10 Significant News Events of 2017

The past 12 months have featured many major events that have affected, and will have long-term implications for, the nonprofit sector. In January, women all over the world marched for gender, racial and economic equality, and throughout the year, women shared stories of sexual harassment and assault, illuminating how pervasive such behavior is in every industry. A wave of destructive and deadly natural disasters hit in 2017, unfortunately during the same period the Trump Administration began rolling back environmental regulations. Notably for the nonprofit sector, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, renamed the Amendment of 1986 Code, was signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017, and contains a number of provisions that will likely negatively impact charitable giving, nonprofits, and the communities they serve.

Here is a list of our 10 significant news events of 2017 affecting the nonprofit sector in the United States and a few links regarding each:

  1. Tax Reform

    Charities Fear Tax Bill Could Turn Philanthropy Into a Pursuit Only for the Rich [Washington Post]

    Tax Bill Causes Alarm for Some Charities and Tax-Exempt Organizations [JDSupra]

  2. Women’s March

    A Women’s March Only Just Begun [Nonprofit Quarterly]

    Pictures from the Women’s March on Every Continent [New York Times]

    In Women’s March, Nonprofit Leaders See Galvanizing Moment [Chronicle of Philanthropy]

  3. Trump’s Immigration Policies

    ACLU and Other Groups Challenge Trump Immigration Ban After Refugees Detained at Airports Following Executive Order [ACLU]

    In Wake of Travel Ban, Nonprofits See Support Surge [Chronicle of Philanthropy]

    What DACA Really Means for Dreamers—and What’s Next [Nonprofit Quarterly]

  4. Hurricanes

    Charities Respond To Harvey [Nonprofit Times]

    Nonprofits Lead Puerto Rico’s Recovery, But What’s in Their Future? [Nonprofit Quarterly]

    Why This Hurricane Season Has Been So Catastrophic [National Geographic]

  5. California Wildfires

    Why the 2017 fire season has been one of California’s worst [LA Times]

    A Planner’s Dilemma: What Comes after the Fires are Out? [Nonprofit Quarterly]

  6. Spotlight on Sexual Harassment and Assault, #metoo Movement

    After Weinstein: 47 Men Accused of Sexual Misconduct and Their Fall From Power [New York Times]

    Sexual Harassment Is Common In the Fundraising World—And Often Goes Unpunished [Inside Philanthropy]

    Creator of the Me Too Movement Calls on Foundations to Support Grass-Roots Activists [Chronicle of Philanthropy]

  7. Acts of Domestic and International Terrorism

    Nationwide Solidarity Rallies Assemble In Charlottesville Aftermath [Huffington Post]

    Las Vegas Relief Tops Eight Figures [Nonprofit Times]

    White American Men are a Bigger Domestic Terrorist Threat Than Muslim Foreigners [Vox]

  8. Colin Kaepernick and Silent Protests of the National Anthem

    Kaepernick Leads a Movement within the NFL but Remains Unsigned [Nonprofit Quarterly]

    Harvard Scholars Deconstruct the Questions at the Heart of the Recent NFL Protests [Harvard Gazette]

  9. Russian Influence in 2016 Presidential Election

    Here’s the Public Evidence that Supports the Idea that Russia Interfered in the 2016 Election [Washington Post]

    Trump, Comey and the Russia investigation: What We Know So Far [LA Times]

  10. Rise of Donor-Advised Funds

    Donor-Advised Funds Are Catching Up To Foundations As The Most Powerful Givers [Fast Company]

    A Philanthropic Boom: “Donor-Advised Funds” [The Economist]