A Quiet Billion-Dollar Election Effort

Inside the drive to keep the country from flying apart on Election Day. Plus, pointed questions about next steps for foundations. [Philanthropy Today Logo]( This is a special weekly edition of Philanthropy Today featuring stories and content from [The Commons](. You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. If you no longer want to receive the Philanthropy Today newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Visit [The Commons]( for our latest content, sign up for [The Commons LinkedIn newsletter](. From The Commons ELECTION 2024 [The Day After: Inside a Quiet Billion-Dollar Election Effort]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofits, fueled by a post-2020 surge in funding, rallied four-star generals, social media influencers, and a battalion of lawyers to fight disinformation, prevent violence, and build trust in vote counts. OPINION [Funding the Resistance Is Not a Winning Strategy. Here’s What Is.]( By Daniel Stid [STORY IMAGE]( Billions spent fighting Trumpian populism hasn’t worked. Practicing a pluralistic approach to grant making will. Upcoming Events in The Commons Post-election, what is the future of efforts to strengthen democracy? Democracy Fund president Joe Goldman joins Chronicle of Philanthropy CEO Stacy Palmer on Wednesday, November 13, at 12:30 p.m. ET to discuss his work with dozens of funders to ensure nonprofits on the front lines — including advocacy organizations and journalism outlets — have the resources they need to meet the challenges ahead. And they’ll explore what issues must rise to the fore now that ballots have been cast.  Over the past decade, Democracy Fund and its 501(c)(4) affiliate, Democracy Fund Voice, have committed more than $425 million to work that seeks to create a more vibrant and diverse public square, free and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. The event is free on LinkedIn. [Registration]( is required to watch. ### PBS NewsHour senior correspondent Judy Woodruff joins Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Stacy Palmer on Wednesday, December 4, at 12:30 p.m. ET for a post-election conversation about what it will take to bring the country together. They will discuss Woodruff’s reporting for the “America at a Crossroads” series, which examines the country’s fractures and the role of nonprofits and philanthropy in developing solutions. 📣 Join the conversation! The event is free on LinkedIn. 🎟 [Registration]( is required. ### Of the Moment We share the thoughts of some of the contributors to The Commons and those we’ve reported on. Some commented before the election and some after. Links are provided to their full comments when available. Pictured above, from left: Nwamaka Agbo, Kataly Foundation; Kristen Cambell, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement; Deepak Bhargava, JPB Foundation. “For many of us, the outcome of today’s election involves life or death stakes. My hope is we remember our history. For myself, I am going to put my energy towards what has always brought about transformation: organizing and building community, rooted in solidarity and love. What will you put your energy towards?” — Nwamaka Agbo, Kataly Foundation, [November 6]( “Our work is rooted in an understanding that democracy is not just about elections but, more broadly, requires building enduring power so that communities can advance their interests and protect their rights. We don’t know who will win the election — but we do know that, no matter what, we must stay in this work for the long term. — Deepak Bhargava, JPB Foundation, [November 4]( “It’s too soon to say what meaning we should and shouldn’t make from all of this. The question for me is: ‘What do these results tell us about what’s happening in America’ — and not in a way that reconfirms our own prior biases or assumptions or jumps to oversimplified conclusions. But what helps us know and understand something new, something that we can’t, or won’t, or are not currently willing to see and consider.”— Kristen Cambell, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement, November 6 “Our nation is in a moment of soul searching. Politicians, political parties, the media, and others are asking important questions. Nonprofits should be part of and maybe at the center of that soul searching. … We don’t get an out because we’re a soup kitchen or because we plant trees or because we’re focused on climate change. We have to commit to what the schools aren’t doing. We have to commit not just to teaching civics but doing civics, not just teaching democracy but doing democracy.” — Sam Daley-Harris, Results, November 6 “We elected a president based on complete disinformation. This is such a devastating indictment of our media ecosystem.” — Leah Hunt-Hendrix, Solidaire, on X, November 6 “Presidents can make things worse — in a hurry. But it remains the case that only we can make things better — slowly. Whatever happens tonight or once the outcome is known, we get to/have to awaken more people to their ability to make a society where we can all live together and thrive together.” — Eric Liu, Citizen University, [November 4]( “No matter the election outcome, your friends and family who disagree with you are not your enemies. The opposite of this thinking is what got us here in the first place. If you want to change people’s minds, start with a conversation based in empathy and relationship.” — Manu Meel, BridgeUSA, [November 5]( “It will do you good to be reminded that the American spirit is continually renewing and resurrecting, even when it feels like the sun just got extinguished. Yes, of course it matters who occupies the Oval Office. But America is just as much the setlist of a Springsteen show as it is an executive order from the Resolute Desk.” — Eboo Patel, Interfaith America, [November 6]( “The failure to engage with men’s issues is proving to be a costly mistake, particularly in our politics and culture. The challenges facing many men, especially working-class men and men of color, are not the confections of the [online “manosphere.”]( They are real. But they have not been sufficiently addressed, or sometimes even acknowledged. This has left a vacuum, which has been filled, in many cases, by more reactionary voices from the manosphere.” — Richard Reeves, American Institute for Boys and Men, [November 6]( “We must name this moment clearly: This election was fundamentally about identity and power. The results reflect a clear choice by a majority of voters to embrace white supremacist and sexist ideologies and policies that directly threaten our (and, in some cases, their own) communities.” — Edgar Villanueva, Decolonizing Wealth Project, [November 6]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Forum [November 12 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join Why Donors Give Anonymously, a conversation with Dan Heist of Brigham Young University, Tyler Kalogeros-Treschuk of the Center for Reproductive Rights, and Jilla Tombar of BlackBridge Philanthropic. They’ll explore whether fundraising tactics cause donors to conceal their identities, how giving patterns among anonymous donors could affect major-gift fundraising, and how to strengthen ties with those who don’t want any kind of donor recognition. Editor's Picks OPINION [In This Moment of Division, Signs of Unity on Issues That Matter to Nonprofits]( By Stephanie Dodson Cornell [STORY IMAGE]( Americans want nonprofits and foundations to lead on some of the country’s toughest challenges, a new survey says. Here are four strategies to answer that call. OPINION [The ‘Other Side’ May Win the Election. But Funders Can Still Spark Change]( By Evan Feinberg [STORY IMAGE]( National politics are paralyzed by polarization. Individual Americans, however, can drive the social change grant makers want. POST-ELECTION RESPONSES [Trump’s Victory Sparks Anguish, Elation in the Nonprofit World]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( Republican election triumph is seen as a game-changer for the environment, reproductive rights, immigration, and other causes. [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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