How Can You Know If You Don’t Ask? Nonprofits Report Primary Concerns in Recent CEP Surveys

In uncertain times, strong relationships matter more than ever. We’d argue that it’s nearly impossible to build genuinely strong relationships with grantees if you’re not asking them about their challenges and current needs.

That’s why, in recent rounds of CEP’s Grantee Perception Report surveys, we’ve offered the option of including confidential questions asking grantees about their top concerns related to the current political climate — and we’ll share here some key takeaways from those surveys.

For funders who chose this option, these questions represent a powerful way “to develop an understanding of grantee organizations and the context in which they work,” a key driver of stronger relationships, according to CEP research. Asking your grantee partners about issues their organizations are facing, while being clear about the ways that your organization can support them isn’t about politics, it’s about good grantmaking. Yet, according to CEP’s recent Research Snapshot, “Challenging Times,” nearly half of nonprofits hadn’t had conversations with any of their foundation funders about how the current political climate is affecting their work at the time the survey was administered (February 2025).

With this in mind, we wanted to share two of the most significant topics of concern that grantees expressed to those funders who recently participated in a GPR and chose to include this set of optional, confidential questions asking grantees to share their organizations’ most pressing or top-of-mind concerns related to the current political climate. (Note: some grantee comments have been lightly edited for clarity and to ensure confidentiality.)

Nonprofit Concern #1: Funding and Operational Stability

It is no surprise that nonprofits anticipate cash flow challenges due to the loss of federal funds, including USAID, and the uncertainty and unpredictability of the federal administration’s decisions. They’re bracing for difficult times. As one grantee put it, “There will be less funding and more economic and social challenges in the lives of the people we serve. Need will increase and funding will decrease.”

Another nonprofit wrote, “It will be hard to keep up with all the changes and to know where to spend our energies. We also have to consider how many ‘plan b’s’ we need to put in place in case of worst-case scenarios.” Echoing this, another nonprofit shared, “The level of uncertainty and daily negative news/political actions is wearing heavily on the staff.”

Even organizations that do not rely on federal funds are feeling the ripple effects. In their own words:

• “Funding has been cut in the city budget and federal funding is unknown.”
• “We have no federal grants or contracts, and thus, we have been getting a huge surge in demand for our collaboration from partners who are facing pressure because they are funded by the government. Our small organization lacks the capacity to address all of this growing demand. It is likely that things are going to get worse, much worse, before things get better.”
• “While there may not be an immediate impact felt for our organization, I am concerned about a possible trickledown effect. The decrease or removal of federal funding to local and/or state governments will inevitably affect the funding for many nonprofit organizations, especially small nonprofits, with already very limited resources. This will subsequently have a negative impact on the programming which benefits so many low-income communities (children, their families, senior citizens). At the end of the day, it will be those we serve who will be hurt the most.”
• “There is likely less available funding to go around, less for us to access, and more for us to worry over where or how to acquire to sustain operations.”

Nonprofit Concern #2: Fear for the Safety and Well-Being of Their Communities

In addition to funding challenges, many nonprofits shared deep concerns about the safety and well-being of the communities they support. As one survey respondent put it, “The new administration is targeting the very populations we serve.” Policy changes, heightened ICE activity, and hostility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are putting the work of many nonprofits that support historically underserved populations at risk.

Several nonprofits describe the challenges faced by children and students:

• “The impact on the health of children could be tremendous for those who depend on public services and programs if budgets are cut or eliminated.”
• “With competing policy priorities, there is a risk that investments in early childhood education (ECE) could be deprioritized, despite its proven long-term benefits for children, families, and the economy. It is crucial to maintain momentum in advancing policies and funding that support high-quality early learning opportunities, workforce development, and equitable access to ECE programs.”

Many others describe the fear felt by immigrant and refugee populations:

• “Many immigrant advocacy organizations are concerned about potential increases in ICE raids, especially given fluctuating immigration policies at the federal level. The threat of family separations or detentions is a constant worry, particularly for undocumented individuals in vulnerable situations.”
• “A large percentage of our clients are immigrant and/or refugee, so we are very concerned about the impact of the Trump administration’s threats of immigration raids and mass deportations. This could cause many of our client families to fear reaching out for service.”
• “Our neighbors are living in fear of deportation every day. Our local grocery stores are not being patronized. Our schools have empty desks. Families are living in fear.”

And others fear that their work will be targeted due to attacks on DEI-focused supports:

• “While our work to impact poverty automatically serves impacted populations with or without the DEI title, the general lack of concern for and criminalization of people for simply ‘existing’ and seeking a better life is beyond comprehension and can have far-reaching implications for families, children and humanity.”
• “With the intense political scrutiny, just since January 2025, our organization has stopped using the term equity and social mobility publicly, in order to protect [stakeholders] who engage with us. Please understand that we remain doggedly committed to this work.”
• “We want to continue to raise the issue around racial equity without fear of losing funding or support.”
• “These issues highlight the urgent need for foundations and funders to reaffirm their commitment to supporting organizations that address cultural and racial inequities.”
• “We are looking to foundations to step up, [especially] those that believe in equity.”

What Can Funders Do for Grantees?

Start by reaching out, individually, to your grantee partners. Ask about the challenges their organizations are navigating and the pressures their communities experience. These conversations offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape your grantees are navigating and can bolster your relationships, enabling stronger and more effective partnerships.

Transparency is also essential. Be clear about what your organization can and cannot do. Are there additional resources you can offer, either financial or non-monetary? Are you able to offer introductions to your networks, or even access to legal, security, or operational expertise? Can you provide flexible funding by converting project-based grants to general operating support? Are you still figuring it out and want their input?

Additionally, recognize that grantees may be overwhelmed by administrative demands — explore opportunities to streamline reporting requirements or adjust evaluation timelines to alleviate their burden. Likewise, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many funders adjusted their reporting processes and increased the proportion of unrestricted support in response to grantee feedback during critical times (Before and After 2020).

As one nonprofit respondent put it, “Philanthropy as a sector has remained eerily quiet in the past few very volatile weeks. While we expect that volatility in the public sector, it’s disheartening not to have forthcoming communications from the major players to whom we look for reassurance.”

Don’t wait for your grantees to make the first move. If you have not yet started these conversations, we urge you to do so now.

Mena Boyadzhiev is a director on the Assessment and Advisory Services team. Joyce Cheng is a senior analyst on the Assessment and Advisory Services team.