Donors and funders, instead of freaking out or being numb, here are things you can do to fight fascism:

Hi everyone, quick announcement: If you’re free this Thursday, September 12th, at 11am Pacific Time, please join me and Edgar Villanueva for an Instagram Live conversation. We’ll be talking about my new book and what our sector needs to do to fight fascism. Just get onto Instagram at that time and go to Edgar’s IG page @villanuevaedgar or my page @nonprofitaf.

I just attended a wonderful retreat put on by Solidaire Network, a network of progressive funders, donors, and movement leaders. The attendees were all very attractive, but that could be because they were all talking about fighting fascism and saving democracy, and nothing revs my engine more than those things, if you know what I mean (wink). Everyone was clear-eyed about the serious threats facing our world, but there were also many moments of authentic joy, humor, healing, and community. I felt so at home that I didn’t even engage in my usual coping strategy of stealing as many snacks and office supplies as possible.

Thank you Solidaire for inviting me, and for letting me debut my nonprofit-themed stand-up comedy set. I had a great time and left with much to be grateful for. And also much to think about.

During a particularly compelling session at the retreat, leaders who are on the ground sounded the alarm about the short timeline we all have to block and reverse the US’s rapid descent into fascism. Basically, we have less than a year. Even as you read this, right-wing forces are solidifying their grasps on every aspect of society. Federal troops occupy DC, and Trump threatens to send soldiers to Chicago, with other progressive-leaning bases to follow. ICE continues to disappear people. Multiple g3nocides are still taking place. The State continues punishing the press for reporting on the horrific things it’s doing. The Supreme Court just ruled that racial profiling is OK. And of course, our sector continues to be weakened so we are in survival mode and can’t fully fight back. This is still just the beginning.

Less than a year until basically we slip into a totalitarian state that will take decade to undo, if it could be undone at all. The midterm elections are vital, and already there are efforts to undermine them, to the point where the results may not even matter, as election results don’t matter to fascists. We will need to rely on more than just the midterms to act as a firewall; we must engage in direct actions, including disrupting everything, engaging in civil disobedience, and enabling those within government and the military to refuse to comply with the fascist orders they are handed.

Given all we need to do and the short timeline to do this, it has been frustrating to see that many donors and funders in our sector are still hesitant and still engaged in the same patterns of thinking, including being mired in doubt, waiting for the “perfect” strategies to come along before acting, and continuing to ignore pivotal and effective work that’s already happening that are in critical need of support.

A refrain I have been hearing from progressive donors and funders, a few at the retreat, but in general over the past several months, is “we don’t know what the strategies are. We don’t know what to do or fund!”

As I wrote earlier in a blog post titled “Funders, here’s the blueprint for saving democracy,” movement leaders have laid out strategies and tactics, and they involve learning from what right-wing forces have been doing so effectively and countering everything they’ve put into place: Building powerful institutions, helping elect politicians, controlling the airwaves, packing the courts with judges, and supporting their individual leaders to be successful and influential.

So, progressives must focus on doing those things too. If you are a donor or funder, here’s some advice I have. It’s not perfect, and I’m sure many people will disagree with my thoughts, but it is better to take any action at this point than to remain frozen while fascists and their enablers mobilize so effectively:

Give money to progressive political candidates at local, state, and national levels: Progressive political leaders are vital to countering the power of right-wing forces, like these reps in Missouri who have been holding a sit-in for over 100 hours to prevent a GOP power grab. We need them at all levels of government from school boards to city councils to state government to federal. Find out who’s running in your local races and give them whatever amount of money you’re legally able to do. Do the same for political candidates outside your city and state, especially in swing states.

Give money to progressive intermediary organizations: If you’re overwhelmed by the number of progressive political candidates and don’t know who to donate to, then give to intermediary organizations that will do all the vetting for you and strategically distribute funding to the political races in the most effective and efficient way possible. There are amazing 501c4 organizations and programs that do that, such as Progress Alliance of Washington‘s First Mile Circle, which supports progressive candidates who are running for the first time. Find these organizations in your community and fund them.

Give money to progressive media outlets of all types: Fair, unbiased, accurate journalism has been under attack and underfunded, while right-wing outlets have been dominating the airwaves for decades, spreading misinformation and propaganda. Give money to local newspapers, community radios, podcasts, YouTube channels, and whatever else is out there educating people on what’s been going on and countering the lies and chaos.  

Give money to activists on the front line: One thing the right-wing does very well is support its leaders as individuals. They have fellowships, networking opportunities, paid internships, all-expense paid conferences, mentorship, and connections to place people into legal clerkships and other influential jobs. The left tends to let our leaders fend for themselves. Reach out to a leader you think is doing something important and ask them what they need to continue their work. They’ll be shy, so I’ll tell you right now, they need money to pay their rent and feed their kids. So do that. Give money to programs supporting progressive leaders, but also to progressive leaders as individuals.

Give money legal defense and offense funds: Progressive activists and organizations are being attacked for standing up against tyranny. And it is awful; I hear cases of people’s children being threatened. Donate to legal funds such as the Janisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fund so they have resources to defend themselves and protect their families. Donate also to organizations such as National Council of Nonprofits, Democracy Forward, National Women’s Law Center, and others that are also going on the counteroffensive, suing the administration for their awful policies.

Give money to nonprofits that are organizing and mobilizing people: There are amazing organizations such as UnKoch My Campus that have been doing pivotal work exposing insidious right-wing influences and galvanizing people to take action. They have always struggled for funding. We should have been funding them in significant amounts and over long periods of time, which would have helped prevent this descent into fascism. Their work is more vital than ever, so give them money now.  

Give money to artists and art organizations: Fascists hate artists and the arts because artists and the arts have always been effective in undermining them. They do this in creative and subversive ways that are much harder for fascists to suppress, because fascism has no soul or imagination, only cruelty and evil. Plus, the arts lift our morale and keep us focused on a vision of a better world, which helps us all have the strength to continue fighting. Fund the arts and artists, especially those using their gifts right now to fight against fascism.

I’ll stop here, because I don’t want to overwhelm people with too many things. You may notice though that all the advice above starts with “give money.” Yeah, there are plenty of things you can do that don’t involve money (attend a protest, contact your legislators, join a sit-in, disrupt fascists assholes in power when they go out to dinner and everywhere else they go, and so on). You can still do all those things.

But right now, what many organizations and leaders on the frontline need is money. Lots of money. And connections that you may have with other people who can also give money. Increase your giving level significantly. Put aside your need to find the perfect strategy or organization or movement or leader and just start moving money out to people and organizations who will use it for good.

And do it quickly. Seriously, we have less than 12 months. But I believe if we are all all-in, not only can we stop the horrors that are happening but help usher in a better world.  

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Vu’s new book will be coming out on October 14th, 2025. Pre-order your copies at Elliott Bay Book Company, Barnes and Nobles, Bookshop, or Amazon. If you’re in Canada, use Indigo. If you’re in the UK, use this version of Bookshop. If you plan to order several copies, use Porchlight for significant bulk rates.

Net proceeds from the sales of the book from now until end of 2026 will be donated to organizations supporting trans rights, immigrant rights, and/or are fighting fascism.