Executive Orders & Actions We Are Monitoring
This page provides summaries of executive orders and actions relevant to the philanthropic sector. Within each section, the most recent updates appear at the top, along with relevant resources for deeper analysis.
To stay up to date on the latest information, bookmark this page and sign up for Washington Snapshot. Council members can join the Council’s Public Policy Action Network, which meets every other month to learn more about the Council’s Government Affairs work.
What is an Executive Order?
Executive orders (EO) are signed, written directives from the President that manage operations of the federal government. They are different from legislation and do not require congressional approval, and Congress cannot overturn them but may pass legislation that makes it difficult to carry out the order. Learn more about executive orders.
What are Other Executive Actions?
On this page, “Other Executive Actions” refers to presidential memoranda and related federal guidance that may shape how executive policy is carried out. Presidential memoranda are official presidential documents, while guidance documents generally explain how agencies interpret policy or plan to implement existing law or regulations.
Skip to Each Section
Executive Orders
EO 14399: Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections
Issue Date: March 31, 2026
Policy Impact Area: Civic Engagement
This EO directs federal agencies to take steps related to federal election administration and voter eligibility verification. It instructs the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, to create and share citizenship lists with state election officials ahead of federal elections; directs the Attorney General to prioritize investigation and prosecution of certain alleged election-related violations; and orders the U.S. Postal Service to begin rulemaking on standards for mail-in and absentee ballot envelopes, tracking, and voter participation lists. The order also states that federal agencies should take lawful steps to address noncompliance, including withholding federal funds from states and localities, where authorized by law.
Why this matters: This order may be relevant to foundations and nonprofit partners working on democracy, civic participation, election administration, or voter engagement, particularly where their work intersects with state election systems, mail voting, or federal election policy.
EO 14173: Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors
Issue Date: March 26, 2026
Policy Impact Area: DEI; Federal Funding and Compliance; Federal Oversight
This EO directs federal agencies to require contractors and subcontractors to agree not to engage in what the order defines as racially discriminatory DEI activities in hiring, promotions, contracting, program participation, or resource allocation. Within 30 days, it requires contractors to begin providing compliance information upon request; report suspected violations by subcontractors; and recognize that compliance is required for participating in federal contracts. The order authorizes agencies to cancel, suspend, or terminate contracts for noncompliance and calls for possible suspension, debarment, and False Claims Act review. It also directs the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council and the Office of Management and Budget to issue implementing guidance and amend procurement rules.
Why this matters: This order may affect philanthropic organizations that hold federal contracts, compete for federally funded work, or partner with contractors and subcontractors subject to new DEI-related compliance requirements.
EO 14332: Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
Issue Date: August 7, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Funding and Compliance; Federal Oversight
This EO increases federal oversight of discretionary grantmaking and directs each federal department and agency to designate a senior presidential appointee to ensure discretionary grants align with the President’s policy priorities and the administration’s interests. Within 30 days, agencies must review existing discretionary grants and work to terminate awards that do not appear to advance those priorities. The order also states that future discretionary grants should favor institutions with lower indirect cost rates, limits the use of discretionary grant funds for certain facilities and administrative costs, and bars funding for activities involving racial preferences, denial of the sex binary or mutable sex, illegal immigration, or other initiatives the order describes as compromising public safety or promoting “anti-American values.”
Why this matters: This order may increase compliance requirements and funding scrutiny for philanthropic organizations that receive federal grants or partner with nonprofits that receive federal grants. Read Holland & Knight’s Executive Order Tightens Federal Grant Oversight: What Grant Recipients Need to Know for more detailed analysis.
EO 14291: Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission
Issue Date: May 1, 2025
Policy Impact Area: First Amendment
This EO establishes the Religious Liberty Commission (Commission) and builds on EO 13798, Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty, signed in 2017. The Commission is tasked with producing a report on "the foundations of religious liberty in America" and examining the First Amendment rights of faith-based institutions and their leaders when it comes to freedom of expression on topics related to moral or political issues. The Commission will advise the White House Faith Office and the Domestic Policy Council, and will encompass individuals representing the private sector, employers, educational institutions, religious communities, and States.
