The full list of “banned words” is out from the Trump administration — thanks to the New York Times — and there are no if, ands, or buts about it. The list presents a staggering challenge to nonprofits and foundations across the United States. Over 200 terms that have become fundamental to social impact work have suddenly been flagged for federal agencies to “limit or avoid,” and the list reads like a direct attack on the vocabulary of social progress. Because it is.
Words like “equity,” “inclusion,” “diversity,” and even seemingly neutral terms like “historically” and “key people” are on the chopping block.
Looking at the list as a whole, clear patterns emerge. This isn’t random. It’s a systematic attempt to erase language that acknowledges:
- Social identity and demographic realities (“women,” “transgender,” “race and ethnicity”)
- Structural inequalities (“disparity,” “underrepresented,” “marginalized”)
- Climate science and environmentalism (“climate crisis,” “clean energy”)
- Health access and bodily autonomy (“sexual preferences,” “pregnant person”)
The list reads like a bunch of key words for AI to scan, and given Musk’s unabashed advocacy for replacing federal workers with AI, we wouldn’t be surprised if that’s exactly what they are.
For nonprofits and foundations across America who’ve built their missions, programs, and communications around these concepts, this creates an immediate existential crisis. How do you apply for federal funding when the terms that describe your work are effectively banned? Will there continue to be federal funding for nonprofits? How do you communicate with stakeholders when the language of your mission has been deemed unacceptable?
It’s a very scary time to be in social and environmental impact and justice. But even in this landscape of uncertainty and disruption, we can navigate with clarity, integrity, purpose, and proven strategic approaches from social movements around the world, many of which were already working under authoritarian conditions.
First, let’s break down the domains of impact and start to think through what we can do about each.
1. Funding: Adapting to Survive, Planning to Thrive
The federal government has always been a crucial funding source for nonprofits. With these language restrictions, organizations face immediate challenges in how they frame their work in grant applications, reports, and compliance documents.
When a key funder suddenly changes the rules, you have three options: adapt your language, find alternative funding, or fight the changes. Realistically, most organizations will need to pursue all three simultaneously.
Strategic Responses:
Value-Based Framing
The Schwartz values framework offers a solid foundation because it transcends political divides. Instead of “promoting diversity,” you might frame your work as “strengthening community foundations” or “ensuring all Americans have access to opportunities.”
For security and tradition-oriented funders, emphasize language like:
- “Honoring all traditions” rather than “cultural diversity”
- “Long-term community stability” versus “social change”
- “Strengthening family and community bonds” instead of “identity-based support”
Different Versions for Different Audiences
Most organizations are already developing multiple versions of their core materials (and many already have these from years of experience with varied funders):
- Federal government version (compliant with the new restrictions)
- Progressive foundation version (using familiar social justice terminology)
- Community-focused version (using language that resonates locally)
This isn’t about being two-faced. It’s about being multilingual in a polarized world.
That said, be aware that the landscape is shifting rapidly. As scrutiny intensifies, maintaining significantly different messaging across channels could expose you to risk. There’s growing concern that nonprofits could be targeted specifically for inconsistencies between federal grant language and public-facing communications.
In fact, this is why D.O.N.E. includes a lawyer to help us align the strategic communications and workplace culture pieces with compliance when we advise groups.
A more sustainable long-term strategy may be to develop a unified communication framework that works across all contexts while remaining true to your mission. This means finding language that satisfies compliance requirements but doesn’t abandon your core values or alienate your communities. Consistency across platforms provides protection in an environment where organizations advocating for social change are under increased scrutiny.
2. Building a United Front
The words we use signal our values. When those words are suddenly restricted, it creates confusion about what we stand for. This affects relationships with partner organizations, media outlets, funders, the broader public, and the communities we’re in the fight for in the first place.
