Civic Leadership
Standing With Our Community
Responding with urgency and purpose, the Rhode Island Foundation mobilized over $5 million to support and protect Rhode Islanders served by local community organizations.
When federal funding freezes began rippling through Rhode Island's nonprofit sector in early 2025, the consequences were immediate and impossible to ignore. Food pantries faced the prospect of empty shelves. Meal delivery programs for seniors braced for disruption. Housing organizations faced impossible staffing decisions. For the thousands of Rhode Islanders who depend on these services, the stakes could not have been higher.
The Foundation responded swiftly, committing over $3 million in emergency support for nonprofits whose federal grants had been frozen or cut, and providing funding for the legal resources those organizations needed to protect their missions and continue serving Rhode Islanders. In partnership with donors who rallied to help their neighbors, the Foundation went on to exceed that commitment, investing over $5 million by year’s end.
At the heart of the Foundation's response was its new Community Partner Resilience Fund (CPR Fund), through which the Foundation awarded grants to nonprofits directly impacted by federal funding losses. Seeded with $500,000 from the Foundation's own reserves and matched by generous donors, the Fund offered grants of up to $50,000 to help organizations with scenario planning, financial planning, crisis communications, fundraising consulting, and other professional services.
Ultimately, $1.2 million in CPR Fund grants reached 27 nonprofits across the state, including Family Service of Rhode Island, Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Progreso Latino, and the Women's Resource Center in Newport, among others. Nearly 90 percent of applicants reported that they had already cut — or would soon need to cut — services to Rhode Islanders.
For Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, which delivers nutritious meals and daily wellness checks to thousands of older and disabled adults, a $50,000 grant helped the organization strengthen its volunteer program, a strategic investment in the future of its Home-Delivered Meal Program and long-term stability of services.
"The uncertainty surrounding key federal funding streams led us to seek emergency support through the CPR Fund," said Meghan Grady, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island. "Most of our clients would have nowhere else to turn if service is disrupted, so we are taking proactive steps to protect those who rely on us."
The response from CPR Fund grantees captured just how much Foundation support meant to organizations working on the front lines. Michelle Wilcox, President & CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island, expressed gratitude for the Foundation's investment as homelessness in Rhode Island neared record levels. "Each success story, each person who finds hope, opportunity, and a home, is made possible in part by caring partners like you," she wrote.
Beyond the CPR Fund, the Foundation's support included $2 million across two rounds of its Community Priority and Capacity Building Grant programs, prioritizing organizations impacted by federal cuts. And when the SNAP funding crisis hit, the Foundation, bolstered by donor support, awarded $1.9 million in emergency grants to 76 food pantries and meal sites statewide, helping ensure Rhode Islanders had access to food until federal funding for the program was restored.
For many community organizations, emergency funding was only part of the answer. They also needed legal expertise to push back against funding terminations, understand their rights, and protect their missions. The Foundation recognized this need, committing $100,000 to the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island (LCRI) Nonprofit Legal Protection Project (NLPP), to help fund pro-bono legal assistance, training, and information sharing for nonprofits impacted by federal actions.
Founded in December 2024, LCRI's Nonprofit Legal Protection Project quickly became an essential resource for Rhode Island's charitable sector.
NLPP delivered training sessions to hundreds of nonprofit staff, leaders, and board members, and provided individualized legal consultations to 67 Rhode Island nonprofits. When 16 local organizations filed agency appeals challenging $32.8 million in funding terminations, NLPP support helped them recover $7.8 million.
"Training provided by NLPP has been invaluable, helping us to learn quickly what our rights and responsibilities are with grants."
- Jessica Walsh, Executive Director, Women's Resource Center
The Tomaquag Museum was among those who benefited directly. "NLPP helped Tomaquag Museum with federal funding concerns. They helped us get our Institute of Museum and Library Services grant reinstated," its executive director, Loren Spears, noted. "Their help is critical for nonprofits to access pro bono legal support and address the rapidly changing federal funding landscape."
For the Women's Resource Center, with 80 percent of its funding coming from government sources, NLPP's training proved equally vital. "Training provided by NLPP has been invaluable, helping us to learn quickly what our rights and responsibilities are with grants," shared Jessica Walsh, its executive director.
"The breadth of these federal cuts and the resulting elimination of crucial services to Rhode Islanders creates a funding challenge that philanthropy alone cannot address," explains Foundation President and CEO David Cicilline. "But just as we have during previous moments of uncertainty throughout our 109-year history, the Rhode Island Foundation is committed to leveraging our resources and collaborating with partners, donors, and policymakers to respond thoughtfully, effectively, and dynamically."
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