Federal News 2025
Updated March 5, 2025
Executive Orders
Executive orders (EOs) signed by the President provide guidance and directives to federal agencies on their operations and policies and have the force of law. Once they are signed, they remain in effect unless they expire, are revoked, or nulled in court. Only a sitting President can rescind executive orders signed by a previous administration. However, executive orders are not legislation, and while Congress can advance legislation that supports or hinders the effects, it cannot overturn them. After he was sworn into office, President Trump signed dozens of EOs covering a broad range of issues.
Our partner, the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) has created a chart to help decipher the executive orders that directly or indirectly impact nonprofits. The chart is updated frequently, so check back for updates.
Federal Funds Freeze Lawsuit
In January, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to federal agencies ordering them to pause most of their grants and loans – including billions of dollars in grants to nonprofits. Even though OMB rescinded the memo, lawsuits are moving through two federal courts seeking to stop the implementation not only of the original OMB memo but of any other action from OMB or the White House that would broadly freeze federal funding for grants to nonprofits and state and local governments.
FNA is a member of the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN), which has one of the lawsuits against the federal funds freeze, National Council of Nonprofits et al v Office of Management and Budget, represented in court by Democracy Forward. At the end of February, the judge on the case, Judge Alikhan, ruled to grant the request for a preliminary injunction. The ruling states that OMB is prohibited from implementing, giving effect to, or reinstating under a different name the unilateral freeze of all new federal spending, attempted under OMB's funding freeze directive. OMB must instruct all federal agencies of the preliminary injunction. There will be more to come - the government is likely to appeal to ruling.
Common Questions
QUESTION: My nonprofit organization does not receive federal funding - do these executive orders still affect me?
The short answer is yes. While some of these directives are specifically tied to what is being done with federal funds, including federal funds that pass through other entities like states, the federal government can also enforce some of the new directives for all entities that are required to follow federal laws, even if they do not have direct funding. And, as charitable nonprofit organizations, they can impact your 501(c)(3) status.
QUESTION: How will a federal freeze on funding effect Florida nonprofits?
Just under 4,000 nonprofits in Florida receive federal grants, and almost 70% of them have grants that are at risk. We recommend this article from the Urban Institute.
What is the Financial Risk of Nonprofits Losing Federal Grants?
If Your Organization is Affected
Is your organization being affected by executive actions? Please complete this brief survey to let us know how.
Contact your congress member to let them know how as well.
Members Only Resources
FNA Members: sign into the Member Resources page for additional information.
The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this site contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation.
Did You Know?
Florida's nonprofit sector is a powerful economic driver.
The 22,710 Florida nonprofits are employers and revenue generators and contribute to the state's economic success.
Nonprofits:
Employ more than 456,000 people
Pay annual wages
of more than
$27 billion
Bring in annual revenue of more than $116 billion
Hold assets of more than $255 billion
View the Economic Impact Dashboard