Foundation and nonprofit leaders have been stepping forward in recent days to denounce racist tweets from Donald Trump.
“We’re living in a moment where foundations and nonprofits are recognizing that the values expressed on their websites are more than words,” said Stefan Lanfer, chairman of the Communications Network. “There’s an opportunity to give voice to them, and that matters just as much as the work in this time of greater and greater urgency.”
Lanfer is also director of communications for the Barr Foundation, led by Jim Canales, one of the more vocal foundation leaders to speak out against the president in recent weeks.
Many foundation leaders began speaking up weeks ago, soon after Trump made his now infamous “go back” comments aimed at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and three other minority women in Congress. Don Howard, CEO of the James Irvine Foundation, bemoaned the “ugly” state of discourse about immigration issues in a blog post. “We look forward to working with those who seek to reunite us around our historic American values of inclusion, refuge, and diversity,” he wrote.
Trump’s attacks last weekend on African-American lawmaker Elijah Cummings sparked a fresh round of condemnation from grant makers. Howard said in a statement to the Chronicle that his organization wants to maintain a “nonpartisan, nonideological” stance, but “for Irvine, this is not political at all; we stand with our grantees and fellow Californians when they, or the communities they serve and represent, are attacked.”
Howard added, “We respect other foundations’ decisions on when to speak out — and are encouraged at how many leaders in philanthropy have done so about things that concern them.”
Loren Harris, chief program and strategy officer at the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, said he has also noticed that more foundations have been speaking up. He hopes there will be more public comments, columns, and statements that condemn racism and racist rhetoric made by the president and other politicians. “Our board, our staff, and our CEO are committed to equity,” he said. “It’s deeply rooted in our mission to counter racism and hate.”
He said the foundation tries to lead by example and has a history of speaking up about current events. For example, Jennifer Rainin, the CEO, wrote about political and social discord after the Charlottesville riots in 2017. Harris said the Rainin Foundation will continue to respond publicly when events call for it.
Avoiding Partisan Politics
Howard Libit, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said it’s important for nonprofits to speak out, although he added that it can be difficult to remain politically nonpartisan. Charities face strict rules that don’t allow them to get involved in partisan politics, although they are allowed to pursue advocacy on behalf of their causes and to advance the common good. What’s more, many nonprofits worry that their statements could offend some donors.
“I prefer to talk about the amazing work that the congressman does by bringing communities together. I’m not into focusing attention on the negative tweets,” Libit said. He added that it’s sometimes more effective to co-sign statements written by larger groups. Instead of writing their own statement, the council chose to repost the Jewish Council for Public Affairs condemnation of the president’s tweets.
The council tries to speak out whenever it has something “unique” to offer instead of commenting on every political development, Libit said. One example is when the group made statements to the Baltimore Sun voicing its “strong opposition” to the proposed Muslim travel ban and zero-tolerance immigration policies.
From Tentative to Forceful
CEOs and program officers from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, Barr Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and Raikes Foundation, as well as the Boston Foundation and the Baltimore Community Foundation, have been among those leading the way in pushing back against Trump’s recent tweets.
“This past weekend, President Trump expressed an utter lack of respect for Baltimore and its residents, both past and present. His comments demonstrate that he does not wish to represent the interests of every American,” said Shanaysha Sauls, CEO of the Baltimore Community Foundation, in a statement to the Chronicle.
Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, said after the president’s tweets against the four congresswomen that the “tirades” and “eruptions” coming out of Washington, namely Congress and the Oval Office, are becoming too common.
“When our nation’s highest office chooses to use racist language and promote racist policies, philanthropy has a responsibility not just to condemn these actions but to actively work against the damage they inflict on communities of color,” Blackwell said. “The alternative — remaining silent and failing to put race at the center of our social-change work — poses a far greater risk.”
Blackwell avoided mentioning or criticizing Trump by name.
But Toni Van Pelt, president of the National Organization for Women, didn’t shy away from coming out swinging and naming names.
“Donald Trump’s racist attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings and his hateful comments about Baltimore reveal his craven political agenda of stoking racial fear and division to win re-election,” Van Pelt said. “Our supporters know that they can count on us to be bold, brave, and passionate, no matter how controversial or politically charged the issue.
Showing Caution
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which is based in Baltimore, issued a cautious statement to the Chronicle that did not directly address politics.
“Twenty-five years ago, we chose Baltimore as our new national headquarters, and we are privileged to call Baltimore our home. Baltimore is a great American city full of talented, hardworking, optimistic people,” said Leslie Boissiere, vice president for external affairs.
Susan Reichle, CEO of the International Youth Foundation, which is based in Baltimore, also said the organization decided to focus on its connection to the city and its mission with youth development.
“We are not an advocacy organization that is out there planning who we’ll speak out against,” she said. “But if we see something that is related to our mission and the heart of our organization, we’ll speak out. For us, it’s higher than politics.”
