Under Trump, the federal government is stepping back. Charities, states, and others are stepping up.
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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
The Trump administration has cut funding to states, universities, nonprofit organizations, and public media. It has shrunk access to Medicaid and food stamps. And it has changed the federal government's longstanding approach to public education and vaccination guidelines.
But as the federal government steps back, states, philanthropies, and individuals in New England and across the country are stepping up to fill some of the gaps.
Charities are funding nonprofits that have lost federal support. States are considering creating their own vaccine guidelines. Listeners are chipping in to keep their local radio stations afloat.
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'These are all noble efforts,' said David Cicilline, who leads the Rhode Island Foundation, one of the charitable groups that has used its giving to offset lost federal funding. But, he added, they're at best partial solutions. 'We just simply don't have the ability to make up for what the federal government is cutting, and the harm to our communities is real.'
Plugging holes
The Rhode Island Foundation, founded in 1916, has helped the state weather World War II and the Covid pandemic. But when the Trump administration began withholding federal funding from nonprofits there and across the country, the need to respond was clear.
'We understood after hearing from many of the organizations we support what the impacts of these either changes in federal policy or cuts in funding mean,' said Cicilline, who became the chief executive of the foundation in 2023 after representing Rhode Island in Congress as a Democrat.
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In recent months, the foundation has directed
The story is similar elsewhere. Earlier this month, the Boston Foundation announced a
And it's not just foundations. Giving to local NPR and PBS stations spiked in recent months, with 120,000 new donors
Some states have reached for solutions beyond money. As the administration mulls cutting resources
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And as the administration weighs not recommending Covid vaccinations this fall, Massachusetts officials have contemplated teaming up with Connecticut, Rhode Island, and other states to make their own vaccine recommendations
A ways to go
But the US government is arguably the most well resourced entity on Earth, and there's only so much anyone can do to fill the vacuum.
'There isn't any organization where we were able to replace 100 percent of what they lost,' Cicilline said of the Rhode Island Foundation's recent giving. The foundation has focused on supporting organizations that work on basic needs like health care, housing, and hunger, even as groups that support the arts
Even when organizations do get a lifeline, losing federal funding can be fatal. Surging donations haven't matched what Congress cut from public media, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
A future Congress or president could restore much of the funding Trump has cut. But in the meantime, the problems that lost money was meant to address seem likely to fester. The administration's cuts to food stamps and Medicaid are
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And, of course, there's still three and a half years of Trump left to go. 'We're going to continue to monitor this and, obviously, be asked to do more,' Cicilline said. 'I don't think this is the end of it.'
🧩
7 Across:
70°
POINTS OF INTEREST
Judge Frank Caprio inside Municipal Court at the Providence Police Station in 2017.
Jessica Rinaldi/GLOBE STAFF
Steve Tompkins:
The Suffolk County sheriff, charged with extortion,
Rhode Island prosecutor:
Attorney General Peter Neronha vowed to 'sanction' a prosecutor who told police who she was and that they'd regret arresting her. Republicans criticized Neronha
#1:
Massachusetts once again has the most public high schools in the top quarter of US News & World Report's ranking of the country's best.
America's 'nicest judge':
Frank Caprio, the municipal judge whose charming and forgiving temperament captured hearts across the world through his 'Caught in Providence' TV show,
Off to the races:
Karishma Manzur, a progressive nonprofit leader,
Overbooked:
Why don't Harvard students encounter a diverse range of viewpoints? Because
Trump vs. the Fed:
The president demanded Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook's resignation after an administration official accused Cook, a Biden appointee, of possible mortgage fraud. Cook said she wouldn't be 'bullied.' (
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Jeffrey Epstein:
Another judge refused the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case — and said what's them 'pales in comparison' to documents the administration is refusing to release. (
DOGE's legacy:
Eastern Kentucky is among the most flood-battered parts of the country. It now has among the most
Israel-Hamas war:
Israel approved new settlements in the occupied West Bank, dimming hopes for a future Palestinian state, and will expand military operations in Gaza City, where it says Hamas remains active. (
BESIDE THE POINT
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New books to read…:
Browse the 40 titles the Globe's critics
📱
…assuming you still do:
The share of Americans who read for fun fell 40 percent between 2003 and 2023, a study found. Technology could be to blame. (
🧳
Be spontaneous:
These 8 New England destinations are close enough for a weekend getaway —
💸
'Cute debt':
Buy-now-pay-later services, promoted as interest-free borrowing, are targeting female shoppers. (
✉️
Stamp act:
The US Postal Service recently unveiled a pair of commemorative stamps that celebrate Boston's role in the American Revolution.
🎵
Boston born:
James Taylor, the 77-year-old singer-songwriter, is
⛳
Stroke of genius:
What makes a great mini golf course? When it offers a built-environment journey that leaves you
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