In the Center for Effective Philanthropy's three-part series, president Phil Buchnan revists several questions he wrote about in 2022. In part three he tackles two questions:

  • How can funders best protect democracy?
  • How can donors work to bridge differences in a polarized time?

In summary there are no easy answers.

What Does it Look Like When Donors Nurture Democracy?

On the first question, Buchanan defines democracy as something bigger than voter rights and get out the vote efforts, recognizing those actions are essential. Instead he references a conversation he had with Eric Liu, founder and CEO of Citizens University, and encourages funders to protect democracy by seeing it as something that happens in communities; actions that include freedom to organize and mobilize for change and freedom of the press.

To Bridge or Not?

Buchanan spends more time on the second question. Referencing again his discussion with Liu, as the Citizens University head is among a number of leaders working on what often gets labeled “bridging” efforts.

Here’s what Liu said when asked how donor decisions can protect democracy and how to recognize the right time to bridge or fight:

“You’re asking, how do we know when to bridge and how do we know when to fight? The answer actually begins with know thyself and know the people around you, including those you want to fight, and humanizing people … You do have to begin by humanizing, because the dangers of authoritarianism … are fed by dehumanization. he hard right benefits when people on the left also get into the habit of dehumanizing those they don’t like. They’re like, great, we’ll take it from here. But the question of how do I know when to bridge? How do I know when to fight? is the question that Abraham Lincoln wrestled with every day of his political career. It is the question that Martin Luther King wrestled with throughout the civil rights movement. It is the question that Ella Baker, who’s far less known than Martin Luther King, but had to do far more of the on the ground organizing without acclaim and attention, had to wrestle with all the time. Ella Baker’s answer was, there’s no set pattern. There’s no cut and paste to this. You meet people where they are… And there may be times where, like, you know what? Life is short. And my job is to contain the threat that this person poses, not to spend time and energy engaging them. But I don’t have a one size fits all answer to that.”

Read the full article about donors protecting democracy by The Center for Effective Philanthropy at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.