Washington, D.C. – During last night’s awards ceremony for the NonProfit Times’ (NPT) “Power & Influence Top 50” – an annual list of the 50 most important people in the nation’s nonprofit and philanthropic sector – Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman and our client Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, were named Influencers of the Year.

“During a week in which the President has threatened to attack people, charities, nonprofit organizations, and other foundations of our civil society, it was an honor to be in a room of brave and impactful nonprofit leaders committed to making life better for people and communities. Courage is contagious, and last night was a powerful reminder that when we come together, we win,” said Perryman.

Litigation brought by Democracy Forward on behalf of NCN and other brave plaintiffs secured the first court order (and only nationwide order) to block implementation of President Trump’s first attempted federal funding freeze, which would have disrupted the provision of essential services, from childcare to eldercare, to food services, to health programs, to community initiatives. Democracy Forward has filed hundreds of legal actions to protect people and communities from increasing threats to their rights and our democracy. 

The original award announcement is below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

August 1, 2025 

CONTACT: press@democracyforward.org 

Democracy Forward’s Skye Perryman Named to NonProfit Times’ Annual Power & Influence Top 50 List 

Washington, D.C. – The NonProfit Times (NPT) today named Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, to the “Power & Influence Top 50,” an annual list of the 50 most important people in the nation’s nonprofit and philanthropic sector. 

The 28th annual list comes at an important time, as nonprofit organizations face dire threats from the Trump-Vance administration, from the weaponization of federal funding for essential services to threatening the nonprofit status of organizations the administration disagrees with politically. The 2025 list recognizes 50 leaders who NPT Editorial Director Paul Clolery wrote, “have stood tall not just in their service areas but also to the broader sector,” and who have also “resisted, fought and built coalitions to continue to serve their communities, constituents and the overall nonprofit sector.”

“Perryman has amassed a legal team that simply does not lose,” reads the NPT entry on its list. “Taking the cases for plaintiffs who must sue the federal government to enforce contracts and worker protections, her team builds diverse coalitions to pursue justice, whether it’s to restore billions in federal funding or get fired workers back on the job. Democracy Forward prepared for this assault on the sector, and Perryman won’t be intimidated.”

“This recognition is a testament to the incredible work that our team at Democracy Forward does every day—dedicated individuals who are determined to beat long odds and achieve a better future for our nation and the people who live here. In spite of the chaos and confusion that has occurred over the past several months and a rising extremist movement that threatens people and our democracy in the United States, I believe in the American people and the courage and future that we can all build together,” said Perryman. “I am honored to be named to this year’s list, as we fight every day to ensure a vibrant and robust civil society and that important charities and  nonprofits, and the communities that rely on them, have the tools they need, including accessible legal representation, in the face of a growing autocratic threat.”

Since January 20, 2025, Democracy Forward has filed hundreds of legal actions and won court orders on behalf of unions, nonprofit organizations, veterans groups, houses of worship, and more. Through its litigation docket and first in class strategic communicators, Democracy Forward is protecting the American people from harmful and unlawful federal executive action, including securing multiple nationwide orders to stop the freeze on funding and essential services, protecting religious liberty and press freedom, and opposing attempts to undermine public education, while also continuing its work in states and local communities. Perryman has developed unique collaborations that include faith, business, labor, and civil rights organizations and spent months building Democracy 2025, a coalition that is now more than 550 organizations strong, to ensure swift legal challenges and responses to governmental actions that threaten people and our democracy.  

Part of its founding litigation team, Perryman took the helm at Democracy Forward a few months after January 6, 2021, in the midst of rising extremism in communities and courts across the country. She has built a visionary team of legal, policy, and communications experts to confront anti-democratic extremism head-on while also using the law to advance progress and a bold vision for the future. Under Perryman’s leadership, Democracy Forward has expanded the scope and reach of its work, emerging as a nationally recognized institution that is taking on the most significant issues affecting people, families, and communities.

Perryman has been a leading voice in catalyzing the power of people, building community to find courage, and using all the tools that our democracy provides to protect our freedoms. She has been a vocal advocate for civil society and the nonprofit sector, in the media, through major speeches, and before Congress, including this year when she joined three governors to provide testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Perryman’s work in the civil society and nonprofit sectors is extensive. Prior to being named as CEO of Democracy Forward in 2021, Perryman served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the nation’s leading association of physicians dedicated to the health of women. She serves on the boards of national and regional non-profit and charitable organizations, including the Interfaith Alliance (executive committee), the Atlas Performing Arts Center, Good Faith Media, the Baylor Line Foundation, and the Texas Observer. Perryman has received numerous awards and recognitions for her commitment to public service and her professional work, including being named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World and one of the 500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy by Washingtonian Magazine this year. A full bio is available here.

The full NPT Power and Influence Top 50 is available at https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/the-2025-nptpower-influence-top-50/. 

– # # # – 

Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.