StimulusDonationFilter: Save U.S. Democracy edition
June 4, 2020 5:38 AM Subscribe
Got my stimulus money. Want to donate it toward preventing the fascist takeover of the U.S. MeFites who've studied this: which groups can be trusted to make the best use of my $?
This is a mutual decision by myself and my spouse.
I considered the Southern Poverty Law Center, but Wikipedia said something about them using donations frivolously, but that could be anti-left propaganda for all I know. I'm unsure about the ACLU for similar reasons of its scale. I'm certainly disinclined to throw it at any one candidate, in no small part because the ballot-box might not cut it this time. (E.g. I keep thinking about the analogy of how Capone was finally brought down by tax evasion, that is to say, by lawyers.)
But basically, as far as which groups actually do stuff as opposed to just putting out sternly-phrased social media posts and sending people to conferences? Assume I'm clueless.
FWIW we do not need the money and foresee no immediate circumstance where it would make a difference for us. We're both U.S.-born citizens and residents.
This is a mutual decision by myself and my spouse.
I considered the Southern Poverty Law Center, but Wikipedia said something about them using donations frivolously, but that could be anti-left propaganda for all I know. I'm unsure about the ACLU for similar reasons of its scale. I'm certainly disinclined to throw it at any one candidate, in no small part because the ballot-box might not cut it this time. (E.g. I keep thinking about the analogy of how Capone was finally brought down by tax evasion, that is to say, by lawyers.)
But basically, as far as which groups actually do stuff as opposed to just putting out sternly-phrased social media posts and sending people to conferences? Assume I'm clueless.
FWIW we do not need the money and foresee no immediate circumstance where it would make a difference for us. We're both U.S.-born citizens and residents.
https://metatalk.metafilter.com/25574/Resources-for-Anti-Racism-BLM-Activism-and-Funding
posted by phunniemee at 6:47 AM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 6:47 AM on June 4, 2020 [8 favorites]
Almost any charitable org gets blowback for not spending donations on only The Best One Thing and using some of their money for salaries (Charity Navigator is pretty good for differentiating "CEO earns 3.5MM salary" vs "pays something like a living wage"), but I think the only right place to give your money right now, and that stimulus money in particular, is your local* on-the-ground bail or mutual aid fund. Even if your city doesn't do cash bail for misdemeanors, those bail funds are (generally) also helping people get rides home, get to the ER or urgent care for treatment, and some food/water/clean clothes if they've been held for a while and/or their clothes are soaked in tear/pepper gas.
*Or nearest, if you are not in a larger city area. But if you are in a small town, find those handful of people who organized your 20-person march and give it to them to do whatever they need with it, even if that's pay rent or eat.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:55 AM on June 4, 2020 [12 favorites]
*Or nearest, if you are not in a larger city area. But if you are in a small town, find those handful of people who organized your 20-person march and give it to them to do whatever they need with it, even if that's pay rent or eat.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:55 AM on June 4, 2020 [12 favorites]
ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center are both more accountable because of their scale. I spent a few years in the non-profit world, and I can testify that any criticism of these two organizations quite possibly applies doubly to lesser-known orgs. I don't have any qualms about donating to and participating in either.
On preview, Lyn Never's advice is solid.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:58 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]
On preview, Lyn Never's advice is solid.
posted by aspersioncast at 6:58 AM on June 4, 2020 [3 favorites]
I have donated to SPLC myself. There has been controversy surrounding their leadership, although in general, I think they're fighting the good fight. I don't know of another organization fighting that same fight better than them. The ADL?
One way to prevent the fascist takeover is to throw the fascists out by supporting their opposition. Perhaps Amy McGrath?
posted by adamrice at 7:31 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
One way to prevent the fascist takeover is to throw the fascists out by supporting their opposition. Perhaps Amy McGrath?
posted by adamrice at 7:31 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I think sites that evaluate charities have some weird assumptions. On the one hand they contain this inherent bias that administration is grift and that it's frivolous to do anything but walk through the streets handing out money. On the other, I think they rely on self-reporting time study type things to evaluate nonprofits.
