCF: It already has. Organizations have diverted staff time away from their mission-related work to better understand the landscape; assessed their risks to make contingency plans; paused programs until they have more clarity on what’s likely to happen next; fielded questions from clients, staff, donors, funders like the Community Foundation and the media; and are planning for temporary or permanent staff reductions.
If funds already committed are rescinded, they could have budget shortfalls and potential short or long-term impacts on programs and projects as well as potential long-term financial instability, depending on the organization.
TNL: Are there certain nonprofits most reliant on federal dollars?
WCF: Many of the organizations that help meet basic needs – food banks, housing providers, community health clinics – are usually the first ones we think of. Workforce training and many arts and culture, environmental and other organizations are also affected.
TNL: Are there alternative sources of funding to which nonprofits can apply during this uncertainty?
WCF: Unfortunately, the philanthropic sector does not have the resources to come close to filling the hole that would be left by a federal funding freeze.
TNL: Are there actions Whatcom Nonprofit Network is taking to address the potential funding freeze?
WCF: Whatcom Nonprofit Network is a program of the Whatcom Community Foundation. We’re communicating with our federal representatives to ensure they know how a freeze or even the threat of a freeze is impacting local organizations. We’re also communicating with donors and encouraging them to give. Lastly and most importantly, we’re available to work with organizations as they think through options.
TNL: Why are our Whatcom County nonprofits important to the community?
WCF: Combined, local nonprofits touch the lives of every person in Whatcom County. Think about your average week, month or year and I’ll guarantee that more than one nonprofit organization plays a role in your life and the lives of the people you live, work, learn and play with. Whatcom County would look and be very different without the nonprofits that contribute to every aspect of this place.
TNL: How can the community help our nonprofits right now?
WCF: Give to the organizations that matter to you. Contributions from individuals are the most important source of funding for many nonprofits. Reach out to your federal representatives to advocate on behalf of nonprofits and ask your friends and family to do the same. And while it may seem like a small thing, sending a card to let staff at your favorite organizations know they’re appreciated means a lot. Nonprofits have been working at and beyond their capacity for four-plus years. We can’t say ’thank you’ often enough.
For more information on Whatcom Community Foundation, visit whatcomcf.org.
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