The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) is an advocacy network of organizations that promote left-of-center policies towards the federal, state, and local levels of government. On its website, the NCN claims to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs while seeking to support said programs through increased government support. Since November 2024, the NCN has stated its opposition to certain policy actions taken by President Donald Trump’s Second Administration. 12
The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) advocates left-of-center policies at the federal, state, and local levels. This includes a support for maintaining or expanding tax incentives for groups that donate to nonprofit organizations. 2
NCN supports increasing government expenditure on initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the public and private sectors, opposes what it considers “arbitrary and across-the-board budget cuts at any level of government,” and advocates against “offloading government services onto nonprofits.” 2
NCN supports maintaining the prohibition on organizations that receive tax-deductible donations from engaging in political advocacy. However, NCN supports allowing for nonprofit organizations to engage in election-related activities including voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities. NCN also supports raising the lobbying limit for nonprofits. 2
Second Trump Administration Response
The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) tracks “executive orders affecting nonprofits” made by President Donald Trump during his second administration. 34
On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memorandum pausing all federal grants and loans while federal agencies reevaluates these programs to determine whether they comply with other new executive orders. According to the New York Times, the memorandum was an effort by President Trump “to purge the government” of “‘woke’ ideology” and led to “mass confusion across the country” as federal agencies were unsure of the status of funding for many programs. In the ensuing hours, several agencies lost federal funding, though funding was soon restored. 5678
On January 28, U.S. District Judge Loren L. Ali Khan blocked part of the order by preventing a pause of federal funding for “open awards.” That same day, NCN president Diane Yentel announced on X (formerly Twitter) that NCN was filing a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order with Democracy Forward in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the memorandum. Yentel claims the memorandum “would be catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve” and “cost lives.” 567
On January 29, the OMB rescinded the memorandum, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that the OMB and Trump administration would continue to fight against woke ideology in the federal government. 58 NCN released a statement “[celebrating] this victory for nonprofits.” 9
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
On its website, the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) claims “we embed diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization and the ways we carry out our mission, purposefully and tangibly applying these principles in our internal operations, programs, policies, and leadership.” 1
NCN provides “tools, research, and resources” to help nonprofits achieve their DEI objectives including a Statement of Social Equity, a Social Justice Glossary, a tool it claims will test employees’ “implicit/unconscious biases,” and assistance in designing a DEI action plan for nonprofits. 1011
Activities
In May 2026, NCN president and CEO Diane Yentel released a press statement reacting the U.S House Judiciary Committee’s hearing regarding allegations against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on wire and bank fraud allegations. Yentel argued the hearing was “another attempt to intimidate and silence dissent among civil rights and other nonprofit organizations with whom the President and some in Congress disagree, further fueling the Trump Administration’s dangerous weaponization of government” while claiming the NCN “stands firmly with the Southern Poverty Law Center and other nonprofits facing politically motivated attacks.” 12
Leadership
In January 2023, Diane Yentel became the president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) after working as the president and CEO of the National Low Income Coalition since March 2016. Previously, Yentel worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the director of the Public Housing Management and Occupancy Management Division and as a senior housing program specialist. Earlier, Yentel worked at Oxfam America as a senior domestic policy advisor, at the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless as a housing policy coordinator, and as a community health education specialist for the U.S. Peace Corps. 1314
Sabeen Perwaiz is the chairman of the board of NCN, and the president and CEO of the Florida Nonprofit Alliance. 1516
General support to serve as a central coordinator and mobilizer to help nonprofits achieve greater collective impact in local communities across the country and core support for institutional strengthening
General support to serve as a central coordinator and mobilizer to help nonprofits achieve greater collective impact in local communities across the country and project support for institutional strengthening
Established in 1990, the National Council of Nonprofits is the nation's largest network of nonprofits, representing more than 32,000 organizations across the United States. The grantee's mission is to advance the vital role, capacity and voice of charitable nonprofit organizations. The grantee works through its network of state associations and nonprofit partners to help nonprofits operate more effectively, engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector and achieve greater impact in their communities. During the previous grant period, the grantee championed, informed and connected the nonprofit sector. During the next grant period, the National Council of Nonprofits will focus on launching equity-centered programs, safeguarding nonprofit nonpartisanship and strengthening the member network.
Established in 1990, the National Council of Nonprofits is the nation’s largest network of nonprofits, representing more than 28,000 organizations across the country. The grantee's mission is to advance the vital role, capacity and voice of charitable nonprofit organizations. The grantee works through its network of state associations and nonprofit partners to help nonprofits operate more effectively, engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector and achieve greater impact in their communities. During the previous grant period, the grantee championed, informed and connected the nonprofit sector. During the next grant period, the National Council of Nonprofits will focus on policy advocacy, member support, media outreach and narrative building.
Established in 1990, the National Council of Nonprofits is the nation’s largest network of nonprofits, representing more than 28,000 organizations across the country. The grantee's mission is to advance the vital role, capacity and voice of charitable nonprofit organizations. The grantee works through its network of state associations and nonprofit partners to help nonprofits operate more effectively, engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector and achieve greater impact in their communities. During the past year, the grantee strengthened its network by providing knowledge support on operational matters that were especially needed during the pandemic. Over the next two years, the National Council of Nonprofits will: 1) carry out educational initiatives to promote a supportive policy environment for the work of charitable nonprofits; 2) expand its network and deepen the engagement of its members; and 3) provide trusted information to nonprofits, the media and the public.
Established in 1990, the National Council of Nonprofits is the nation’s largest network of nonprofits, representing more than 25,000 organizations across the country. Its mission is to advance the vital role, capacity, and voice of charitable nonprofit organizations. The grantee works through its network of 44 state associations to help nonprofits operate more effectively, engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector, and achieve greater impact in their communities. The grantee's special focus is small and mid-sized groups that depend on it for free access to the timely information, policy analysis, and applied advocacy they need to deliver their missions. The grantee has been at the forefront of public policy advocacy for the nonprofit sector. A grant increase will enable the National Council of Nonprofits to continue to lead on policy work by expanding its legal and communications capacity.
Established in 1990, the National Council of Nonprofits is the nation's largest network of nonprofits, representing more than 32,000 organizations across the United States. The grantee works through its network of state associations and nonprofit partners to help nonprofits operate more effectively, engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector and achieve greater impact in their communities.
