While some leaders stigmatize and bully, maybe this one's different?
In a time of political whiplash and institutional strain, nonprofits in the United States are under siege. Federal leaders have frozen funding, slashed partnerships, and denigrated the sector itself. Entire subsectors—especially those involved in advocacy, immigrant aid, and higher education—have found themselves targeted not just by policy shifts, but by full-blown smear campaigns.
In the face of this, it’s easy to feel small. Outmatched. Overwhelmed.
And that’s precisely why Pope Leo XIV matters.
This final post in our four-part series explores how the new pope’s global stature, moral clarity, and public example can serve as a counterweight to the erosion of civil society in the United States. For nonprofits large and small, Catholic and secular, his voice provides more than comfort—it offers cover, courage, and clarity.
Let’s be clear: Pope Leo XIV doesn’t control U.S. federal policy. He can’t reverse grant freezes or restore gutted departments. But his influence is nonetheless real. In fact, it’s exactly the kind of influence that many U.S. nonprofits need right now.
Why?
Because the threats the sector faces are not only logistical—they are narrative. They are cultural.
When leaders in Washington claim that nonprofits are wasteful, ideological, or dangerous, they are doing more than pulling funding. They are shifting the public perception of nonprofit work—from service to suspicion.
This is where Pope Leo XIV comes in.
His moral standing, media presence, and global pulpit allow him to do something powerful: reframe nonprofit work as essential, courageous, and holy (even for those who don't share his faith).
He can name what others obscure: that caring for the poor, advocating for the voiceless, and protecting creation are not “radical.” They are responsibilities. They are signs of civilization.
And when a leader of his stature says that—clearly, publicly, and repeatedly—it gives nonprofits across the world (and especially in the U.S.) a renewed foundation from which to speak and act.
Pope Leo XIV is no stranger to political pressure. He’s seen governments fail their people. He’s worked in areas of Peru where civil society was all that stood between families and despair. He’s led in the Vatican during times of internal crisis and external conflict.
Through it all, he has chosen solidarity with those on the margins—not as a branding exercise, but as a spiritual and strategic imperative.
As pope, he’s expected to speak forcefully for:
For nonprofits that serve these populations—or that are being attacked for serving these populations—the Pope’s voice can be a shield. It can create space. It can shift headlines and soften rhetoric. It can change the posture of a conversation.
Just as importantly, it can reinvigorate nonprofit leaders who are exhausted by constantly needing to justify their existence.
When the Pope speaks of dignity, mission, and mutual care, he is not only uplifting the people served by nonprofits. He is affirming the people doing the serving.
One of the core themes of Pope Leo XIV’s public life—first as a bishop, then as a cardinal, now as pope—is the conviction that civil society is not a threat to authority. It is the soil from which healthy authority grows.
In today’s United States, that message cuts against the grain.
Many government officials treat nonprofits as competitors or saboteurs. Community groups that advocate for systemic change are called “radical.” Organizations that challenge inequities are treated as enemies of the state.
But Pope Leo XIV offers a different frame. One rooted in centuries of Catholic social teaching and decades of lived experience:
Civil society is where compassion takes root.
Civil society is where solidarity becomes visible.
Civil society is where the common good is built.
That’s not just a theological position. It’s a political one. And it reminds us that nonprofits are not just useful—they are vital.
So how should your organization engage with this moral counterweight?
Here are three ways to start:
Pope Leo XIV may never walk through your office door. He may never directly speak to your cause, your region, your client base.
But his messaging speaks to you.
To every nonprofit leader struggling to serve amid hostility. To every team navigating budget cuts and burnout. To every organization wondering if the public still cares.
His election is a signal. His voice is a force. And his message is clear:
In times of chaos, celebrate mission.
In times of scarcity, double down on solidarity.
In times of attack, remember your calling.
Nonprofits don’t need permission to do good. But having a global moral leader standing beside you can be a profound reminder:
You are not alone. You are not off-track. You are essential.
Carry on.