Greetings, readers! 

Since the start of Trump’s second term as president, the civil sector—that is, the nongovernmental, nonprofit organizations working to advocate for public interests and address the social needs government neglects—has been under siege by executive orders targeting specific groups, such as immigrants and LGTBQ+ people, stretching the sector’s already thin resources even thinner. 

The Republican-dominated subcommittee of the US House of Representatives grilled nonprofit leaders at a hearing in May (“NGOs Gone Wild”), which has prompted conservative lawmakers to launch a bogus “probe” into some 200 nonprofits. It was an escalatory move by the White House and its allies in Congress to intimidate and attempt to shut down nonprofits whose values don’t align with the Trump agenda—and it likely won’t be the last.

With Fourth of July (the celebration of independence from a tyrannical government…) just days away, NPQ is launching a new campaign: #WeTheCivic. Through this campaign, we are doubling down on supporting diverse, courageous, truth-telling civic and nonprofit voices—because democracy’s unfinished work requires our voices, our stories, and our communities.

And in this week’s Leadership newsletter, we uplift the voices of the people and the challenges of disinformation. First, we consider the ongoing threats to LGTBQ+ communities and how nonprofits can support them. Next, an examination of the role of immigrant “second responders” in disaster recovery and relief. Then, how the conservative disinformation machine seized on the recent tragic assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband. Finally, we invite you to our July Premium webinar, “Organizing in Divided Times: The Relational Infrastructure We Need to Protect Democracy,” on Thursday, July 24.

As always, we love to hear back from you. Email Leadership Editor Isaiah Thompson at [email protected].