WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump signed last Thursday a presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt nonprofit organizations the Administration claims is supporting or funding domestic terrorism. With the memorandum, the Administration continues its targeted attack on nonprofits that oppose its priorities and ideology. For more information, see NCN’s Insights and Analysis.
The memorandum was signed after months of escalating, dangerous rhetoric by the President and senior White House officials denigrating nonprofits, portraying them as “enemies” of the American people, and falsely accusing nonprofits of fueling radicalization and political violence without providing evidence of wrongdoing. The memorandum comes just days after the President signed an executive order designating Antifa as a “domestic terrorist organization,” despite former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony during the first Trump Administration that Antifa “is not a group or organization. It’s a movement or an ideology.” Moreover, it was signed the same day as reports that the President directed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a baseless criminal investigation into the Open Society Foundations, an unprecedented and direct assault on the nonprofit sector.
The National Council of Nonprofits condemns the presidential memorandum as an egregious, attempted abuse of power. NCN president and CEO Diane Yentel stated, “This action is a blatant attack on one of the core principles of our democracy, the freedom of speech.” She warned, “this rhetoric and action undermines the lifesaving work of millions of nonprofit staff and volunteers and puts them at risk.”
With the memorandum, the Administration threatens to:
- Abuse the power of government to silence dissent. Weaponizing the power of government to silence dissent and undermine our constitutional rights threatens democracy. Such actions are counter to the freedoms guaranteed to us in America, including the freedom of association and freedom of speech.
- Exploit the tragedy of political violence to intimidate nonprofits, setting a dangerous precedent. Political violence has no place in America. Neither does intimidating and baselessly threatening nonprofits. Nonprofits must be free to pursue their missions without fear of political retribution, regardless of which Administration is in power.
- Target nonprofits based on their mission. The memorandum attempts to target nonprofits serving immigrants, advancing racial equity, and supporting the LGBT community. Without evidence, the Administration claims domestic terrorism is driven by “extremism on migration, race and gender.”
Take Action
The National Council of Nonprofits and other national leaders oppose the Administration’s efforts to unjustly target nonprofits and urge nonprofits nationwide to make their voices heard!Join NCN and more than 3,000 organizations on a National Solidarity Letter. The letter rejects both political violence and the abuse of government to silence nonprofits.
Sign on: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffoPRt1UEhkvJrnGXWiNeXbiPlGGt8xjaOcWkLJ9ZtNfDzlA/viewform
Contact Your Members of Congress – Urge your Senators and Representatives to protect all nonprofits from ideologically driven attacks using our email template.
Template: https://ujoin.co/campaigns/3749/actions/public?action_id=5292
Resources
Presidential Memorandum, Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, The White House, Sept. 25, 2025.
Press Statement, Reported Trump Administration Criminal Investigations Targeting Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits, Sept. 26, 2025.
Press Statement, Condemning Escalating Dangerous Rhetoric Against Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits, Sept. 17, 2025.
