American taxpayers are unknowingly funding organizations that promote radical gender ideologies to children and express support for Hamas, despite executive orders meant to prevent such use of public funds.
Key Takeaways
- Professional associations like SHAPE America, NAAEE, and APA have received millions in federal funding while promoting controversial gender ideologies and anti-Israel positions.
- The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) has received over $2.5 million in taxpayer money since 2020 while advocating for teaching gender identity to young children and supporting puberty blockers.
- The WESPAC Foundation faces legal challenges for fiscally sponsoring Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an organization accused of promoting armed resistance against Israel.
- A measure that would have allowed the executive branch to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits deemed supportive of terrorism was recently removed from a US tax bill.
- Watchdog group Open the Books is urging President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to scrutinize these taxpayer-funded associations.
Millions in Federal Funds Flow to Radical Organizations
An investigation has revealed that several professional associations continue to receive substantial taxpayer funding despite promoting radical ideologies including gender identity education for young children, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and anti-Israel positions. According to watchdog reports, these organizations have collected millions in federal grants since 2020, seemingly bypassing executive orders intended to prevent such funding. The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America has received over $2.5 million while advocating for teaching gender identity concepts to elementary school children.
SHAPE helped draft the National Sex Education Standards, which recommend teaching children as young as eight about gender identity and promotes hormone blockers for transgender youth. Meanwhile, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has received over $15 million in federal funding while focusing its programs heavily on racial and gender identity rather than traditional environmental education. The funding patterns suggest these organizations have found ways to continue receiving taxpayer money despite their controversial positions.
“DOGE should continue its important work by highlighting for the public and policymakers ‘professional associations’ using this strategy,” said OTB CEO John Hart.
Anti-Israel Activities Funded Through Tax-Exempt Organizations
Legal challenges have emerged against organizations like the WESPAC Foundation, which has been accused of using its tax-exempt status to provide financial support to radical anti-Israel groups. The Zachor Legal Institute has urged the IRS to review WESPAC’s tax-exempt status, specifically pointing to its fiscal sponsorship of Within Our Lifetime (WOL), an organization that allegedly advocates for the destruction of both the United States and Israel while promoting armed resistance. The Anti-Defamation League has described WOL as supporting violence against Israel and engaging in antisemitic rhetoric.
“Through its fiscal sponsorship of Within Our Lifetime, a violent, radical and anti-Israel organization, WESPAC may have violated both the public policy doctrine and the illegality doctrine that the IRS uses to analyze and discern whether a 501(c)(3) charitable organization can maintain their tax-exempt status,” said Marc Greendorfer.
The American Psychological Association and other professional societies have also been accused of anti-Semitism while taking positions against Israel. These organizations have received significant federal funding despite their controversial stances. Congressional lawmakers have joined calls for the IRS to revoke tax-exempt status from organizations that promote or support activities that may violate federal law or public policy, particularly following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Legislative Efforts and Oversight Challenges
A measure that would have allowed the Secretary of State to unilaterally declare an NGO as “terrorist supporting” and strip its tax-exempt status was recently removed from a U.S. tax bill. The provision would have enabled the executive branch to take action against nonprofits deemed supportive of terrorism without needing to disclose reasons if it conflicted with national security interests. Critics argued that the measure could have been used to target organizations supporting Palestinian rights, potentially violating free speech protections.
“This bill is designed to silence dissent, especially from Muslim, Palestinian and civil rights organizations that speak out against injustice and genocide,” said the Council on American Islamic Relations.
The National Council for History Education (NCHE), which has received over $3.8 million in federal funding, has hosted events advocating for the removal of historical monuments. At one such event, speaker Hasan Jeffries stated, “We’re not just talking about Confederate soldiers and monuments to them, we’re talking about all of these figures, all of these memorials that commemorate—that celebrate rather—white supremacy.” These activities have raised questions about whether federal funding is being appropriately monitored and whether these organizations are operating within the bounds of their stated educational missions.
Calls for Increased Scrutiny and Accountability
Open the Books (OTB) is urging President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to investigate the funding and activities of these associations. The watchdog group emphasizes that while freedom of assembly is constitutionally protected, it does not guarantee public subsidies for organizations promoting divisive ideologies. Critics argue that these professional associations are effectively disguising their true objectives within their contracts, allowing them to bypass executive orders aimed at restricting this flow of public money to controversial causes.
“The portions of the tax code related to nonprofits were set up to allow organizations that provide education and public benefits to be able to do their work without having their income diluted by the tax man,” said Marc Greendorfer.
The controversy highlights significant challenges in governmental oversight and compliance with regulatory standards. As these organizations continue to receive millions in taxpayer funds while advocating for positions many Americans find objectionable, the debate intensifies over appropriate boundaries for publicly funded entities and the effectiveness of current measures to ensure accountability for how tax dollars are spent.
