Rising to Defend Democracy, Part 2: A Donor Action Guide
📷 credit: DenaliNPS
This post is a follow-up to a funder action guide we shared in July that was oriented toward foundations. You can find that post here.
Ten months after the 2024 presidential election, American democracy continues its descent into turmoil. As we’ve covered in previous posts, the current administration has criminalized dissent, undermined judicial independence, threatened the integrity of our elections, attacked the press, targeted immigrant and trans communities, and engineered economic instability – all in service of consolidating autocratic power. With federal troops deployed in cities that oppose Trump’s agenda and political opponents threatened with arrest, it is clear that the collapse of American democracy is not a future concern – it is an immediate crisis demanding bold, decisive action from progressive donors and activists.
The window to defend democracy is rapidly closing. The choices we each make at this moment will shape the future of our country.
And yet, the philanthropic sector as a whole continues to fall short. What more can be done? Below are four strategies individual donors can adopt immediately to protect and strengthen democracy in the face of existential threat.
Four Urgent Strategies to Defend Democracy
Give like it’s urgent, even more urgent than 2024
As an individual donor, it is critical for your giving strategy to match the urgency of this moment. If you stepped up your political giving in 2024, consider giving even more in 2025. If you've been planning to increase your giving in the lead-up to the midterm election, accelerate that timeline. Every day we wait, this administration takes new steps to undermine voting rights and electoral integrity. Time is running out.
Consider these approaches:
Frontload your annual giving. If you intend to support political candidates in 2026, consider instead investing that money in values-aligned 501(c)(4) organizations in 2025. Doing so ensures those candidate campaigns will have the best possible opportunity to compete in free and fair elections next year.
Better yet, if you typically give $50,000 annually to political causes, consider giving $100,000 or $150,000 this year instead of spreading it across multiple years. The most critical battles for the future of our electoral process are happening right now. Too many donors will respond late, if you step up early you will create the conditions for those late gifts from others to be used more successfully.
Set an emergency giving target. Many donors are setting aside 10% of their total philanthropy budget specifically for unexpected needs in the run-up to the election. Setting aside an emergency giving budget enables you to be responsive now without worrying about constraining your capacity in the future.
Don't wait for perfect information. In the past, you might normally research organizations for months before making significant gifts. But these aren't normal times. If you're confident an organization is doing important pro-democracy work, make the gift now. You can always refine your strategy later, but you can't get back time that is lost. Set internal deadlines and meet them, like giving away the next 10% of your budgeted giving in 30 days and then giving again based on the best information you gathered in those 30 days. There are too many needs to answer all your questions up front. Thoughtful analysis will ensure your giving is effective, but seeking perfection in a moment of turmoil will actually lead your giving to be less effective because it will be too slow.
Think beyond your usual giving budget. This crisis may require resources beyond what you typically allocate to charitable giving. Consider gifts from your investment accounts, business profits, or inheritance. Investing in the future of our democracy is an investment in preserving the system that makes all other investments meaningful.
By challenging our assumptions and interrogating our practices, we position ourselves to be more effective in the face of a rapidly-changing political landscape.
2. Release Yourself (and Your Money) from the Constraints of Tax Deductibility
One of the biggest strategic mistakes individual donors can make is putting all their money into donor-advised funds or private foundations without first considering the potential impact those resources could have on lobbying, electoral work, or other non-tax-deductible purposes. Once the tax benefit has been taken, that money must be limited to 501(c)(3)-friendly activities.
Instead, consider leading with your 501(c)(4) and electoral giving. Before you invest more into your DAF or foundation, ask yourself: What role should lobbying organizations, 501(c)(4)s, values-aligned PACs, or candidate campaigns play in my giving strategy this cycle? Make those gifts first, before putting additional resources into tax-deductible vehicles.
You might also consider how important it is for you to receive any tax benefit at all. For some donors, a tax deduction may be a critical part of the decision to give in the first place. For others, the deduction is a minor factor in their giving strategy. Savvy donors will reflect on how critical tax deductibility may be for their personal finances. Have you already reached your maximum tax benefit for the year? If yes, there is no reason to put any more funding into a DAF or foundation. Even if you ultimately give more to 501(c)(3) organizations, you shouldn’t lock in that limitation if you’ve exceeded your maximum tax benefit. Can you afford the tax burden if it allows you more flexibility in your giving? Sometimes the most strategic gifts are the ones that don't come with tax benefits.
