WASHINGTON ? Nonprofit leaders warned in March that proposed changes to the federal grants portal could create legal and financial risk for organizations across the country and disrupt services that depend heavily on government funding.

The most direct warning came from the National Council of Nonprofits, which said new certification requirements tied to executive orders could jeopardize access to grants, cooperative agreements, loans and other federal support.

That concern built quickly into a broader opposition campaign. In a later update, the same group said more than 1,300 organizations had signed a national letter opposing the changes and that more than 20,000 public comments had been submitted by the deadline.

The financial stakes are not theoretical. An Urban Institute analysis found that in all but two congressional districts, many government-funded charities would be unable to cover their expenses if grants disappeared, with more than $267 billion in grant revenue tied to the nonprofit sector in a single year.

That combination of compliance risk and financial dependence explains why the proposed changes have become a major governance issue for nonprofits rather than a narrow administrative update.