Category: Uncategorized

Democracy Fund recently launched All by April, a coordinated national effort urging philanthropy to accelerate and streamline election-related grant-making ahead of the 2026 election cycle. The campaign calls on foundations, donor networks, and individual philanthropists to commit and distribute nonpartisan 501(c)(3) election funding no later than April 2026.

The goal is simple but significant: ensure that the nonpartisan organizations working to protect access to voting, strengthen election administration, and support civic participation have resources in place BEFORE election pressures peak. Early funding allows grantee partners to plan effectively, hire staff, build capacity, and respond quickly to emerging needs—all of which become more difficult as the election season intensifies.

For ACS clients, particularly those supporting civic engagement, public policy, and movement infrastructure through philanthropic support, this model reflects an evolving expectation: philanthropy must not only fund the work but also support the conditions that allow it to succeed. That includes predictable timelines, fewer administrative barriers, and trust in the expertise of community-based organizations.

As the 2026 elections approach, All by April is a reminder that timing matters. When resources arrive early, organizations are better positioned to build meaningful, equitable, and lasting impact. Learn more about the initiative, its impact in the 2024 election, and how nonprofits say funders can go further here.

Monday afternoon, HUD abruptly withdrew its FY2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) just 90 minutes before a federal court hearing. The proposal included significant changes that would have capped permanent housing funding at 30 percent — down from the current national average of 87 percent — and imposed requirements that prioritized temporary housing and compliance-based services. The NOFO also included restrictions affecting organizations affirming transgender or nonbinary individuals.

For many communities, the impact would have been immediate and severe. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in Ohio alone, where CoCs currently allocate between 82 percent and 92 percent of funding to permanent housing, the cap would have resulted in an estimated $103.5 million loss in renewal funding and put housing and services for roughly 13,000 people at risk.

HUD’s decision to withdraw the NOFO followed:

• Legal action by 21 attorneys general and a coalition of local governments and nonprofit organizations.

• A national response effort led by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and partners.

• Growing bipartisan concern among federal lawmakers following sustained outreach from communities across the country.

HUD has stated it will reissue the NOFO “as quickly as possible” with technical corrections, but the timing and scope remain unclear..

At ACS, we are encouraged by what this development underscores: public policy is movable when communities speak with urgency, clarity, and collective alignment. The response from the field helped create pressure that federal decision makers could not ignore.

While this is not the final outcome, it is a meaningful step. ACS will continue tracking updates, and we will share additional guidance as more information becomes available.

This moment reinforces what we see every day in our work with dedicated leaders across the country: Advocacy works.

A new analysis shows that letting the enhanced premium tax credits lapse would reduce health care spending in Ohio by $363 million next year and increase uncompensated care demand by $163 million — a 10.3% jump. States across the U.S. will likely see a similar trend. That means more strain on hospitals, higher costs for communities, and more individuals and families left uninsured. At ACS, we believe these are not just numbers — they’re real impacts to community health, financial stability, and equity for our nation’s families. Policymakers must act now to protect these credits and safeguard access to care.

In 2020, numerous Ohio leaders, including those in Columbus and Franklin County, declared racism a public health crisis, committing to address systemic inequities. Since then, initiatives such as Columbus Public Health’s Center for Public Health Innovation have implemented programs like the “Vax Cash” incentive, a flavored tobacco ban, and the establishment of the Office of Violence Prevention to tackle disparities in health and safety. This article from The Columbus Dispatch examines how, despite changing political climates, public health officials remain dedicated to promoting racial equity and addressing the long-term impacts of systemic racism on community health.

This article by the Statehouse News Bureau examines a provision in Ohio’s proposed budget that would allow the state to force the closure of underused public school buildings and require districts to sell them to charter or private schools at below market value—something school leaders like Canton Superintendent Jeff Talbert call unfair to local taxpayers. While Governor DeWine argues the measure addresses districts hoarding buildings to block competition, critics say it disregards community investments and essential space needs for specialized programs.

This article examines how a recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis indicates that over 3 million individuals could lose access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits under a Republican-backed bill passed by the U.S. House. The legislation proposes stricter work requirements and shifts a portion of SNAP funding responsibilities to states, potentially adding $14 billion annually to state budgets. Critics argue that these changes would disproportionately affect low-income families, while proponents claim they promote fairness and fiscal responsibility.

This Reuters article examines the U.S. Supreme Court’s 4-4 split decision on May 22, 2025, which effectively blocked the creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma—the nation’s first proposed taxpayer-funded religious charter school. The tie, resulting from Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s recusal due to potential conflicts of interest, upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling that the proposed school violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by promoting religion through public funding. While advocates for church-state separation celebrated the outcome, supporters of religious charter schools expressed disappointment and indicated plans to continue their legal efforts.

This article by the FrameWorks Institute explores the challenges in conveying the fragility of democratic institutions to the public. It identifies three main obstacles: the tendency to equate government solely with current leaders, the belief that American actions inherently define democracy, and the abstract nature of concepts like authoritarianism, which can feel disconnected from daily life. To bridge this gap, the article suggests linking these abstract ideas to people’s lived experiences of uncertainty and powerlessness, thereby making the threats to democracy more tangible and relatable.