Federal Actions: Alaska Impacts

Tracking changes in the federal government.

The Trump Administration has promised many changes to the federal government, the first of which has been dozens of executive orders covering a wide range of issues that include nonprofits and tribes in their scope. The implications of the executive orders vary greatly, from immediately taking effect to being challenged in court. Staying abreast of executive orders, directives, new laws, and their related actions is crucial for ensuring you are aware of potential hurdles to your work.

We recognize that misinformation and confusion will be present in this rapidly changing environment. We will endeavor not only to place trusted sources of information on this site but also to update it as new and verifiable information becomes available.

We also recognize that people coming to this page will have differing perspectives. Foraker is nonpartisan. We encourage everyone to take the information here back to your organization, carefully consider it, and then use it in a way that is appropriate in your decision-making.

No information on this page should be considered legal advice.

Federal Funding Freezes Challenge Alaska Nonprofits

The funding freezes could affect the billions of dollars Alaska receives each year from the federal government, including funds directly to nonprofits and tribes and funds to the state that are then passed through to nonprofits.

According to research Foraker has conducted in partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Economic Development, the latest available data shows that Alaska received $38 billion in federal grants in 2023. This is in addition to funding from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and remaining federal pandemic relief funds. Each of the projects within these funds is being reviewed for compliance with the executive orders before they can commence.

NEW, April 2026 — Laurie Wolf of The Foraker Group on challenges facing nonprofits and nonprofit resilience, KYUK, April 23, 2026

NEW, March 2026 — A summary of what Alaska nonprofits told us during a February 2026 survey on the impact on their operations from continued federal funding cuts and policy changes

Nonprofit Nonpartisanship Under Threat

A long-held core value of the charitable nonprofit sector – nonprofit nonpartisanship – is again being threatened by the federal government. On July 7, the Internal Revenue Service, in a federal court filing, reversed nearly 70 years of legal precedent, saying that “churches and other houses of worship” can endorse political candidates in certain circumstances.

This attempt to eliminate the “Johnson Amendment” from the IRS Code would have a highly detrimental effect on nonprofits and houses of worship both around the country and here in Alaska. Learn more here.

What You Can Do – A Call to Action

In our continuing effort to share information about how Alaska nonprofits are being impacted by federal policies, Foraker sent a letter to our congressional delegation on May 15 expressing concerns related to the federal budget tax proposals.

You can read the letter here. We also encourage you to share your views on the tax proposals with the delegation.

We are hearing from many organizations in crisis. We want to help advocate for the important services you provide. Please provide us with updates so we can share the impacts with our policymakers.

Fill out this real-time consequences form to share your news.

Are you looking for ways to prepare your organization for these turbulent times — those we are experiencing now and those that may lie ahead? We’ve prepared Eight Steps to help guide you.

Join our Advocacy in Action webinars where we highlight issues impacting Alaska’s nonprofits and tribes and offer suggestions on how you can become involved in advocating your position on them.
Watch this page and our blog as we add more ways you can support your organization and the sector. And you can sign up here to receive special announcements.

Follow the Executive Orders – Their Impacts and Status

President Trump signed dozens of executive orders (EOs) covering a broad range of issues, including diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, government grants and contracts, civic engagement, immigration, and certain nonprofit subsectors.

Some of the EOs won’t take effect immediately, and many are being challenged in court. The National Council of Nonprofits maintains a list of EOs and their current status, which it updates regularly.

You can find the latest here on the impact of executive orders on nonprofits.

What is an executive order? Have you wondered exactly what an executive order does? See this explanation from the American Bar Association.

How Foraker is Supporting Your Work

Foraker is actively engaging with elected officials, including state legislators and our federal delegation, and with the National Council of Nonprofits to gain clarity on current federal actions.

We are also talking with Alaska-based funders and other technical assistance providers to stay informed and engaged.

Our goal is to mitigate the impact on Alaska’s 5,688 nonprofits and all tribes, their 35,302 employees, and the communities they serve. To better understand the impact on Alaska nonprofits, we conducted two surveys of nonprofits in January and February. We received close to 300 responses from a wide range of organizations that serve Alaskans. Here’s some of what we learned: Read the Report. 

The following reports and presentations bring to life the impact of nonprofits on the quality of life for Alaskans. Use this information to support advocacy for your organization.

