In this pivotal moment, safeguarding democracy requires strategic action. This collection of organizations works to protect and strengthen democratic values, particularly those focused on efforts coordinated across nonprofits. Your support can often be most impactful to local organizations with smaller budgets. For a more national focus, we recommend pooled funds for their ability to deploy resources effectively across a diversity of needs.
“Protecting Democracy” is a broad philanthropic category. If you would like help narrowing your focus based on your personal concerns and interests, please reach out to your philanthropic advisor.
Please note that while several of these recommended organizations do have an affiliate 501(c)(4) organization, SFF donor advised funds may only make gifts to 501(c)(3) public charities. Donors may support 501(c)(4) organizations with personal funds.
For additional or customized recommendations, please contact your personal Philanthropic Advisor or donorservices[at]sff.org.
BAY AREA FOCUS
Bay Resistance Institute
Fiscal Sponsor: Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund
Give here if… you want to support local coordination of organizations to defend democracy.
As a broad network coordinating Bay Area based mobilizations and rapid response, Bay Resistance Institute includes over 30 organizations and more than 22,000 individuals. Bay Resistance Institute is a vehicle for its network members to build collective momentum of resistance, expanding the overall scale of members’ impact through mass mobilization, rapid response, training for activists, civic engagement and coordination communications support. The Institute helps ensure that resources don’t just meet the current moment but are used in ways that increase the ability of social movements to achieve their goals long-term. Bay Resistance Institute is guided by a steering committee of members from our most vulnerable communities.
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Give here if… you want to mobilize faith communities for immigrant rights and criminal justice.
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity works to ensure immigrants are given the due process they deserve rather than being unjustly detained and/or deported. This organization empowers the faith community to exercise their first amendment rights through advocacy to stop ICE expansion and protect sanctuary policies and practices while advocating for the restoration of voting rights for community members who have been impacted by incarceration.
San Francisco Foundation
Purpose: Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building
Give here if… you want to support organizations responding to urgent needs.
SFF’s Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building offers small, one-time grants to frontline grassroots organizations addressing unexpected, urgent challenges, while strengthening the voice and power of low-income residents and people of color. Past projects have included “know your rights” trainings and support for community and organizer safety.
CALIFORNIA FOCUS
California Calls Education Fund
Purpose: We Are California
Give here if…you want to support fighting for policies that protect all Californians.
We are California is a multigenerational movement to mobilize Californians to advance the common dream of a good life, quality education, safety for families, and a place to call home. A network of more than 20 multi-issue, multi-racial and multi-lingual groups from across the state, they come together to mobilize communities through direct outreach, narrative work, and policy advocacy to build on past victories, defend communities and organize TOGETHER to advance a vision of a California where everyone without exception can thrive.
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Give here if…you want to support the organizing and legal representation of immigrants.
CHIRLA leads efforts both statewide and nationally to organize and represent immigrants. They also provide on the ground services and advocacy in Los Angeles, with a membership of tens of thousands of individual community members. Their office has suffered damage that appears to be related to their leadership on immigrant rights issues.
PICO California
Give here if…you want to uplift moral courage, leadership, and multi-issue advocacy from faith-based leaders and communities across the state.
PICO continues to supply critical leadership in the Bay Area with Faith In Action and at the statewide level. They bring the voice and leadership from faith communities across a range of issues – health care, housing, democracy, and more. Learn more from this recent LA Times piece by their CEO, Joseph Tomas McKellar.
Public Rights Project
Give here if…you want to protect civil rights by coordinating state and local governments against rising authoritarianism at the federal level.
Public Rights Project is connected across approximately 20 jurisdictions—statewide and national—of Mayors, City Attorneys, and County Counsels. They are providing training, representation, and templates for bringing cases, research, and communications support. Public Rights Project envisions a democracy built by the people that delivers equity and justice, where every community has a government fighting for their civil rights.
NATIONAL FOCUS
Solidaire Network, Inc.
Purpose: Movement Protection Fund
Give here if…you want to support the ability of nonprofits and social movements to continue their work.
Solidaire educates, coordinates, and mobilizes individual donors and foundations to support the safety and security of progressive social movements and the communities they represent. Through their Movement Protection Fund, they have disbursed millions of dollars including emergency legal defense against politically motivated attempts to strip organizations of their nonprofit status and in defense of constitutionally protected activism as well as digital financial and physical security support (when people are doxed and endangered).
Democracy Forward Foundation
Give here if…you want to provide coordinated litigation support to organizations and communities.
Democracy Forward provides legal representation and expert counsel to fight executive over-reach and hold anti-democratic actors accountable. In addition to work inside the courtroom, they provide public education and coordinated strategies to expose unreasonable policies that strip vulnerable communities of crucial protections.
Tides Foundation
Purpose: Diaspora Alliance Fund
Give here if…you oppose antisemitism and its distortions and want to support human rights and dignity for all.
Diaspora Alliance is dedicated to promoting the values of a multiracial, pluralist democracy. They build solidarity and coalitions with diasporic and minority communities who face overlapping threats of violence and dehumanization. They are committed to explaining and opposing antisemitism and linking with other groups confronting racism, authoritarianism and ethnonationalism. They oppose any weaponization of antisemitism as often a cover for advancing repressive policies and weakening global solidarity with struggles for human rights.
Freedom of the Press Foundation
Give here if…you want to protect journalists and defend press freedom.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation conducts vital reporting on government secrecy and surveillance, advocating for the rights of reporters and whistleblowers. The foundation also develops open-source software like SecureDrop and Dangerzone to enhance the digital security of journalists and their sources. Additionally, they maintain the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, documenting incidents that threaten journalistic independence, and provide essential digital security training and resources to news professionals.
Take action beyond giving
Learn more:
Take collective action with Bay Resistance: https://www.bayresistance.org/takeaction
Know Your Rights (and teach others!): https://www.aclunc.org/our-work/know-your-rights
Speak out by calling your legislators: https://5calls.org/