We encourage donors to think of their giving in terms of filling two separate buckets: one for 501(c)(3)-friendly work (public education, direct services, issue advocacy) and another for political work (lobbying, electoral, 501(c)(4) advocacy). Consider planning for both from the start.
3. Invest in Rapid Response Infrastructure
History shows that the most effective action one can take to defend democracy from the rise of fascism is organized and sustained mass mobilization and non-compliance. Protest is fundamental to the practice of democracy because it offers a means to expose autocratic machinations and unite the public against a rising authoritarian. This is precisely why the current administration is actively criminalizing protest and targeting political opponents – to consolidate power and quash dissent.
To be an effective bulwark, protest infrastructure must first be adequately funded. We need legal defense funds to be resourced and staffed before arrests are made. Activists require training in de-escalation, know-your-rights education, and digital security to protect against surveillance and retaliation. Medical teams, secure communications, and logistical networks must also be established before mass action begins. Building this infrastructure in advance enables an effective response when political moments demand immediate action, rather than scrambling to create capacity under pressure.
With this in mind, we encourage you to consider supporting the following organizations working to build a stronger and more effective ecosystem for nonviolent resistance (for a longer list of groups to invest in, reach out to schedule a call with one of our donor advisors):
The Moxie Fund: A pooled fund that supports leading edge efforts to protect our democracy from attack via defense of civil society, election protection, and pursuing accountability for assaults on the rule of law.
Democracy Forward: One of the leading primary legal organizations advancing democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement.
Janisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fund: A pooled fund hosted by Solidaire that moves rapid response resources to protect frontline organizers facing immediate security threats.
4. Invest in State-Level Power Built for the Long Haul
Although the federal government is at the center of this administration's efforts to undermine the practice of democracy, state and local governments offer critical safeguards against authoritarian overreach. Building sustained organizing capacity at the state level creates a more cohesive resistance movement and establishes alternative power structures that can protect vulnerable communities when faced with attack. To achieve this, consider the following:
Invest in year-round organizing, not just elections. The most effective state-level organizations are building power 365 days a year, not just during election cycles. Look for groups doing voter registration, civic education, issue advocacy, and leadership development in odd-election years.
Find your state's progressive infrastructure. Nearly every state has organizations dedicated to building progressive political power. Some are formal state-based organizations, others are networks of local groups. Find them and invest in them consistently.
Think beyond blue states. Some of the most important work is happening in purple and even red states – in key cities and at the state level – where strong organizing can prevent or mitigate authoritarian policies. Don't write off states just because they voted for Trump. National and state-level intermediaries can be great resources for donors interested in contributing from afar.
To this end, we urge you to consider investing in state power-building organizations like the ones below (for a longer list of groups to invest in, reach out to schedule a call with one of our donor advisors):
Movement Voter Project: A national intermediary that organizes and moves money in support of multi-entity state-level power-building efforts across the country.
Indivisible: A progressive grassroots movement organization with chapters nationwide, focused on combating the right-wing takeover of American government and building an inclusive democracy.
People’s Action: A national network of power-building organizations focused on building the power of low-income and working-class people to achieve systemic change.
Or your local progressive State Donor Alliance: Most states (38 out of 50) have a local organization dedicated to organizing donors to support progressive political and organizing infrastructure. If you’re not sure who that might be in your state, feel free to reach out, and we can help make contact.
The Time for Action is Now
The future of American democracy depends on immediate, coordinated action to bolster progressive power-building efforts across the country. As donors, we face a critical decision: continue with philanthropy as usual while democratic institutions erode, or respond with the urgency and resources this crisis demands.
The strategies outlined above are intended to serve as a roadmap for donors who seek to meet the current moment. Individual action, when strategically coordinated, can significantly strengthen the organizations and leaders working to protect democratic values and support vulnerable communities.
History shows that well-resourced, organized resistance movements can successfully counter authoritarian advances. However, their effectiveness requires bold, collective action. Given the scale and speed of current threats, incrementalism will not save us. The time for action is now.
To explore any of these recommendations further, please reach out to schedule time with one of our advisors. Thanks to generous underwriting from a client, Ktisis Capital is able to offer pro-bono advising for organizations and individuals interested in deepening their impact in the democracy space. We encourage those working on democracy-related initiatives to reach out for a free consultation to discuss how we can support your mission and amplify your impact.