Why this matters: This order may be relevant to foundations that fund, partner with, or operate alongside faith-based organizations and institutions affected by evolving federal approaches to religious liberty and free expression. It may also impact enforcement of the Johnson Amendment.
EO 14283: White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Issue Date: April 23, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Higher Education; Public-philanthropic partnerships
This EO launches the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the Executive Office of the President and establishes the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Housed in the Department of Education, the Board will advise the President and include representatives from a range of sectors, including philanthropy. The order seeks to expand the role of the private sector and private foundations in strengthening HBCUs through institutional planning, fiscal stability, infrastructure and technology improvements, student professional development, and support for academic research and program excellence.
Why this matters: This order may create new opportunities for foundations to partner with HBCUs, and federal initiatives focused on institutional capacity, workforce development, and research.
EO 14248: Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections
Issue Date: March 25, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Civic Engagement
This EO directs federal agencies to take actions related to election administration, voter eligibility verification, voting system standards, and enforcement of federal election laws. Among other provisions, it calls for documentary proof of citizenship on the national mail voter registration form, expanded federal support for state voter list maintenance, updated voting system guidance, and enforcement of federal laws related to ballots received after Election Day.
Notably, it directs the Attorney General (AG) and the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce laws banning foreign nationals from contributing to U.S. elections. It also directs the AG and Treasury Secretary to prioritize enforcement of laws prohibiting organizations that have received federal funds from lobbying, citing 31 U.S.C. 1352. Note: The cited statute does not prohibit recipients of federal funding from engaging in lobbying broadly; it merely prohibits the use of federal funds to lobby for the awarding, extension, renewal, or modification of any federal contracts, grants, loans, or cooperative agreements.
Why this matters: This order may be relevant to foundations and nonprofits working on civic engagement, voting rights, election administration, or advocacy. It may also draw added attention to organizations that receive federal funds and engage in lobbying or public policy work, particularly where questions arise about how federal funds are used.
EO 14238: Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
Issue Date: March 14, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Public-philanthropic partnerships
Building on EO 14217, this EO eliminates the non-statutory components and functions of the following entities:
- Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service;
- United States Agency for Global Media;
- Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution;
- Institute of Museum and Library Services;
- United States Interagency Council on Homelessness;
- Community Development Financial Institutions Fund; and
- Minority Business Development Agency.
Why this matters: This order may affect philanthropic organizations that rely on or partner with these entities, particularly in areas such as media, libraries, homelessness, community development, and minority business support.
EO 14235: Restoring Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Issue Date: March 7, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Higher Education, Foundations’ Operations
This EO directs the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, to review the definition of "public service" under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The order calls for excluding eligibility for individuals working at public service entities or nonprofit organizations whose activities the administration says involve:
- violations of federal immigration laws (such as 8 U.S.C. 1325),
- support for terrorism,
- child abuse, including what the Administration notes as “chemical and surgical castration or mutilation of children or the trafficking of children to so-called transgender sanctuary States for purposes of emancipation from their lawful parents”
- illegal discrimination, or
- repeated violations of state tort laws, including laws against trespassing, disorderly conduct, public nuisance, vandalism, and obstruction of highways.
It further states that employees of organizations with a substantial purpose connected to those activities should not qualify for public service loan forgiveness.
Why this matters: This EO sets a concerning precedent by excluding some section 501(c)(3) charitable organizations from Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, opening the doors for future administrations to do the same when they do not agree with an organization’s work. This creates significant uncertainty and may affect recruitment and retention at nonprofits where Public Service Loan Forgiveness is an important factor for employees.
