In 2024, the Presidential Election shaped national discourse, the Supreme Court issued rulings with far-reaching implications, and nonprofits faced new challenges and opportunities in the areas of governance, diversity, and technology. Here is a list of our 10 significant news events of 2024 affecting the nonprofit sector in the United States and links to resources regarding each:
1. Re-election of Donald Trump
Moving Forward After the US Elections: 10 Questions Every Nonprofit Leader Should Consider (Bridgespan Group); How Women’s Nonprofits Are Revamping Strategies After Trump’s Win (Chronicle of Philanthropy); A Reckoning for the Pro-Democracy Community (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
2. Loper Bright Supreme Court Decision
What Does the End of the “Chevron Doctrine” Mean to Charitable Nonprofits? (National Council of Nonprofits); In the Wake of the Chevron Decision (Yale School of the Environment); U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Chevron Doctrine—What You Need to Know (White & Case LLP)
3. HR 815 Signed into Law
Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s Desk (New York Times); D.C. Circuit Upholds Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act as TikTok Ban Dispute Edges Closer to Supreme Court (National Law Review); Hiding in Plain Sight: New Ukraine and Israel Aid Package Includes Significant Changes to US Sanctions and Export Control Laws (WilmerHale)
4. Release of Project 2025
Project 2025, Explained (ACLU); ‘Project 2025,’ a Conservative Plan, Would Overhaul U.S. Public Policy and Government (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
5. AT&T Data Breach
AT&T Had a Huge Data Breach: Here’s What You Need to Know (Mozilla Foundation); Top Cyber Threats To Protect Your Organization From In 2025 (Forbes)
6. Atlantic Hurricanes
Employers, Disaster Relief, and Taxes (Nonprofit Law Prof Blog); Devastating 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends, marked by record-setting storms (UN News); Philanthropy’s Response to 2024 US Storms (Council on Foundations)
7. Fearless Fund’s Legal Outcome
Fearless Fund Case Summary (Council on Foundations); Fearless Fund settles with DEI foes, ends grant program for Black women (Washington Post); What’s Next for Philanthropy After the Fearless Fund Settlement? (Philanthropy News Digest)
8. Passage of HR 9495 by the House
H.R. 9495; House Bill Signals Turbulence Ahead For Nonprofits (Forbes); With House Passage of ‘Stop Terror-Financing Bill,’ Charities Fear Being Targeted (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
9. Healthcare CEO Homicide
How Poverty Violence Shows Whose Lives Are “Worth” More in America (Nonprofit Quarterly); Luigi Mangione was charged with murder – then donations started pouring in (Reuters); Study: One-Third Of GoFundMe Appeals Are For Healthcare (Nonprofit Times)
10. Record-High Homelessness
U.S. homelessness jumps to another record high, amid affordable housing shortage (NPR); US homelessness up 18 percent in last year amid cost of living crisis (Al Jazeera)