Democracy Fund’s Post

From Joe Goldman: "Movement organizations and leaders have long faced political violence, including physical and legal threats, and more recently, digital ones." See more in the piece below about how philanthropy can support grantees and communities right now.

“A network of ultrawealthy Christian donors is spending nearly $12 million to mobilize Republican-leaning voters and purge more than a million people from the rolls in key swing states, aiming to tilt the 2024 election in favor of former President Donald Trump. These plans are the work of a group named Ziklag, a charity whose donors have included some of the wealthiest conservative Christian families in the nation, including the billionaire Uihlein family, who made a fortune in office supplies, the Greens, who run Hobby Lobby, and the Wallers, who own the Jockey apparel corporation. Recipients of Ziklag’s largesse include Alliance Defending Freedom, which is the Christian legal group that led the overturning of Roe v. Wade, plus the national pro-Trump group Turning Point USA and a constellation of right-of-center advocacy groups. Ziklag’s 2024 agenda reads like the work of a political organization. It plans to pour money into mobilizing voters in Arizona who are “sympathetic to Republicans” in order to secure “10,640 additional unique votes” — almost the exact margin of President Biden’s win there in 2020. They also intend to use controversial AI software to enable mass challenges to the eligibility of hundreds of thousands of voters in competitive states.” Scary! #VoteBlue

“These are detailed plans to take full control of various federal departments and agencies from the very start and to use every power available to implement radical ethnonationalist regulations and action plans." It amounts to a “full prep for an authoritarian takeover, buttressed by the control Trump and Trumpists now have over the GOP and its apparatuses.” In this drive by the right, should Trump win, there are basically three power centers: 1) groups brought together by Leonard Leo, co-chairman of the Federalist Society; 2) a right-wing tax-exempt alliance clustered on Capitol Hill calling themselves "patriot row"; 3) the Heritage Foundation and its "Project 2025," a full-blown plot to impose fascism in the U.S. from the get-go. All of this is funded by literally billions in dark money by far-right plutocrats whose concealed identities and tax-exempt cash gifts are channeled through bogus "non-profits." I'm not one given to hyperbole, but if you doubt that there is a vast, well-organized right-wing conspiracy to seize power, read this outstanding, meticulously researched piece by Thomas Edsall. If you can sleep well after doing so, consult a shrink. We have entered Oliver Stone territory - but for real. https://lnkd.in/dd45Gv72

We can't say enough how important democracy work is to climate progress. In a piece for Inside Philanthropy this week, foundation leaders Cathy Cha and Ralph Lewin remind us that "the strength of democracy — whether at the local, state or national level — has huge impacts on the ability of all funders and our nonprofit partners to deliver results on any issue and for any community." We see the impact of lack of representation across the South, from city councils and state regulatory agencies that greenlight polluting industry at the expense of residents' health, to a rash of state-level voter suppression and anti-protest laws that make it ever harder for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to be heard. Supporting fair elections, accessible public processes, and engaged and energized voters needs to be all of our business. https://lnkd.in/g-vPep6r

I'm proud to have co-authored this op-ed in today's Chronicle of Philanthropy with PRE executive director Lori Villarosa and fellow PRE senior fellow Gihan Perera. In the past few months, we've been hearing an alarming number of stories from grassroots leaders and program officers being pressured to obfuscate or constrain racial justice grants in response to far-right attacks on everything from affirmative action to diversity. These trends "have enormous consequences and represent an extreme overreaction by philanthropy to a Supreme Court decision that had nothing to do with them. ... Grant makers need to draw a clear line between inoculating themselves against attack and giving up at the first serious challenge. ... The most important question to ask isn’t 'How can we protect ourselves?' but 'What are our values?' Supporting people of color as they pursue freedom and self-determination should top the list." https://lnkd.in/gEmcTmeY

I love seeing perspectives like this because it brings a dose of reality to many of the struggles and movements in the current day; concerning their relationships to the struggles of the past. The “divisiveness” brought about by calls for equality is no more divisive than the major upheavals of the civil rights movement nearly 60 years ago. Progress will always cause controversy, but leaders must examine pushback by the quality of the arguments being made, especially at a time when many of these arguments miss the point or are made in bad faith. Equality is a long-term project that benefits from both incremental progress and broader leaps forward. The bare minimum organizations can do is to take a clear stance. #Nonprofit #BlackLeadership #Justice

Yes, we are all busy and overwhelmed these days. But, as a nonprofit leader with subject matter expertise, your most strategic move is to participate - by answering the door and phone as issues are being discussed. The best time to educate a lawmaker is when they are a candidate. We are in another vital election year, and it is about to ramp up even more. Presidential election years raise the visibility of all races - from county commissioner to city council to state legislature to Congressional races. But this also causes nonprofits much angst and the inclination to retreat into their foxholes and not look up for six months. And I get it. Nonprofit organizations are explicitly prohibited from engaging in partisan politics—anything related to political parties, candidates, and electioneering. And while it may seem vast, partisan politics is very narrow. As long as nonprofits stay away from discussing specific candidates, political parties, or endorsing candidates, you are good. Seriously. This leaves a lot of room for nonprofits to engage in elections, especially to educate how policy changes can impact your mission. Read the full post at https://bit.ly/4bomR0F Want more posts on nonprofit strategy, racial equity, and leadership? Subscribe https://bit.ly/3qmL28Q

The $$1.6 B-b-b-illion gift from nonagenarian electronics magnate Barre Seid (pronounced Barry Side) to Leonard Leo is altruism in reverse: a fire hose of cash aimed at destroying American liberal culture through lawsuits and support for politicians challenging gay rights, unions, environmental protection, voting rights, and public education. The money will last a good long while. Part of the pile has been funneled into black boxes like Donors Trust, a mega-donor money-washing machine. Having succeeded at subjecting American women to forced pregnancy, Leo, 57, is directing the money toward other goals: stopping “woke” culture, ending federal regulations on climate change, and limiting voting rights. Ultimately, Seid’s money will be used to shore up society’s winners—the American oligarchy, inherited trusts, CEOs, self-made billionaires, corporations—against the demands of the weak. https://lnkd.in/eMazMd2h

If you care about investing in the health of US elections & election infrastructure, early money is worth more than late-in-the-game money. Even if you're a smaller donor, follow the wisdom of the big dogs like Tides Foundation, and make your big moves Q1 and #AllByApril, with ongoing follow up as-needed investments.

Want to know what’s in the 914-page Fearless Fund legal response…without having to read 914 pages? Check out my latest on Forbes.com summarizing their defense of their program providing $20,000 grants to Black women leading small businesses, and enjoy a few hours back in your day. Fearless Fund argues that: 1. The lawsuit lacks standing, as the suing organization failed to name any of its members who were supposedly harmed.  2. Donating money is a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment, making the lawsuit unlikely to succeed.  3. Black women receiving grants do not harm other communities and, in fact, benefits society as a whole. I’m not a lawyer and can’t provide legal advice, but here’s my take as an impact investor. The response raises important questions about addressing historical discrimination, the purpose of donations, and the boundaries of free speech versus discriminatory action. These are questions that we’ll need to continue to address in what will be a long, complex fight. #fearlessfund #scotus #dei #equity #marchonwashington #solidarityeconomy #impactinvesting #grantmaking #supremecourt #firstamendment https://lnkd.in/gwe6Hjdr