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9and10news: Michigan nonprofits still struggling with delays in federal funding
March 05, 2025
Michigan nonprofits still struggling with delays in federal funding
By: Sheldon Krause
LANSING — The Michigan Senate heard from nonprofit organizations Wednesday on how President Trump’s efforts to freeze federal funding have disrupted services and created confusion for clients.
Those in the nonprofit sector say despite the initial freeze memo being rescinded and multiple court orders, federal dollars have still been significantly delayed.
“Other times we would have received that payment approval within four weeks period,” said Debbie Brinson, CEO of Honor Community Health. “It’s still six weeks out — we’ve not heard, and we’ve not heard any indication from the help desk, because there’s no help desk for us to check in with.”
Kelly Kuhn, president of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, says Michigan organizations have been choosing between keeping staff employed and serving the people they’re meant to.
“Our nonprofit leaders, they are tired, they are stressed,” she said. “They are putting their focus more towards contingency plans and planning for the future with a lot of uncertainty, as opposed to what they typically do in a day to day.”
Seth Johnson, president of United Way of Northwest Michigan, says while his operations have yet to be directly impacted by the funding issues, he’s seen clients struggling with the potential cuts.
“That uncertainty, those questions, are really starting to dig into some of these families,” he said. “They have already been stressed, they’ve already been overwhelmed, and this uncertainty is just adding on top of that, making it really, really hard, especially for working families — working families who are just struggling to get by — even more difficult,"
Chanda Hillman is the director of Flowers Early Learning, a Head Start-funded program in southwest Michigan.
She says the organization had to close its doors for the first time in 53 years when the initial freeze was announced.
“If funding goes away, 583 children will lose their early education opportunities, 200 staff members will lose their job, and entire communities will feel the ripple effect,” she said. “This isn’t just a funding issue. It’s a workforce issue, a public health issue and a future of Michigan issue.”