Gov. Affairs | Issue 18 | August 20, 2025
Updated August 20, 2025 - This content will be updated as developments unfold.
Latest Developments: The Good News
August 15: Judge strikes down Trump administration guidance against DEI programs at schools - NPR
A federal judge on Thursday struck down two Trump administration actions aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the nation's schools and universities. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher in Maryland found that the Education Department violated the law when it threatened to cut federal funding from educational institutions that continued with DEI initiatives.
The new ruling orders the department to scrap the guidance because it runs afoul of procedural requirements, though Gallagher wrote that she took no view on whether the policies were "good or bad, prudent or foolish, fair or unfair." Gallagher, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, rejected the government's argument that the memos simply served to remind schools that discrimination is illegal.
"It initiated a sea change in how the Department of Education regulates educational practices and classroom conduct, causing millions of educators to reasonably fear that their lawful, and even beneficial, speech might cause them or their schools to be punished," Gallagher wrote.
Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy firm representing the plaintiffs, called it an important victory over the administration's attack on DEI.
Read: Democracy Forward’s Statement
August 8: Judge blocks Trump administration limits on domestic violence grants - Reuters
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the administration of President Donald Trump from refusing to fund domestic violence programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion or transgender rights. U.S. District Judge William Smith in Providence, Rhode Island, agreed with a coalition of 17 groups that the conditions set by the U.S. Department of Justice in May, which reflect the administration's broader agenda, were likely arbitrary and violated federal law.
"If the Court does not grant preliminary relief ... this could result in the disruption of important and, in some cases, lifesaving services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence," wrote Smith, an appointee of President George W. Bush, a Republican.
Read: Statement from Plaintiffs
The Not So Good News
An executive order signed by President Donald Trump late Thursday aims to give political appointees power over the billions of dollars in grants awarded by federal agencies. Scientists say it threatens to undermine the process that has helped make the U.S. the world leader in research and development.
The order requires all federal agencies, including FEMA, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, to appoint officials responsible for reviewing federal funding opportunities and grants, so that they “are consistent with agency priorities and the national interest.”
It also requires agencies to make it so that current and future federal grants can be terminated at any time — including during the grant period itself.
Agencies cannot announce new funding opportunities until the new protocols are in place, according to the order.
Read: Grant Professionals Association Statement on Executive Order
July 31: Drastic changes coming to homeless services, new Trump order promises - USA Today
The United States is taking a sharp turn in how it addresses homelessness after President Donald Trump ordered a tough new approach that rejects the longstanding "housing first" template. Trump, angered by messy encampments of homeless people near the White House and on the nation's streets and parks, declared that organizations receiving federal funding must focus first on locking up people with drug or mental health challenges.
Longtime social workers, medical experts and mental health service providers say the new approach will likely worsen homelessness across the country, particularly because Trump's order contains no new funding for mental health or drug treatment. Additionally, they say the president appears to misunderstand the fundamental driver of homelessness: People can't afford housing.
Read: Understanding Trump’s Executive Order on Homelessness: Attacks on Housing First - National Alliance to End Homelessness
A Look at the New Executive Order and the Intersection of Homelessness and Mental Illness - KFF
Trump’s executive order targeting unhoused people will leave everyone worse off - Prison Policy Initiative
Resources:
What Grant Professionals Need to Know About the New Definition of “Federal Public Benefit”
Free webinar: Advocacy in Action: A Gwinnett Nonprofit Coalition Briefing Series with National Council of Nonprofits - September 12, 9am EST
Free webinar: Federal Grants, Key Updates, and Developments in the New Administration Grant Professionals Association - September 23, 12pm EST
Atlanta Way 2.0 with The Tara Theatre, Neighborhood Nexus, and Hands on Atlanta, presents Atlanta Way Day on September 25, 2025, will launch with a Keynote Panel discussing Atlanta's current ranking of 50th out of 50 in Upward Economic Mobility, and the urgency for our region to come together and address this challenge.