Strategic Responses:
Messaging Coalitions
There’s strength in numbers and consistency. Work with peer organizations to:
- Develop shared glossaries of alternative terminology
- Create unified responses to policy changes
- Present a consistent front that transcends individual organizations
- Get media training and be proactive about talking to the media
Data-Driven Framing
Numbers can tell stories that banned words can’t:
- “Our program increased graduation rates by 32% in underresourced neighborhoods” (vs. “addressing educational inequity”)
- “We’ve helped close the 24% gap in healthcare outcomes between different community groups” (vs. “racial health disparities”)
Core Values
We know it might be a queasy concept for some, but broad-base “American” values can come in handy in a pinch when used with finesse and thought. Connect your work to widely shared values that resonate across political divides:
- “Fair chance for all” instead of “equity”
- “Fair treatment under the law” instead of “social justice”
- “Level playing field” instead of “addressing privilege”
3. Take Care of Your People
For many nonprofit teams, these language restrictions feel deeply personal. When words that describe your identity or core mission in life are banned, it’s not just a communication challenge, it’s an existential one.
Empathetic Responses:
Clear Boundaries
Be crystal clear with your team about the difference between:
- External compliance language (what we say to secure funding and ensure we survive)
- Internal organizational values (what we believe and how we talk among ourselves and what drives our culture and hiring)
- Community-facing communications (how we connect authentically with those we serve)
Inclusive (sorry, we mean, ALL-HUMANS) Scenario Planning
Engage your team to prepare for different possibilities:
- What if a staff member is publicly attacked for using “banned” language?
- What if funding criteria become even more restrictive?
- What if we need to pivot our programs to maintain financial viability?
Having thought through these scenarios in advance reduces anxiety and builds confidence. Doing this process together as a full team ensures buy-in, trust, and a sense of workplace community. The federal government is already making decisions that upend people’s lives without their input or consent. Organizational leaders shouldn’t do the same, even if it’s with the best of intentions.
Support + Action
Staff need both emotional acknowledgment and practical direction:
- Build time into existing team meetings for brief check-ins on how people are doing
- Create optional lunch conversations or coffee breaks for those who want to connect
- Balance acknowledging real frustrations with focusing on tangible next steps
- Ensure leadership is visibly engaged and transparent about organizational strategy
With stress levels escalating both in personal lives and workplace environments, the risk for burnout will be exceptionally high. Organizations should proactively assess whether they can modify policies around PTO, sick leave, right to disconnect, flexible schedules, and mental health resources to better support and retain their teams during this challenging period.
4. Community Trust
The communities we serve are watching closely, and if they’re not, now is the time to reach out and strengthen those bonds. How we navigate these language restrictions will either strengthen or damage hard-won trust.
Strategic Responses:
Co-Creation Approaches
The co-creation process is a powerful tool for building trust when external forces threaten it:
- Host community language workshops to develop terminology that resonates locally
- Create collaborative storytelling initiatives that highlight community values
- Establish citizen advisory councils that guide your communications strategy
- Learn how your community is experiencing this moment and then build a communication plan around those experiences together (your representatives also need to hear these stories right now)
Radical Transparency
Don’t hide the challenges, address them directly:
- Explain to community members why your language is changing in certain contexts
- Make it clear that the shift is to be able to continue showing up for ALL of them
- Distinguish between compliance requirements and organizational commitments
Develop “Insider” Language
Communities often develop their own terminology that carries meaning beyond the literal words:
- Work with community members to identify terms that carry the essence of banned words
- Create shared understanding that bridges compliance requirements and lived realities
- Build cultural references and metaphors that communicate banned concepts indirectly
Moving Forward Together
There’s a quote by Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci that’s been making its way around the internet:
The old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters.
This painful and scary moment is also a time to midwife the new world. That’s where the bravery and confidence of philanthropic and organizational leaders can make a difference. With precision, thoughtfulness, and calm in the face of this hurricane, we can do more than survive — we can emerge stronger, more connected, and more effective than before.
This isn’t the first time social justice organizations have had to navigate hostile political environments, and it won’t be the last. The challenge now is to adapt without abandoning our core values, to find new language that carries old truths, and to build stronger coalitions that can weather the current storm.
Words are wonderfully versatile and flexible, that’s the beauty of language and why “banning” words is so silly at the end of the day. We’ve got communities to serve, missions to fulfill, and a future to build, no matter what words we use to describe it.
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This “D.O.N.E Talking” blog is written by :
Michael Braithwaite — Narrative Change, Workplace Values
Next Big Thing Consulting
Michael specializes in narrative transformation, workplace culture, and strategic messaging that makes an impact without making waves. She helps organizations communicate and activate values in a way that resonates across all audiences, internally and externally. Certified in Hope-Based Communications, she brings 15 years of brain science-backed framing to the table.
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