Rebekah Barber

Durham, North Carolina

Staff Writer at Nonprofit Quarterly

Articles

Passage of GOP Tax Bill Would Worsen Medical Debt Crisis

1 week ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

On May 22, the GOP tax bill passed in the House by a single vote. Now advancing to the Senate, it threatens to gut Medicaid and strip health coverage from millions of people in the United States. Doing so would further exacerbate the medical debt crisis. As researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation found in the 2021 Survey of Income and Program Participation, medical debt already burdens 20 million adults. Nearly one in 12 people owe significant debt to a healthcare provider.
Boston Groups Come Together to Face the “Existential Threat” to Nonprofits

2 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

On May 5, more than 1200 people gathered for a forum convened by the Boston Foundation called “The Shifting Federal Landscape: Massachusetts Nonprofits Raise the Alarm.” This was a record turnout for the group—a clear indicator of nonprofit leaders’ sense of urgency in the current political moment. During the convening, speakers made clear that the threats are real, but they also indicated that work is actively being done to combat them.
How the State of the People Power Tour Is Building Power and Amplifying Black Voices

2 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

On March 5, as President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address, Black leaders and advocates from across the country were engaging in a 24-hour livestream called the State of the People, an inaugural effort to counter misinformation and center those who would be most impacted by the administration’s harmful policies.
The Human Cost of Cutting Medicaid

3 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

On May 13, in Washington, DC, protesters packed the hearing room as members of the House Commerce and Energy Committee moved what President Trump has called a “big, beautiful bill” through the markup process. The bill aims to reduce spending by $880 billion over the next 10 years, largely through cuts to Medicaid.
Why the Threats Against Nonprofit Tax Status Are Unprecedented

3 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

In recent months, nonprofit organizations, particularly those that have been outspoken about the ongoing genocide in Palestine, have become a target of the Donald Trump administration. This includes groups like American Muslims for Palestine, which has repeatedly been targeted by pro-Israel groups in the past. But, more recently, bipartisan legislation like HR 9495 has sought to broaden intimidation efforts against nonprofits.
How Are Foundations Responding to Federal Cuts?

3 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

In February, the MacArthur Foundation announced its Set it at Six campaign, committing to increase its charitable payout to 6 percent for at least the next two years and using a flexible trust-based model for its charitable gifts. In April, the Marguerite Casey Foundation announced that it was accessing its endowment to grant over $130 million to help nonprofit organizations combat the challenges of the Donald Trump administration.
Tax Provision Would Give Trump Administration Unilateral Power to Strip Nonprofit Status

3 weeks ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

Nonprofit leaders are raising alarms over various provisions included in new GOP-led tax legislation, including one that would grant unilateral power to the US treasury secretary to deem a nonprofit to be a “terrorist supporting organization.” The organization’s tax-exempt status could then be stripped at the sole discretion of the secretary, who is appointed by the president.
New Field Study Highlights the Need for Resources for Black Literary Organizations

1 month ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

Last year, NPQ spoke with Lisa Willis, the executive director of Cave Canem—an organization founded nearly 30 years ago by Toi Derricotte and writer Cornelius Eady to remedy the underrepresentation and isolation of Black poets in the literary landscape.
Building Rural Black Political Power: A Conversation with Kristin Powell

1 month ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

Black Futures Lab is an organization that seeks to build Black political power by intentionally engaging those that political campaigns often ignore. Through deep canvassing and working in the community year-round—not just during election season—the organization has a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of rural Black people. To learn more about this work, NPQ recently spoke with Kristin Powell, the principal of Black Futures Lab (BFL).
Without DOJ Funding, Community Violence Intervention Programs Face Uncertainty

1 month ago | nonprofitquarterly.org | Rebekah Barber

On April 23, The Washington Post reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had canceled hundreds of grants to community organizations. As the article noted, many of the canceled grants were for gun violence prevention, addiction prevention, and victim advocacy. An exclusive Reuters report found that the total value of the DOJ cuts was $811 million. These funding cuts included federal funds that had been allocated toward community violence intervention (CVI) programs, which use a .