Trump weighs banning nonprofits from sending grant money overseas
By Diana Glebova
WASHINGTON — President Trump is considering issuing an executive order banning nonprofit organizations from issuing grants beyond US borders, a source familiar with discussions told The Post Tuesday.
The order would target so-called “501(c)(3)s” — referring to the section of the Internal Revenue Code dealing with tax-exempt organizations.
The largest such groups have been organized by some of Trump’s most prominent antagonists — including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation, created by the chairman and CEO of Meta; and Open Society Foundations, founded by left-wing billionaire George Soros.
President Donald Trump waves to guests as he leaves the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. The White House is expecting thousands of children and adults to participate in the annual tradition of rolling colored eggs down the White House lawn, a tradition started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878.
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Trump is weighing whether he should sign an EO banning 501(c)(3)s from issuing grants abroad.
Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan arriving at the 7th annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the NASA Ames Research Center
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The Chan Zuckerberg Foundation was created by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.
Peter Barreras/Invision/AP
The order has yet to be finalized, the source said, due to ongoing debates inside the administration over whether to issue it.
“There’s definitely an effort to limit and scrutinize federal tax dollars being shipped overseas, ramp up scrutiny of foreign acquisitions, protect research and [intellectual property], along with critical supply chains. And we’re seeing it across all the different departments,” a source close to the White House told The Post.
Trump has already been on the offensive targeting organizations sending US dollars abroad. The administration stripped and closed down the US Agency for International Development — and droves of AmeriCorps volunteers were shown the door after a visit from the Department of Government Efficiency.
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Currently, 501(c)(3)s are allowed to give grants to foreign organizations if they are meant for charitable purposes. The so-called donor tax exemption allows American money to be funneled through the US groups to reach foreign organizations in need of charitable donations.
For example, DirectRelief, among the 10 largest 501(c)(3)s in the US in terms of donations, provides billions in medical aid to foreign countries affected by war and natural disasters.
Americares, which receives more than $1 billion in donations, gives grants to organizations around the world for medical care, including in Ukraine, Haiti and the Palestinian territories.
Hungarian-born US investor and philanthropist George Soros answers to questions after delivering a speech on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on May 24, 2022.
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George Soros established Open Society Foundations, a 501(c)(3) that works to promote human rights globally.
AFP via Getty Images
The Gates Foundation has sent billions to 135 countries around the world, including $3 billion in 2023 alone, focusing on issues including “gender equality” and “global health.”
Open Societies Foundations funded grants in more than 100 countries in 2023 and had $130 million in active “impact investments” in 2022.
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Religious 501(c)(3)s would also be barred from sending money overseas. In 2023, the Christian aid group World Vision International sent more than $70 million in grants to Ukraine, $11 million to Mexico, and $25 million to Colombia.
In this screengrab, (L-R) Melinda Gates and Bill Gates speak during "One World: Together At Home" presented by Global Citizen on April, 18, 2020.
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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gives grants to organizations in developing countries.
Getty Images for Global Citizen
The rumored order comes as Trump considers revoking Harvard’s tax-exempt status — after the Ivy League university refused his demands to audit students and faculty for “viewpoint diversity” and to make changes to counter antisemitism on campus.
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