Action Alert: Submit Public Comment to Protect Federal Funding for Non-Profits by 3/30

At Northwest Harvest, our work is driven by a commitment to equity, dignity, and collective action. Every day, community organizations like ours partner with federal agencies to help ensure people across Washington can access food, housing, health care, and other essential supports. The General Services Administration’s newly proposed changes to the System for Award Management (SAM) place that work—and the communities who rely on it—at risk.

The proposed regulations would require nonprofits and other public‑serving entities to agree to a set of broad, unclear certifications under threat of civil and criminal penalties. These requirements are not tied to program performance, stewardship of federal funds, or accountability to the public. Instead, they introduce ambiguous legal standards related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; services for undocumented community members; and other areas far outside the scope of SAM’s purpose.

For organizations like Northwest Harvest—and for thousands of others across the state—these changes would create new legal exposure without clarifying what compliance actually looks like. That uncertainty has real consequences. Many nonprofits, especially small, rural, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led, and immigrant‑serving organizations, may be forced to choose between taking on unacceptable legal risk or stepping away from federal resources entirely. The result would be fewer community food programs, fewer trusted access points for safety‑net services, and fewer organizations able to meet people where they are during moments of crisis.

The people who stand to be harmed the most are those already facing systemic barriers to stability: working families navigating rising food and housing costs; undocumented neighbors seeking basic nutrition and shelter; communities of color disproportionately affected by hunger and poverty; and rural communities with limited access to essential services. When federal processes become harder to navigate, these communities feel the loss first and most acutely.

We believe public funding should strengthen communities, not restrict them. It should reflect the diversity of the people it serves and support organizations that are closest to the work—not create new obstacles that limit who can participate. These proposed changes do not advance accountability; they undermine it by diverting nonprofit time and resources away from program delivery and toward unnecessary legal defense.

Northwest Harvest urges community partners, public agencies, civic leaders, and concerned residents to submit public comment before the March 30 deadline.

Your voice matters. Sharing how these regulations would affect the people you serve, the partnerships you rely on, and your ability to provide essential services is critical to ensuring that federal systems remain accessible, fair, and focused on the public good.

Our mission is growing food justice through collective action. This includes working toward a more fair and liberated food system. Our success depends on ensuring that every organization committed to community well‑being—regardless of who they serve or how they advance equity—can access the resources needed to meet the moment. We stand firmly against any policy that threatens that possibility.