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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Poll: Mass. nonprofits fear federal funding cuts and higher demand for services amid Trump's second term
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you're planning to spice up the evening with a little Mexican cuisine, take a gander at this list of the best tacos in the city from Eater Boston.
Now, let's get to the news:
Nervousness in the nonprofit sector: A poll by the Boston Foundation found that more than 500 nonprofit leaders across the state are concerned about federal funding cuts and policy changes threatening the sector. Jim Klocke, CEO of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, told WBUR's John Bender many nonprofits fear their organizations will fare worse during this "hurricane-type period" of Trump's second administration. According to the report, 8% of respondents have already weathered federal funding cuts, and 58% expect to receive them soon.
- The results: Of the leaders polled, 59% are anticipating financial decline in the next year. Only 3% believe the communities their nonprofits serve will be better off a year from now. (That's compared to 78% who said their communities will be much worse off, and 14% who said they'd be somewhat worse off.) "Normally, when you ask those questions, you get kind of a balanced response," said Klocke. "Some people say next year will be better. Some people say next year will be worse. In this poll, it's quite clear — overwhelming."
- More than cuts: Overall, 64% of nonprofits expect the need for their services will increase under the Trump administration. Nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations — like formerly incarcerated individuals, seniors and people with disabilities — are particularly concerned. The potential loss of federal funding would make it even harder to meet public demand, respondents said.
- The ripple effect: Klocke says the impact of cuts to one nonprofit won't be isolated. " If you're running an after school program and the kids who are coming into your program lose access to Medicaid, that's not just a problem for the healthcare provider," said Klocke. "That's a problem for you because now the kids coming in your door have health problems."
- Why it matters: Many nonprofits will have to search for new sources of funding and invest in more fundraising as federal resources are depleted, the poll concluded. "So many of us use and depend on nonprofit services more than we realize," said Klocke. "The quality of life in our neighborhood, in our cities, and across our state depends on conditions and opportunities for everybody."
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It's pay back time: Starting today, the U.S. Department of Education will resume debt collections on defaulted federal student loans. Here's what that means for borrowers in Massachusetts.
- What to know: A defaulted loan, as defined by the federal government, is one that the borrower has not made any payments toward in 270 days or more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government paused its collection of defaulted loans to give borrowers a bit of relief. But now the Trump administration says it "can and will" garnish wages, pensions and tax refunds from borrowers whose loans are in default.
- By the numbers: According to Education Trust, more than 900,000 Massachusetts residents (13% of the population) have some form of student loan debt, an average of $35,000 per borrower. However, it's not clear how many of those loans are defaulted.
In court: Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson is set to plead guilty to charges of corruption in federal court today after orchestrating a kickback scheme with a relative on her staff. She's charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of theft involving federal funds; and she faces up to one year in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. (She may also have to pay back the stolen $13,000.) Fernandes Anderson agreed to resign from her position on the council back in April, but has said she won't officially do so before May 8 in order for District 7 to avoid the need for a special election.
- Also in court: Former Massachusetts state police sergeant Gary Cederquist is being sentenced for his participation in a bribery scheme. Cederquist, of Stoughton, was found guilty of taking bribes in exchange for issuing passing scores on commercial driving tests. Prosecutors say the set-up allowed more than two dozen unqualified drivers to get a a CDL over the past five years.
P.S. — Dreaming of a brighter future? "Utopia Hotline," a new show at the Museum of Science's Charles Hayden Planetarium, wants you to dial in and share your messages of hope with the show's creators. Theater critic Jacquinn Sinclair writes that it "feels like a warm hug after a long, hard day."
