Millions of taxpayer dollars are being funneled to professional associations promoting gender identity education to 8-year-olds, DEI initiatives, and anti-Israel rhetoric, all while cleverly disguising these radical agendas to continue receiving government funding.
Key Takeaways
- The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America has received over $2.5 million in federal funding since 2020 while advocating teaching young children about gender identity and hormone blockers.
- The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) has secured more than $15 million in federal funding since 2020, with programs focused on racial and gender identity rather than traditional environmental education.
- The American Psychological Association and other professional societies have been accused of anti-Semitism and taking positions against Israel while receiving significant federal funding.
- Watchdog organization Open the Books is urging President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to scrutinize these associations’ funding and activities.
- These organizations appear to be circumventing executive orders designed to restrict such funding through strategic project descriptions that obscure their actual agendas.
Federal Dollars Funding Radical Agendas
A troubling investigation has revealed that multiple professional associations are receiving substantial taxpayer funding while actively promoting far-left ideologies. These organizations, which collectively have received tens of millions of dollars since 2020, are pushing controversial curricula, DEI initiatives, and even anti-Israel positions that many Americans strongly oppose. The pattern shows a systematic effort to use public money for advancing political agendas under the guise of educational or professional development programs, raising serious questions about government oversight and accountability.
The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) America stands out as a particularly concerning example, having received over $2.5 million in federal funding since 2020. This organization played a key role in drafting the National Sex Education Standards, which recommend teaching children as young as eight about gender identity and presenting hormone blockers as a viable option for transgender youth. These standards push content that many parents consider developmentally inappropriate and ideologically driven, yet the organization continues to receive substantial government support.
— FlyingBeagle (@FlyingBeagle_) May 13, 2025
Environmental Education or Ideological Indoctrination?
The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) presents another concerning case of mission drift subsidized by taxpayers. Since 2020, this organization has received over $15 million in federal funding, ostensibly for environmental education. However, a closer examination reveals that many of their programs focus heavily on racial and gender identity politics rather than traditional environmental science education. When questioned about these priorities, the organization declined to address concerns directly, with a spokeswoman stating they were “not doing interviews, but focusing on our members who are finding the best ways to use education to create a healthier and sustainable future.”
“DOGE should continue its important work by highlighting for the public and policymakers ‘professional associations’ using this strategy,” said OTB CEO John Hart.
Similarly, 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 and expressing opposition to Trump administration policies. At one NCHE conference, speaker Hasan Jeffries argued, “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.” Such politicized approaches to history education raise significant questions about the organization’s adherence to academic objectivity.
Anti-Israel Sentiment and Tax-Exempt Status
The misuse of public funds extends to organizations showing apparent support for anti-Israel positions. The American Psychological Association and other professional societies have been accused of anti-Semitism and have taken positions against Israel while receiving significant federal funding. Meanwhile, legal challenges are mounting against organizations like the WESPAC Foundation, which has been accused of fiscal sponsorship of Within Our Lifetime (WOL), a group described by the Anti-Defamation League as supporting violence against Israel and engaging in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents.
“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 Zachor Legal Institute is urging the IRS to review WESPAC’s tax-exempt status, with support from the ADL and several congressional lawmakers. This case highlights a broader issue of organizations potentially violating federal law while benefiting from tax exemptions and public funding. The recent removal of a measure targeting pro-Palestine NGOs from a US tax bill in Congress has further complicated efforts to address these concerns through legislative channels.
Call for Enhanced Government Oversight
The watchdog organization Open the Books (OTB) is now calling on President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to scrutinize the funding and activities of these associations more thoroughly. OTB emphasizes that while freedom of assembly is protected, this does not guarantee public subsidies for organizations promoting divisive or radical ideologies. The existing executive orders designed to restrict such funding appear to be ineffective against organizations that strategically disguise their agendas within project descriptions.
“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 investigation into these professional associations underscores a critical need for enhanced transparency and accountability in government funding decisions. As taxpayers foot the bill for these organizations’ activities, there is growing demand for ensuring that public money supports genuine educational and professional development rather than advancing controversial political agendas. President Trump’s administration now faces the challenge of implementing more effective oversight mechanisms to prevent the continued misuse of taxpayer dollars for radical ideological promotion.
