Year-End Giving for Uncertain Times

By Lauren Janus

“I Voted” stickers. Image by Element 5

At times, this fall seems almost normal. The leaves are turning, plastic ghosts and spiders are everywhere, and pumpkin spice again abounds. This season always arrives with a crisp breeze of anticipation as those of us who work with donors and nonprofits approach November and December, when the vast majority of charitable giving occurs as part of the annual year-end giving tradition.

But of course, this year isn’t normal. Our country faces one of the most divisive and potentially destabilizing presidential elections in generations. In a few short days, we’ll face the outcome of this election and get a taste of how our country will move through the decision–whatever that decision is. 

As we as a country charge headlong, hat pulled over ears, raincoat belted, into the political process, we at Phīla are increasingly asked—by clients, colleagues, and family members—how one’s giving should change, or not change, to meet these uncertain, deeply unequal, and often frightening times. Here are my answers:

Start by taking honest stock of your 2024 giving using an equity lens. The inequality in this country, and around the world, is deeply rooted in systems that favor certain groups and economic systems. Philanthropy is both a consequence of this inequality (people with more have more to give away) and one lever for righting the ship or creating more equal outcomes. But just like where you spend your money matters, where you give it matters as well.

The majority of our client engagements start with a clear-eyed, numbers-don’t-lie look at where the donor has been giving. It’s always an illuminating exercise. Inevitably, a donor will be shocked to know they are giving so much to certain issues and types of organizations (often large, well-known nonprofits) and so little to others.

To do this exercise yourself, set aside an hour or so to go through your gifts for the year. If you have a Donor Advised Fund, that’s an easy place to start. You can also go through your bank statements, email receipts or ask a partner or spouse what they remember. Don’t forget any political gifts and other non tax-exempt gifts you made! In our eyes, those absolutely count. 

As you build your list of organizations and gift sizes, start to look for patterns and gaps. Are you giving substantial, regular gifts to large institutions like private universities and hospitals by default? What about organizations or political candidates your friends (i.e. people like you) recommended? If so, pause and take a moment to think about how these practices could reinforce the preponderance of gatekeeping in fundraising, thereby reinforcing inequitable funding patterns between White-led and BIPOC-led organizations.

Plan your year-end gifts and other philanthropic activities. If you’re like us, the political appeals have been coming fast and furiously to your inbox and text message screen. In a few short weeks, those appeals will be matched by any and every nonprofit you’ve ever given to asking for a year-end gift. When you take a moment to plan your giving, you stand less of a chance of reactively giving more to organizations that have the budget to send you gorgeous appeals. Take time now to think about any gaps revealed by your stock-taking in step one. Are there grassroots groups in your community you might support this year? Are there people outside of your social circle you could ask for lesser-known groups doing important work? Put them on your list. 

At the same time, think more broadly about your year-end philanthropic activities. Are you hoping to get your charitable estate plan updated or address an inflection point in the life of your family foundation? Start thinking about those tasks now and reach out to a philanthropic advisor like Phīla, as well as any legal, financial or other professional advisor. We all get busy this time of year.

Set some goals for 2025. As you begin your holiday and other year-end activities, be sure to set aside some time to map out your giving for the new year. Now’s the time to sit down with family and communicate your giving goals for next year. Do you want to give more to community-based organizations (even if the community isn’t your own)? Can you afford to increase your giving budget for next year? 

Talk with your spouse, children or others important to you about the gifts you know you’ll make and those that may feel unfamiliar but that you want to consider. Now’s also a good time to talk about where you want to show up in 2025 as a volunteer or even simply a dependable advocate.

Importantly, just because the election is over, now is not the time to stop making political gifts. Again and again we hear about democracy-building groups who fear the "post election drop-off" in funding. Many will have to lay off staff in January and some will close altogether. In fact, it's the time between elections when the groundwork is laid for success at the ballot box. Consider signing the "Election Day to Every Day Pledge" and continue to give (or even increase your giving) to organizations doing the hard work of registering voters, challenging unfair election laws and mobilizing communities for the next election.

These next few weeks will be nothing if not uncertain in our country. But as individual citizens, we can support our democracy and our communities by voting, by helping others to vote, and by being thoughtful, intentional and generous in our giving now and into the New Year.

A Philanthropic Response to Threats Against Democracy

By Lauren Janus

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With a more divided electorate than any time in recent memory, an incumbent president who’s refused to commit to the most basic of democratic norms—a peaceful transition of power—and the proof and pain of racial injustice from coast to coast, you’d be forgiven for thinking these are dark days for democracy in America.  We at Phīla have certainly thought so. But we also know that as Americans, we have a fundamental responsibility to stand up for our democratic institutions and way of life—now and after November.

 The good news is that there are some fantastic people and organizations already working tirelessly on these issues. Giving Compass, a valuable resource for news of the giving world, has compiled a substantial directory of organizations working on defending the media, registering people to vote and strengthening democracy.

 Below is our own brief round-up of selected organizations committed to these crucial issues. Some of the below are partisan, some are non-partisan, some are 501c3 organizations, and some are organizations to which donations are not tax deductible. All stand with us in this struggle to ensure democracy and our rights as citizens are protected, regardless of who is in office. 

