Nonprofits work to meet a deeply challenging moment

The New Hampshire Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence works hard to create stability.

People — mostly women and children — arrive at shelters and crisis centers across the state in moments of grave instability and danger.

“Our core mission is to put in place resources that will help provide stability for a very vulnerable population,” said Coalition Executive Director Lyn Schollett.

The Coalition and the network of shelters and crisis centers that it supports provide critical, 24/7 services to thousands of people. And two thirds of the funding for those services has traditionally come from federal government sources.

“Our state funders [agencies that administer federal dollars] are doing everything they can to keep the doors open and the money flowing,” Lyn said. “But the instability in Washington, DC is creating instability for New Hampshire nonprofits — which, in turn, creates instability for our most vulnerable populations. And it is changing all the time. It is a full-time job keeping up with the changes right now.”

An unprecedented moment

The Coalition is not alone — either in helping people in times of serious need or in finding the work to be more difficult than ever. Nonprofits are struggling with funding freezes, shifting requirements for federal grants, cuts to federal departments that do everything from data collection to civil rights enforcement, lingering effects of a government shutdown, rising costs from tariffs, political polarization and attempts to undermine trust in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.

“There is a general feeling that nonprofits are under attack,” said Kathleen Reardon, CEO of the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits. “One of the bedrock assumptions of the nonprofit sector is that we partner effectively with government to deliver services in a cost-effective way to help communities — and that bedrock assumption is being disrupted.”

The effects are being felt in every area of nonprofit work — from the arts to the environment, health care and more. And the effects are perhaps felt most acutely by the most vulnerable people in our communities.

New Hampshire Hunger Solutions works to make sure everyone has enough to eat. Tens of thousands of Granite Staters rely on federal programs that help families and children get nutritious foods. One of those programs, SNAP, was cut by $186 billion over 10 years in the recent federal budget reconciliation bill. And that food assistance was abruptly interrupted for families during the government shutdown.

“These programs are a safety net for all of us,” said Hunger Solutions Executive Director Laura Milliken. “So many of us are one illness, one parent in need of care or one job loss away from needing help.”

News of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids coupled with anti-immigrant rhetoric has many Latino Granite Staters on edge. The majority of Latino people in New Hampshire are here legally, and the largest percentage are U.S. citizens originally from Puerto Rico.

“It’s so, so sad and terrifying,” said Karina Bonilla of the Centro Latino de New Hampshire. “People don’t want to drive cars or go to school events or soccer games or the grocery store or even speak Spanish in public.”

Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath, who leads New Hampshire Outright, also acknowledged this “terrifying moment” for LGBTQ+ youth and their families, who are threatened by legislation, negative rhetoric and a rise in hate crimes across the country. This is a time to remain steadfast on their behalf, she said — and to engage in the “sacred imagination” to envision a better future.

“I refuse, stubbornly, to give up on us as a state,” Heidi said. “One of my most deeply held beliefs is that there is no such thing as ‘other people’s children.’ We are at our best when we understand we are one community. We all have a responsibility to make this a place where all of our kids and everyone in our community can thrive. It’s both that hard and that simple.”

Readying for the future

Nonprofits and people they serve are bracing for what comes next.

Cuts to long-standing federal programs that help people get nutritious food and health care are expected to result in a cascade of increased need. The rollbacks come at a time when the median household income in New Hampshire is already insufficient to cover the basic costs of living, according to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, and family resource centers are reporting increased need for emergency funds — as families struggle to afford basics like heat and transportation.

“The coming storm on the horizon for low-income people is really bad,” said Laura, of Hunger Solutions.

Proposed cuts to health care programs threaten to push thousands of Granite Staters off Medicaid insurance. At the same time, premiums through the Affordable Care Act are rising as tax credits expire that had helped people afford health care. Rural hospitals and community health centers that rely on Medicaid funds will be hit hard by these changes — imperiling care to all of their patients.

The Good Neighbor Health Clinic provides free care to about 3,000 people in the Upper Valley region every year. Executive Director Elizabeth Franson said that need had already increased — and the clinic is bracing for demand for services to double in January because of changes to Medicaid.

Factors that exacerbate financial stress have dangerous ripple effects.

“Economic instability is the biggest barrier to victims leaving a violent relationship,” Lyn said. “It all connects.”

Responding to the moment, looking to the future

Many people are stepping in to help. As nonprofits continue to deliver on their critical missions under extreme stress and in the face of immense need, they need help more than ever.

“Individual donors continuing their support is really important,” said Kathleen, of the Center for Nonprofits.

“That donation makes a huge, meaningful statement and will help organizations get through this. Whatever you can do, do it.”

How the Foundation is helping

• Charitable Foundation staff are in daily contact both with nonprofit partners to understand emerging need, and with generous donors eager to help with current challenges.
• The Foundation allocated an additional $3 million for grants to nonprofits in 2025 above and beyond usual grantmaking. Using operating reserves, the Foundation granted $2 million in emergency support to nonprofits whose work advances health, wellness, safety and belonging for vulnerable people and families, and put an additional $1 million raised from donors into our Community Grants program.
• By supporting emergency efforts to get food to New Hampshire families affected by the government shutdown.
• In partnership with the Center for Nonprofits, the Foundation has established a free, top-quality employee assistance program for small nonprofits. Nonprofit leaders have reported that staff mental health and burnout are among their greatest concerns. The EAP program provides free, 24/7 support.
• By remaining focused on making grants for general operating support, for two or more years when possible, and streamlining reporting requirements to help nonprofits remain focused on their core work.
• By working with donors who are stepping in to help. Foundation staff members are closely following issues as they evolve and helping generous people to meet community need — both responding to donor inquiries and reaching out to donors with giving opportunities. We are encouraging holders of donor-advised funds to recommend generous grants. Donors have responded enthusiastically, combining grants from donor-advised funds to help people in need of hunger relief, reproductive rights, safety from domestic violence, housing and much more.

“Nonprofits are doing everything from meeting the most basic needs to working for policy and program changes that help thousands of people. They remain fiercely dedicated to their missions, even in the face of very serious challenges,” said Simon Delekta, vice president for community impact at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

“We will continue to do what we can to help the most vulnerable among us.”

Nonprofits rely on generosity to meet their critical missions.

“We are working with so many generous Granite Staters who understand that nonprofits do great work and who are committed to making a difference,” said Melinda Mosier, vice president for donor engagement and philanthropy services at the Foundation.

While nonprofit leaders acknowledge the overwhelming nature of the moment, they also reiterate that every bit of support matters.

“There is power in our communities to be able to think forward,” said Elizabeth, of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic. “It is so powerful to know that you have the authority to make a difference.”

Foundation fundholders can contact our donor services department at 1-800-464- 6641, ext. 3, for information about how to help nonprofits meet critical needs.