Responding to Federal Updates

How can I stay up to date with all of the federal changes?

Our partners at the National Council of Nonprofits stood up a webpage that discusses the federal executive orders impacts to nonprofits, the related legal challenges, and a tracking matrix that discusses each executive order by issue area. You can access the webpage here, and we recommend you bookmark this as it is regularly updated with new information.  

You can also reach Jack Murphy, Associate Director of Government Affairs, at jmurphy@coloradononprofits.org with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Are there legal resources available to help nonprofits?

The Colorado Nonprofit Association maintains a directory of affordable legal assistance options.  This can be found on our main FAQ page, accessible here.

What are my rights if ICE, or another federal agency, comes to my place of business?

Our Resources for Executive Orders page features several “Know Your Rights” trainings from the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition (CIRC). The trainings are in English and Spanish, include a poster that can be hung in your place of business, as well as information on administrative and judicial warrants.

Should we be taking any additional safety and security measures?

At this time, threats to nonprofits are manifesting themselves in terms of federal funding cuts and enforcement actions. However, for nonprofits serving more sensitive mission areas, the hostile federal rhetoric may be echoed by members of the public on the ground. As a baseline, it may be helpful to remove certain information, such as last names, from staff bio pages as well as your organization’s email formatting. It may also help to remove other personally identifying information, such as headshots and other images, from your organization’s website as well.

Silverseal, a national security consulting firm, published this helpful guide aimed at preparing businesses and other private organizations to manage protests and demonstrations. Though not specifically tailored to nonprofits, and focused on protest events, many of the best practices mentioned are evergreen, commonsense protocols that should be considered.

What actions can I take right now to advocate for the nonprofit sector?

Right now, one of the most important things that nonprofits can do is raise their voices. Beyond general advocacy, federal elected officials serve as your representation for administrative issues with the federal government. For both of these reasons, the Colorado Nonprofit Association encourages you to establish a dialogue with your House and Senate representation to discuss the collective importance of the nonprofit sector as well as to assist with any immediate federal issues.

You can reach Senator Michael Bennet’s office here, and Senator John Hickenlooper’s Office here, and to find your US Representative click here.  Both Senators have also established ways for you to share how the federal executive orders are impacting you directly: share your story with Senator Bennet here; and with Senator Hickenlooper here.