I can say I worked for United Way and 1) it was a useless org for real; nobody could ever say what it was we did other than fund raising and 2) my time studies were pure fiction, because like most jobs it had lots of down time and everyone knew you weren't supposed to report this. So all of this to semi-constructively say I would take the thing about SPLC with a big grain of salt though I don't know a ton about how much they actually do get done. If you like their mission, perhaps accept that they're not spending 100% of their time and money on it and don't hold them to a standard that no for-profit company would live up to. Sometimes people go to conferences.
posted by less of course at 7:52 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I can say I worked for United Way and 1) it was a useless org for real; nobody could ever say what it was we did other than fund raising and 2) my time studies were pure fiction, because like most jobs it had lots of down time and everyone knew you weren't supposed to report this. So all of this to semi-constructively say I would take the thing about SPLC with a big grain of salt though I don't know a ton about how much they actually do get done. If you like their mission, perhaps accept that they're not spending 100% of their time and money on it and don't hold them to a standard that no for-profit company would live up to. Sometimes people go to conferences.
posted by less of course at 7:52 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I would again plug Run for Something - getting young, diverse, progressive candidates into state and local governments is so important! More info about their stratigic plan.. If you want to have young people and people of color in positions to have oversight and control of the police and of other government systems that people interact with every day, this is where the rubber meets the road. The acute fight happens now, and in the streets, but the larger fight, every day, is for a political system, from the bottom up, that is responsive to and reflective of the people it governs.
posted by mercredi at 8:57 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mercredi at 8:57 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Stacey Abrams organization FAIR FIGHT is worth supporting - "Fair Fight PAC has initiated programs to support voter protection programs at state parties around the country and is engaging in partnerships to support and elect pro voting rights, progressive leaders." EDITED TO ADD: Thank you for your generosity regardless of which groups you choose to support!
posted by pjsky at 9:47 AM on June 4, 2020
posted by pjsky at 9:47 AM on June 4, 2020
If you like the Al Capone analogy, I would suggest you take another look at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Their primary focus is to target hate groups and take them down by winning lawsuits (including financial awards) that decimate the resources of the organization. They also do work helping law enforcement target the right bad guys.
posted by metahawk at 10:19 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by metahawk at 10:19 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
National Lawyers Guild. They send legal observers to lots of protests, have bailed out someone I know, are coordinating some bail activities in many cities right now, and do lots of legal training. The reality is that it's going to take people in the streets, not just voting in Democrats, to prevent a fascist takeover. Support the orgs who are supporting people in the streets.
I also get much less of a nonprofit industrial complex vibe from NLG than many of the organizations listed here (SPLC has a very questionable track record considering it initially retaliated against its workers when they tried to form a union. If you are a progressive nonprofit who does not support your workers unionizing, then you are not progressive. A lot of people also have a complicated relationship with the ACLU because of its own track record with occasionally representing the right-wing).
posted by mostly vowels at 10:22 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I also get much less of a nonprofit industrial complex vibe from NLG than many of the organizations listed here (SPLC has a very questionable track record considering it initially retaliated against its workers when they tried to form a union. If you are a progressive nonprofit who does not support your workers unionizing, then you are not progressive. A lot of people also have a complicated relationship with the ACLU because of its own track record with occasionally representing the right-wing).
posted by mostly vowels at 10:22 AM on June 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I read an article about the Southern Poverty Law Center in Harper's years ago that made me quit supporting that organization. Here's a New Yorker essay by a former staff member. Here's a letter from an Atlanta-based civil rights attorney declining an invitation to an event honoring the founder, Morris Dees. This piece in Harper's contains an excerpt from the article that I originally read in that magazine.
After researching, I am donating to Campaign Zero instead.
posted by FencingGal at 10:32 AM on June 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
After researching, I am donating to Campaign Zero instead.
posted by FencingGal at 10:32 AM on June 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
I always recommend Brian Stevenson’s foundation, the Equal Justice Initiative. From everything I’ve read about him and the org’s work, they are flawless.
posted by stillmoving at 11:27 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by stillmoving at 11:27 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
Where I live one of the best community allies and defenders of democracy is our local library system.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 11:29 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 11:29 AM on June 4, 2020 [4 favorites]
I made a donation to the ACLU earlier today because I think they do really important work and have demonstrably been filing lawsuits on behalf of the protesters and police brutality victims.
posted by vegartanipla at 10:50 PM on June 4, 2020
posted by vegartanipla at 10:50 PM on June 4, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by citygirl at 6:33 AM on June 4, 2020 [6 favorites]