Solidarity (Forever)
Dear friends,
We know how overwhelmed you are. And we also know how important it is that we ALL take care to avoid the fast track from overwhelm to burnout, especially this early in the new administration that has so many...surprises…for nonprofits. And we have one over-arching suggestion — SOLIDARITY. So simple, so necessary, so much more rewarding than developing ten budgets and fifteen emergency plans and twenty fundraising forecasts to try to stay ready for whatever comes our way next.
We can prepare all we like. We can remove any whisper of DEI from any device we have ever breathed upon. We can move in increasingly alienated and encrypted spaces. We can plan for every scenario imaginable. And still, as we all more or less know, the cultural warfare upon us this will ultimately come down to understanding what and whom we are willing to stand up for. So, we say put aside the doom scroll and the legalese for a minute and think that through.
We posit that all of us who have values and value statements need to think about how to manifest. Many of us have may not have faced the kind of risk that is upon us now, simply for speaking our minds. And we may not yet know who we are in this moment. For now, let’s focus on who we want to be…and how to be that person. This is a time for alignment with the core ethical systems to which we have committed, but may not yet have tested. As Autumn Brown noted, “If your values aren’t tested, they aren’t actually values. They’re just ideas.” We need to develop our ideas into values and act in alignment with them. Yes, there is risk — each person and each organization needs to think through the risks they are willing to take very carefully. And then do their best. Ideally, those of us with the most privilege and safety should take be the boldest, the first to speak up for others who don’t have our privilege. This is the moment for white, cis-gendered, US citizens to stand up.
You can start off by signing this letter: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffoPRt1UEhkvJrnGXWiNeXbiPlGGt8xjaOcWkLJ9ZtNfDzlA/viewform
You can post something in support of the nonprofits in the crosshairs on your website and social media, to funders and audiences.
Yes, all of these actions are risky. Yes, you will be more legible for doing any of them. But I think we all know that not doing so won’t protect anyone for long. Our only hope for safety is to stand up as one and fight back.
Vu Le writes notes on his platform Nonoprofit AF, “A Day Without Nonprofits, for example, is something we should consider doing, where all nonprofits close on a particular day to demonstrate what happens when nonprofits aren’t there.” (We are also copying Vu’s full list of suggested next steps for nonprofits below.)
If this helps, some expert legal guidance on the moment is HERE.
Thaddeus Squire from The Undersector writes, “Despite the gravity of our situation, I remain a cautious optimist. The ominous, rumored EOs this week are accompanied by fraying and fault lines in the administration. We are very far from safety, but as we just celebrated the 250th Anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous Midnight Ride, we are reminded that power is possible when enough people simply stand up and stand together.”
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AND from A mass uprising is needed. Our sector has a vital role to play, Nonprofit AF, April 2025 (https://nonprofitaf.com/2025/04/a-mass-uprising-is-needed-our-sector-has-a-vital-role-to-play/):
“Meanwhile, in this hopeful article, researcher Erica Chenoweth discovers throughout history that it takes only around 3.5% of the population engaged in protests for significant political change to happen. In the US, that would mean about 11 million people, or twice the population of New York City. That’s a large number, but not outside the bounds of what’s achievable. This is an area that our sector could play a pivotal role in, if we are organized and focused. To do that, we need to get a few things into place:
1. Get ready for rapid actions: One of the complaints we often hear is that nonprofits are too siloed. I’m glad to see our national organizations like NCN taking on leadership roles to coordinate the sector. All of us should be ready to act immediately once it’s called upon.
2. Be prepared to close your office temporarily if needed: Rapid actions may require nonprofits to quickly close their offices for a day or longer. Have plans in place should that happen. A Day Without Nonprofit, for example, is something we should consider doing, where all nonprofits close on a particular day to demonstrate what happens when nonprofits aren’t there.
3. Be ready to support one another: If ICE shows up at a partner org and they send out an SOS, neighboring nonprofits must step in. If they remove the tax status of one org, other orgs must raise hell. Our strengths are in our numbers; let’s get ready to mutually support one another.
4. Get our donors and communities ready: I know some organizations have been trying to avoid freaking out their donors, clients, and community members. But chances are, they’re already very freaked out, and knowing that you are fighting against this administration and are thinking of contingency plans, will make people feel better and be more ready when we take coordinated actions.
5. Name things as they are: In this post by Dr. Otis Fulton, he urges us all to call out fascism. We need to stop using euphemisms. “Let’s stop tiptoeing. This is ‘polarization.” It’s not a ‘culture war.’ It’s fascism.”
6. Care for one another: Everyone is on edge. Nonprofits need to look out for their team members. Provide generous PTO, mental health days, and so on. Let’s check in on one another and spend time together in community. Remember that joy is also resistance.”
THANK YOU FOR READING! STAY STRONG!
