National Guard
Members of the California National Guard stand outside the federal building in downtown Los Angeles (Photo from California-Pacific Conference)
The Chronicle of Philanthrophy | Aug. 29, 2025
- Chicago, Baltimore: Progressive nonprofits in Washington, D.C., are recommending their counterparts in cities like Chicago and Baltimore — where the Trump administration may soon also deploy the National Guard — start planning for how to boost social services to affected communities, reports Stephanie Beasley in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
- Affected groups: Nonprofits that work with unhoused people, communities of color, and immigrants should be prepared to provide additional resources — such as legal aid, food, and information about civil rights protections — if federal forces arrive in their cities to crack down on what President Trump has characterized as rampant crime, D.C. nonprofit leaders said.
- Crime and punishment: “The president believes that arming troops, bulldozing tents, and making arrests will solve societal ills,” said Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has provided $86 million in health-related funding to D.C. nonprofits since January. “He could not be more wrong. More affordable housing will lower rates of homelessness. Greater investments in treatment and prevention will reduce drug overdoses. Providing children with good schools and safer places to play will help address violence.”