 Please consider giving or volunteering today.

Region or BIPOC-Specific Organizing Groups

 We know that the best people to help specific communities exercise their right to vote are organizations within those communities. Fortunately, grassroots organizations across the country are mobilizing voters and making noise in 2020. Here are a few stand-out groups.

1.     Texas Organizing Project. TOP, as the Texas Organizing Project calls itself, was formed in 2009. The group organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties in Texas, with the goal of transforming the state into one where people of color have the power and representation they deserve. The 100,000- member group leads direct-action organizing, grassroots lobbying and electoral organizing, while providing leadership development to interested Black and Latino residents. 

2.     Voces de la Frontera ActionCalled “The Most Valuable Grassroots Organization in the US” by The Nation magazine in 2012, Voces de la Frontera and its Action Fund use their relational voter program to build a network of low wage and immigrant workers.

3.     EquisLabs. Founded by two veterans of Latino political research and organizing, Equis Labs calls itself a research and experimentation hub working to build Latinx power. The small 501c4 organization supports leaders and organizations that are working to increase Latinx civic participation by focusing on data, digital and leadership development.

4.     Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC). BLOC is a Milwaukee-based organization focused on using community-based organizing and face-to-face conversations to lift up Black citizens and build stronger communities throughout Wisconsin. BLOC has been working to register Black Wisconsin residents, and provides information on safe voting for everyone. 

5.     Nuestro PAC. A partisan Super PAC, Nuestro PAC was formed to continue a model of Latino outreach they say was instrumental in delivering early victories to Senator Bernie Sanders. The super PAC is focused on mobilizing and turning out Latinos in key states in the 2020 election. So far, Nuestro PAC has invested in targeted outreach to Latinos in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

6.     Movement Voter Project (MVP). MVP is a bit like a mutual fund for donors. The nonprofit uncovers small grassroots groups that are making waves and combines them into giving opportunities like the Black-led Organizing Fund or the Defend the Election Fund.

  

Get Out the Vote Groups

Few acts are as fundamentally patriotic as casting your vote for our country’s leaders. This fall, a large number of organizations are focused on Get Out the Vote, or GOTV, efforts. Here are a few that do this from a 100% non-partisan position. 

7.     Vote Save America. Vote Save America is singularly focused on getting Americans to vote. Their slick website has easy-to-access resources on registering to vote, signing up to be a poll worker and donating to organizations that support free and fair elections.

8.     When We All Vote. When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to increase voter participation in every election. They have a star-studded list of co-chairs, including Michelle Obama and Tom Hanks. But they also have a downloadable app, called OutVote, which allows volunteers to text eligible voters, reminding them when and where to vote, and urging them to make a plan for getting their ballot cast. 

 

Voting and Civil Liberty Defense Groups

Of course elections aren’t the only times our civil liberties matter. There are well-established, proven organizations working on these issues from a number of angles all of the time. 

9.     The Brennan Center for Justice. Staffed by lawyers, researchers and advocacy experts, the Brennan Center for Justice is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization based in Washington DC, and at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. Their work is focused on fair elections, ending mass incarceration and preserving American liberties.  

10.  Democracy Docket. Democracy Docket was founded by political lawyer Marc Elias, who served as general counsel for the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign and John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign. Marc and his team at Democracy Docket work to fight voter suppression laws in court. Marc’s written a lot lately on how Americans can protect their right to vote and democracy in general. 

11.  ACLU. The ACLU works to protect a wide range of civil liberties, including prisoners’ rights, immigration and voting rights. Their team of values-driven lawyers have brought hundreds of cases, including some before the Supreme Court.

12.  The Southern Poverty Law Center. Founded in 1971, the Southern Poverty Law Center works with communities in the American South to counter white supremacy and advance the human rights of all people. Their list of national hate groups is a highly respected tool of those working to expose and counter these dangerous groups.   

 

 Postcard writing/phone and text banking opportunities

If you’re itching to roll up your sleeves and urge fellow voters to the polls, there are several groups that allow you to do just that. 

13. Vote Forward. With Vote Forward, you can sign up to “adopt” likely voters from the Vote Forward database, download a letter template and add your own message to nudge them to the polls. So far volunteers have already written letters to over 10 million likely voters.  

14.  Blue Wave Postcard Movement. This organization allows you to sign up to send personalized postcards to likely voters in key battle ground states. The postcards come complete with websites, phone numbers and QR codes to help people get answers on where and how to vote in their state. 

 15. Postcards to Swing States. Volunteers with Postcards to Swing States have already signed up to send 15 million postcards to voters in 15 key states. But you can still donate to help pay the cost of postage, which Postcards to Swing States asks their postcard writers to cover themselves.

 16. Clean Energy for BidenClean Energy for Biden is a network of clean economy business leaders and advocates working to elect Joe Biden as President, as well as advance policies, technologies and investments to address climate change in general. They are hosting a range of virtual volunteer opportunities, including regular phone banking, which can be done from wherever you happen to be at the moment.

However you stand up for democracy this November, be sure to tell your friends, your network and your community and invite them to join you. VOTE. It’s the only way we can look forward to a more peaceful, just and generous 2021.