Nearly 140 organizations, including several from Chicago, signed on to a letter joining together in the face of a federal suppression on philanthropies supporting political causes that oppose President Donald Trump administration’s beliefs.
The letter included signatories like the Chicago-based MacArthur and Joyce Foundations, as well as Woods Fund Chicago, Michael Reese Health Trust and Riverside-based Healthy Communities Foundation, among others. The organizations said using the recent uptick in violence against high-profile political figures to quell speech that doesn’t align with the administration stood to “harm all Americans” during a moment that is “fragile and fraught.”
It comes after some of the highest officials in the U.S. government threatened war on opposing speech in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.
“Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve,” the letter reads. “We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give. Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.”
Conant Family Foundation, Knight Foundation, Lohengrin Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Polk Bros Foundation, and The Joyce Foundation are all current financial supporters of Chicago Public Media. Others on the list have supported CPM in the past.
Ameya Pawar, president Michael Reese Health Trust, said if philanthropic groups had their tax-exempt status revoked, it would have a devastating affect on the group that was just designated a public charity last year. The foundation is tied to the history of Michael Reese Hospital, which was established in Bronzeville during the late 19th century to serve Jewish immigrants and others who were discriminated against in health care settings.
The threats mean its work with domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness could be in jeopardy, but Pawar said outside his group, carrying out what White House officials have sworn to do would have an impact to the tune of more than a trillion dollars being ripped from the “public good.”
“I think we rely on our tax-exempt status to do our work in the same way other philanthropies do,” Pawar told the Sun-Times Thursday. “[But] if there is a change and an attack on free speech, it’s not going to just impact one set of folks, it will hit everybody. … That’s a trillion dollars of impact.”
While the White House claims “left-wing” groups will be targeted, Pawar still worries for his organization, despite there being “nothing partisan about” its work because health issues “don’t choose based on who you voted for in the last election.”
“The reason our work has stood the test of time and politics, is because we’ve always talked about serving everybody,” Pawar said. “It’s what it means to be communal, to watch out for each other, to be a good neighbor and an American. … So we’re gonna continue to do the work of supporting our communities. It’s what we’ve done since 1881 [when the organization was founded] and it’s what we’re continuing to do in 2025.”
Vice President JD Vance, as a guest host on Kirk’s show, vowed to target some of the biggest funders of liberal causes. The Trump administration has alleged that liberal views inspired Kirk’s alleged killer, even as authorities maintain it appears he acted alone and the investigation is ongoing. Across the country, conservatives stepped up their targeting of private individuals for their comments about Kirk’s killing.
Gov. JB Pritzker likened the current climate to an authoritarian regime and urged Americans to stand up for free speech, especially after comedian Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air over comments about Kirk’s killing.
In a statement, which was also posted to social media, MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey said the organization “remains steadfast in strengthening communities and protecting the freedom to give.”
“Recent acts of political violence are a tragic reminder of how fragile our freedoms can be — the freedom to speak, to live safely without fear, and to give in line with our values,” he said in the statement. “Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those lost to such senseless attacks. We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize the good work of charitable organizations or restrict our historic American freedoms.”