For Laurie’s perspective on the challenges currently facing Alaska’s nonprofits, see her opening comments at our April Leadership Summit and in her column Let’s Build a Runway in the our April newsletter.

On June 11, Laurie was part of Planning Amid Disruption: Navigating Tariffs, Recession Fears, and More, a panel discussion sponsored by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. You can view the full program here.

Foraker’s Rapid Response Tools

We have launched a Rapid Response set of classes, tools, and connection points to help you navigate this crisis. Check out these classes and watch for announcements of additions to come.

Rapid Response Webinars — Recordings

Resources from the National Council of Nonprofits, which are updated regularly.

Additional resources from trusted sources

In the News – Alaska Nonprofit Impact Stories

Note: Only articles that are not blocked by paywalls are included in this list. We encourage you to follow Alaska’s print media and other trusted outlets for additional coverage.

Latest Federal Impact Posts

Jun 17, 2026
Changes to Federal Grant Rules Could Put Alaska Nonprofits at Risk

On May 29, 2026, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed sweeping changes to the Uniform Guidance that, if implemented, would create significant risk and instability for all federal grantees, including nonprofits, making it more difficult to provide vital services to communities. We are calling on Alaska nonprofits to loudly declare our opposition to the proposed changes. The OMB proposed changes would apply to all federal grants, cooperative agreements, and pass-through awards received by Alaska nonprofits. Since before statehood, Alaska nonprofits have had a long track record of serving with honor and accountability as a trusted partner with the federal government, the State of Alaska, and local municipalities. We are such a vital part of everyday Alaska life we are recognized in our state’s constitution. We provide a… Read more »

Apr 20, 2026
Johnson Amendment stands, with appeal pending

A federal judge in Texas dismissed a lawsuit on March 21, 2026, that sought to overturn the Johnson Amendment. The 70-year-old law prevents nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, from endorsing or opposing partisan political candidates running for public office. The judge dismissed the case on technical grounds. An appeal is expected. Find more here from the National Council of Nonprofits and on our web page where we provide detailed information on the background of the Johnson Amendment and what its loss could mean to nonprofits…. Read more »

Apr 10, 2026
A Strange Kind of Quiet: An Opportunity to Resurrect Our Voice

In August 2025, after Congress passed HR1., the tax overhaul bill, and all the advocacy that went along with it began to die down, we started to notice a strange quiet taking over Alaska’s nonprofit sector. Maybe it also was happening beyond our borders, but regardless, it was a noticeable absence of noise in the wake of vocal disbelief, clear outrage, and loud dissent, not just to the tax implications for the people nonprofits serve every day, but to all the federal policy and funding changes that had preceded the bill. While the new bill contained some potential positive opportunities, we knew even then that this quiet was not necessarily acceptance of a new normal, nor acceptance of what is happening to nonprofit funding and policy. Instead, we interpreted it… Read more »

Jan 30, 2026
Partial government shutdown to begin at midnight tonight

The partial shutdown is guaranteed as federal funding runs out tonight at midnight. After some delays, Congress is still on track to enact a spending package as early as next week to reopen and fund the government, potentially limiting the harm caused by a partial shutdown on nonprofits and the communities we serve. The Senate late today approved that spending package, and the House is expected to vote on it when lawmakers return to Washington next week. The partial shutdown that begins tonight will impact 78% of the federal discretionary budget. If the House approves the measure, however, the impacts of the partial shutdown are expected to be limited. Federal agencies have been developing contingency plans outlining which federal employees will be instructed to stop working and which are deemed… Read more »

Jan 2, 2026
Take the Federal Impact Survey – Deadline Extended

We know we’ve asked for your participation in several surveys lately — and we truly appreciate your time. There’s a good reason we keep coming back to you: high-quality, rigorous data helps us tell the real story of Alaska’s nonprofit sector to funders, policymakers, and the media. Your participation ensures that the story is accurate, powerful, and grounded in lived experience. We are conducting a new statewide survey to understand how government funding cuts and policy changes continue to affect nonprofit organizations and tribes in Alaska. Earlier this year, following the administration’s announcement of a federal funding freeze, we moved quickly to assess the potential impact. The initial results showed a catastrophic threat to the health and well-being of Alaskans and the organizations that serve them. Now, almost a year… Read more »

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