Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — These are turbulent times for some entities navigating their way through the Trump Administration's new federal funding policies.
Corporations and educational organizations are among those facing federal funding cuts.
To that end, a non-profit based in Boston has decided to withdraw its application to receive federal funding.
826 Boston is an educational non-profit in Roxbury that provides writing support for young people.
Federal funding is normally a key source of money for organizations like this, and Executive Director Corey Yarbrough explained the organization's thought process.
"When we heard examples of what we could not do, the decision was fairly easy," he said.
In his first week in office, President Trump issued a series of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the public and private sectors.
Yarbrough said about two months ago, 826 Boston received an email from the governmental body that handles AmeriCorps placements in Massachusetts, asking the organization to certify they "do not engage in DEI activity," he said.
Yarbrough says the actual letter contained few details.
But practically, the organization's lawyers said that could mean no longer allowing students to write about any historical oppression or topics like immigration.
That's proved too tough for the creative writing outlet to swallow.
"You can't promote leadership and then tell students, 'You can't lead on this area,' or 'You can't speak up about this topic,"' Yarbrough said.
By abstaining from federal funds, the non-profit is losing about $250,000, or about 9% of its budget.
Yarbrough said the organization will try and compensate for the loss in funding by taking on volunteers and relying more on private, local donations in the next year.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
Click here to watch a video/read a letter from 826 Executive Director Corey Yarbrough.