Federal Spending Cuts Threaten the Work of All Nonprofits, Not Just Publicly-Funded Ones.
Portland, OR – March 4, 2025 – Proposed federal spending cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid will have effects that go far beyond the government workforce and organizations that receive federal funding. William Temple House warns that, at their current scale, these cuts threaten even privately-funded social services organizations.
William Temple House operates a food pantry and provides low-cost mental health counseling services to Portlanders. While less than 5% of the organization’s funding comes from government sources, the nonprofit acknowledges that its services cannot replace federally funded programs.
“Last year, nearly 3,500 people depended on our food pantry to help put meals on the table—a 30% increase over the previous year,” said Graham Craft, Executive Director of William Temple House. “A quarter of these people already receive SNAP and rely on our pantry to make ends meet. If SNAP is cut, demand will skyrocket. Food pantries like ours are simply not a substitute for SNAP.”
William Temple House’s pantry isn’t government funded, but 30% of the food distributed through the pantry—more than 500,000 pounds annually—comes from the Oregon Food Bank via the USDA’s TEFAP (The Emergency Family Assistance Program). Cuts to SNAP and TEFAP will simultaneously drive people to pantries while cutting the supply of food available to many pantries.
The impact extends beyond food assistance. William Temple House offers mental health counseling on a sliding scale, with most clients paying $5 or nothing at all. An estimated one-third of these clients qualify for the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) but struggle to find providers that accept OHP coverage. Cuts to Medicaid, which funds OHP, could leave even more Portlanders without access to critical mental health care. A free clinic like William Temple House cannot replace Medicaid.
“For 60 years, William Temple House has supported our community thanks to generous donors and volunteers,” added Craft. “While we remain committed to serving those in need, nonprofits like ours cannot fill the gap left by federal cuts to essential programs.”
William Temple House urges policymakers to consider the broader impact of these cuts and to prioritize the well-being of all Oregonians.
For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Medina Husakovic
mhusakovic@williamtemple.org
503.715.0265