Update: Following this executive order, the Department of Education engaged in negotiated rulemaking and released draft regulations on Public Service Loan Forgiveness. These regulations were largely aligned with EO 14235. The Council submitted comments urging the Department to reconsider the proposed rule. In October 2025, the Department released final regulations that were not substantially different from the draft regulations.
EO 14219: Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President's “Department of Government Efficiency” Deregulatory Initiative
Issue Date: February 19, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Oversight
This EO directs federal agencies to work with the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Management and Budget to review existing regulations and identify those the administration considers overly burdensome, unconstitutional, inconsistent with law, or misaligned with administration policy. Agencies are instructed to submit a list of regulations for rescission by April 21, 2025, as part of a broader deregulatory effort.
Why this matters: This order may affect philanthropic organizations by reshaping the regulatory environment in which foundations and nonprofit partners operate. Changes to federal rules could alter compliance expectations, program administration, and the implementation of policies affecting the charitable sector.
EO 14217: Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
Issue Date: February 19, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Public-philanthropic partnerships; Global grantmaking
This EO orders the elimination of non-statutory components and functions of the following federal independent agencies:
- Presidio Trust
- Inter-American Foundation
- United States African Development Foundation
- United States Institute of Peace
In addition to eliminating the above independent agencies, this EO directs department and agency heads to terminate the following committees/councils:
- Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid
- Academic Research Council and the Credit Union Advisory Council
- Community Bank Advisory Council
- Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID
- Health Equity Advisory Committee
Why this matters: This order may affect foundations and nonprofit partners that work with or receive support from these agencies and advisory bodies, particularly in areas such as international development, peacebuilding, public health, and cross-sector collaboration.
EO 14192: Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation
Issue Date: January 31, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Treasury Administration; Federal Oversight
This EO orders the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reduce regulatory costs and burdens by rescinding at least 10 prior regulations for each new regulation issued. For the remainder of fiscal year 2025, agencies must significantly reduce the total incremental cost of new regulations, including through repeals.
Beginning in fiscal year 2026, the OMB Director will set agency-specific cost limits as part of the presidential budget process, and agencies may not issue regulations that exceed those limits unless required by law or approved by OMB. The order also authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury and the OMB Director to reinstate a 2018 memorandum requiring review of certain tax regulations under EO 12866.
Why this matters: This order may affect foundations and nonprofits by changing the pace and scope of federal rulemaking, including tax and regulatory policies that shape compliance obligations and operating conditions across the charitable sector.
EO 14180: Council To Assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Issue Date: January 24, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Disaster Response
This EO Establishes the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council to evaluate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assess its capability to prepare for and respond to disasters.
The council may include up to 20 members, with the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense serving as co-chairs. Other members will include relevant agency heads and external experts with experience in disaster relief and assistance, emergency preparedness, natural disasters, federal-state relationships, and budget management. The council must hold its first public meeting within 90 days and submit a report to the President within 180 days after that meeting. Unless extended by the President, the council will dissolve one year from the date of the order.
Why this matters: This order may be relevant to foundations and nonprofits involved in disaster response, recovery, and resilience efforts, particularly those that partner with government agencies or support communities affected by emergencies.
EO 14148: Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions
Issue Date: January 20, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Public-philanthropic partnerships
This EO revokes several prior executive orders and actions. Section 2 includes the revocation of EO 14015, issued on February 14, 2021, which established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. That office was intended to build partnerships between the federal government and nonprofit organizations, including both secular and faith-based groups.
Why this matters: This order may affect how the administration engages with nonprofit and faith-based organizations and could signal a shift in the federal government’s approach to public-philanthropic and faith-based partnerships.
EO 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
Issue Date: January 21, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Diversity, equity, and inclusion
In this EO directs the Attorney General to develop a plan to deter diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs or principles. It revokes several prior executive actions, including EO 11246, which had prohibited certain forms of discrimination by federal contractors, and directs the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to stop promoting diversity initiatives and affirmative action requirements in federal contracting. The order also directs the Attorney General to develop a plan to deter DEI programs the administration views as unlawful, including identifying potential civil compliance investigations involving large nonprofits, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, publicly traded corporations, and certain higher education institutions.
