FLASH
Shkruar nga Joe Miller
Soros' Open Society Foundations, now run by his son, Alex, have $25 billion in assets and fund hundreds of non-governmental organizations in the US and around the world...
US President Donald Trump has made no secret of his plan to attack George Soros. Last month he escalated his rhetoric against the billionaire philanthropist, signing a memorandum encouraging the US Justice Department, Treasury and Internal Revenue Service to investigate financiers of "domestic terrorism" and naming Soros as a possible target.
His administration has also suggested it may revoke the tax exemption enjoyed by nonprofit groups that administer gender to children or assist "illegal immigration."
Soros' Open Society Foundations, now run by his son, Alex, have $25 billion in assets and fund hundreds of non-governmental organizations in the U.S. and around the world. The foundation strongly rejects all accusations of supporting violence or lawlessness and has pledged to combat " politically motivated attacks on civil society ."
But the White House's threats are having a chilling effect on hundreds of thousands of smaller organizations and charities that receive funding from the likes of OSF but don't have the resources to take on the Trump administration themselves, several groups told the Financial Times.
“ We should all be concerned that the executive branch has used its power as a weapon against the charitable nonprofit sector. It has ripple effects. If you’re a small community organization that doesn’t align with the priorities of this administration, you don’t have strong advocates to defend yourself ,” said Akilah Watkins, president of the Independent Sector, which represents a wide range of nonprofits.
Groups under threat include a wide range, from human rights and pro-democracy activists, criminal justice reform advocates, media and public health solution providers to marginalized communities.
Some have lost staff who resigned for fear of being targeted, or are having difficulty recruiting further staff. Others have swiftly removed references to certain progressive causes from their websites.
"There's a lot of fear right now. We're definitely hearing from nonprofits that are really concerned, that are making changes to what they're saying publicly ," said Sarah Saadian, a senior vice president at the National Council of Nonprofits.
The administration's continued attacks on the sector, which Trump last year claimed was full of "thugs and crooks," have coincided with a surge in violent threats, according to a major philanthropic group.
“ Many of our grantees, as well as us as foundations, have had cyber threats and so on, and we have provided security services ,” the group leader said.
OSF and other major grantmaking organizations have been calling grantees one by one in recent weeks to assure them of their continued financial, legal, and logistical support.
“ We encouraged them to stay the course and know where to find us. You’ll see that we’re spending a lot more money, not less money ,” said John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation.
Some of the smaller charities are in more need of financial support than ever, after funding from the US government was cut off due to their support for causes such as diversity and inclusion, climate change and foreign aid.
" With the reduction in federal funding going to the sector... many nonprofits are now overly dependent on private foundations. It's almost like a double whammy ," Watkins said.
Nonprofits in the US are suffering from a staff exodus. Data compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy suggests that at least 22,000 jobs were lost in the sector in the first six months of the year, in part due to a funding squeeze. Such groups are also highly sensitive to changes in tax law.
“OSF will survive even if its tax-exempt status is taken away, but many NGOs will not,” said a person close to OSF and Soros.
In recent weeks, the White House has attempted to broaden the definition of terrorism, expanding the legal strategies at its disposal and further threatening the public activities of some smaller groups.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested that a small group of protesters who shouted at Trump during his recent visit to a Washington restaurant may be part of an organized group seeking to "cause terror and damage" in the US, and claimed they could face racketeering charges, which are usually reserved for organized crime.
In the long run, large foundations are confident they will fight back against the Trump administration's onslaught, especially since the sector has so far been largely united in its response to the White House's threats.
The head of the large philanthropic organization said: “ I would encourage you to compare the way foundations have responded to this compared to universities or law firms, where they have been criticized one by one. Many of them have surrendered in one way or another... foundations are not doing that .”
The executive branch does not have the power to invent new crimes or unilaterally designate groups as terrorists, and the law prevents officials from agencies outside the IRS from directing the department to investigate specific entities or individuals.
But the government investigations are still a “ huge waste of energy,” said a person familiar with OSF structures, forcing them to divert resources from charitable causes to the fight against the administration.
Privately, people within the organization are more concerned about those with smaller war funds, who may feel they have to cut back on some activities to confront the White House./ Adapted from “Pamphlet” by “Financial Times”
Lini një Përgjigje