Several major donors have said they plan to stop giving to universities that fail to issue strong statements condemning attacks against Israel by Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza. But the issuing of political statements by nonprofits and for-profits has not been common practice until recently, and many institutional leaders are wondering when, how, or if they should weigh in.
Karin George, managing principal at the fundraising consultancy Washburn & McGoldrick, says she’s received a call from a client whose donors were unhappy with its statement about the Israel-Hamas War and wanted to talk through the issue. “It’s definitely on our clients’ minds,” she says. “It’s definitely on institutional leaderships’ minds, too.”
The backlash against political statements regarding the Middle East war from major donors is giving some institutions pause about the practice of weighing in on current events. They are wondering if the rush to issue such statements — not just regarding the Israel-Hamas war but also about the recent Supreme Court decisions on abortion and affirmative action — might be causing more harm than good, especially in the social-media age. Experts in fundraising and communications are advising nonprofits to rethink making statements about national politics and world affairs and craft coherent policies that ensure they’re sticking to their core mission.
Statements, Statements Everywhere
Nonprofits and educational institutions rarely have issued statements on foreign wars or national or societal events unless it was central to their work. But in 2020, many nonprofit and for-profit institutions issued public statements after the police murder of George Floyd, often endorsing the Black Lives Matter movement and making pledges to advance racial justice.
It almost became a race, says Jeffrey Flier, former dean of Harvard Medical School, who recommends not jumping into the fray with statements on social or political issues.
“Many institutions started to almost compete with each other to be the first one to make a statement about issue X, Y, or Z on behalf of the school,” he says.
During the pandemic, he says, that worked out for organizations because some issues, like racial justice and LGBTQ rights, were seen as having fairly broad support.
“It’s easy when it looks like everyone agrees and you’re not going to get criticized,” Flier says. “How could you criticize making that statement — are you a racist? Are you not for social justice? That was the setting under which we moved this way.”
But on an issue as polarized as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the response from organizations has come under a harsh spotlight. Many groups have condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that left more than 1,000 Israelis dead, but some donors have complained that those statements were slow or tepid. The Israeli military’s reprisal only complicates matters for these groups — some 3,785 Palestinians have been killed in Israel missile strikes as of October 19, and the assault continues to devastate a territory that’s home to more than 2 million people, a response that’s also drawn protest.
“In a situation that’s dynamic and complex, one of the challenges for communications is creating coherence,” says Sean Gibbons, CEO of the Communications Network, a membership organization for foundations and other nonprofits.
It may be best to say nothing if the issue isn’t core to your mission or adding important depth to the conversation, he says.
When to Make a Statement
The reaction by donors to the Israel-Hamas War may serve as a watermark for nonprofit communication strategy. Research shows that while trust in institutions is generally declining, nonprofits are held in high esteem compared with other institutions and could slide in rankings if their public statements draw criticism.
“Communication is a core strategic tool,” Gibbons says. “You have to think about how you deploy that resource. You have to be very judicious about when you use your voice.”
He adds: “There’s no one-size-fits-all guidance that you can offer,” but it is important to be in conversation with supporters and think through the goal of any public statement.
Core to mission: For most nonprofits, it makes sense to issue a statement when a current event is related to its core mission. “Always remember when you’re communicating: How can we be most effective and most useful in service of our mission?” Gibbons says.
For example, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and IfNotNow, which both focus on Israel and the Middle East region, issued statements about the war.
“IfNotNow works for a future where all Israelis and Palestinians can have a thriving future,” says Hayle Meyerhoff, a donor organizer of the group. “It was extremely important for us to issue a statement when this development happened. It completely changed the course of our work and has accelerated it at a rapid pace.”
Focus on mission, not opinion. Public statements, if made, can highlight the programmatic solutions a nonprofit provides. George of Washburn & McGoldrick says a foundation board she serves on made programs central to its statements about the Israel-Hamas war.
“Our statements have been about educating people about the services that we can provide, where people can donate money, and providing them access to that information,” she says. “It’s been less a statement about an opinion but more a statement about ‘Here’s our mission. Here’s what we do in a time like this.’”
Create a policy. If an organization is issuing political statements on an ad hoc basis, constituents and donors may question why one situation was treated one way and another a different way. A consistent messaging plan is important, says Susan Young, CEO of Get in Front Communications.
“When you are proactive, you plan ahead,” Young says. “It’s very similar to crisis media and crisis management. You’re not just joining the conversation to join a conversation but to have something meaningful and thoughtful to say.”
George says some institutions have a policy of not commenting on anything that isn’t related to their organization or mission. “It’s important for an institution to be clear and consistent,” she says. “We’ve determined for ourselves that these are the statements that are important to us, and we’re putting them out in these circumstances or not putting that statement out at all.”
Flier notes that a 1967 report by the Kalven Committee recommended universities not make statements about political or social issues and suggested organizations consider a similar tactic.
“Appoint a commission of diverse people thinking about the topic in 2023 as compared to 1967,” he says. “The world is somewhat different. Media is different, social media is different, students are different, expectations are different.”
Expect pushback. Even if an organization makes a statement that perfectly aligns with its values and mission, some people will likely disagree.
“There’s always going to be backlash in the way that social media is these days and that people are offended,” says Young, the communications CEO. “That’s just the way that the world is right now with technology.”
George contends it’s critical to go in with eyes wide open.
“It’s important to consider: Here’s the potential reactions that we may face,” George says. “You have to be open-eyed about the responsibility and that there’s a potential that a donor may rescind their support.”
Flier agrees, noting a university should speak out in support of core principles, even if there is backlash from students, faculty, alumni, or donors. “If there’s an attack on the First Amendment that would undermine your ability to do research and write about it, the president has to be the first one at the barricades saying, ‘This will kill our institution,’” he says.
IfNotNow says it has experienced some pushback on its statements.
“It’s a really heightened time emotionally,” Meyerhoff says. “We’re holding a very clear line that our priority is preserving human life. And there are people who want us to be pushed further to the right or further to the left. But we’re holding our moral line very clearly.”