Why this matters: This order may be relevant to large foundations, nonprofits, and higher education partners that support or operate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, particularly where they hold federal grants or contracts or could face increased federal scrutiny under civil rights enforcement efforts described in the EO.
Update: In February 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memorandum directing the Civil Rights Division and Office of Legal Policy to prepare recommendations on enforcing federal civil rights laws and deterring DEI and DEIA programs the administration considers discriminatory.
Other Executive Actions
Presidential Memorandum: Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence
Issue Date: September 25, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Oversight; First Amendment
This presidential memorandum addresses domestic terrorism and organized political violence. In response, on December 4, 2025 Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a memorandum, “Implementing National Security Presidential Memorandum-7: Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence” to all federal prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, and Department of Justice grantmaking components. Read our summaries of the memos.
Why this matters: This action may be relevant to foundations and nonprofit partners whose work involves support for movements and organizations that could face increased scrutiny.
Presidential Memorandum: Use of Appropriated Funds for Illegal Lobbying and Partisan Political Activity by Federal Grantees
Issue Date: August 28, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Funding and Compliance; Federal Oversight
This presidential memorandum directs the Attorney General, in consultation with executive departments and agencies, to investigate whether federal grant funds are being used illegally to support lobbying activities and to take appropriate enforcement action. The memorandum cites 31 U.S.C. § 1352 and states that federal law limits the use of appropriated funds for lobbying and political activity.
Why this matters: This may be relevant to foundations and nonprofits that receive federal grant funding or partner with federally funded organizations.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidance on Title VII Compliance for DEI Programs
Issue Date: March 19, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
EEOC releases two guidance documents, What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work and What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work, addressing what the administration describes as unlawful DEI-related discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The guidance states that DEI initiatives may violate Title VII if employment decisions are motivated, in whole or in part, by race, sex, or another protected characteristic. It also states that unlawful segregation may include limiting membership in employee groups such as affinity groups or separating workers by protected characteristic in trainings or workplace programs. Neither document is a formal regulation, but both provide insight into likely enforcement priorities.
Why this matters: This guidance signals more federal scrutiny of workplace DEI-related policies, employee programs, and employment practices. For a more detailed analysis of the guidance provided in these two documents, read Holland & Knight’s How to Run a Legally Compliant DEI Program.
Presidential Memorandum: Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations
Issue Date: February 6, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Funding and Compliance; Global Grantmaking; Federal Oversight
This presidential memorandum directs executive departments and agencies to review all federal funding provided to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It also instructs agency heads to align future funding decisions with U.S. interests, administration priorities, and applicable statutes, regulations, and award terms. The memorandum states that the review is intended to reassess whether federally funded NGO activities are consistent with those priorities.
Why this matters: This action may be relevant to foundations and nonprofit partners that receive federal funds, partner with federally funded NGOs, or support domestic or international programs that could face added review or shifting funding priorities.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum Initiating Federal Financial Assistance Pause
Issue Date: January 27, 2025
Policy Impact Area: Federal Funding and Compliance; Federal Oversight
This OMB memorandum directs federal agencies to temporarily pause activities related to the obligation or disbursement of federal financial assistance while agencies reviewed programs for consistency with the President’s executive orders and administration priorities. The memo also instructs agencies, to the extent permitted by law, to identify awards and open funding opportunities that might conflict with those priorities and to submit a report to OMB by February 10, 2025. Before the pause took effect, a federal judge issued an administrative stay in litigation brought by several nonprofit plaintiffs, including the National Council of Nonprofits. On January 29, 2025, OMB rescinded the memorandum.
Why this matters: This memorandum is significant for foundations and nonprofits because it creates uncertainty for organizations that receive, manage, or rely on federal grants.
