Since the evening of Nov. 5, a lot of people have been trying to figure out what the reelection of Donald Trump might mean for their work. And none more so than those in the field of philanthropy. While you might imagine that Trump is in favor of private funding for charitable projects, to reduce the burden on the state, he implemented tax changes that disincentivized charitable giving during his last term. Moreover, his Vice President-elect JD Vance has described private foundations as “cancers on American society” and suggested that their assets be seized.
We set out to learn how those working in philanthropy are feeling, what they’re expecting from Trump, and how they’re preparing. Such is the anxiety that the 12 major foundations we approached wouldn’t speak to us. However, here’s what we learned from those who would.
Coming up: Join us for our final Devex Pro Live event of the year! In this special leader roundtable, we’ll be speaking to executives from across the global development sector to discuss what they learned in 2024 and how they’re preparing for the challenges ahead in 2025.