How rights groups are taking an anti-Trump wave to the bank
On Planned Parenthood’s Facebook page, supporters couldn’t be faulted for sounding concerned following Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election. Trump, after all, has said he would punish women who had abortions, while his vice president-elect, Mike Pence, is known as an anti-abortion crusader.
Yet the women’s health organization’s Facebook page is also littered with hopeful comments, many pledging financial support and asking the organization to facetiously send notification to Pence that a donation was made in his honor. Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits are finding that voters who didn’t support Trump are looking for ways to express their displeasure, to the benefit of their bottom line.
“Could not have been more proud to have donated to Planned Parenthood this week in Mike Pence’s name,” one supporter wrote. Another added, “I love how people are doing this in honor of somebody who totally opposes it! Not only is it super annoying for him, which is awesome, but Planned Parenthood is getting all kinds of funding it wouldn’t normally get. I’d call this a win-win.”
More than 46,000 donations to Planned Parenthood have been given in Pence’s name, or roughly about one in four of the 200,000 donations that the organization has received since election day, the group said in an email. Other nonprofits that advocate for civil rights and minority groups are also reporting a surge in donations, as well as a boost in volunteers.
The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ group, noted that its donations have increased sixfold since the election, while the American Civil Liberties Union said it has received almost $11 million since Nov. 9, the day after the election, an all-time record in its almost 100-year history.
“There is a general sense of urgency, and people want to do something to make a difference,” said Steve Mendelsohn, deputy executive director of the Trevor Project “We are reassured to know that people understand that the Trevor Project, like so many other civil rights groups, is vital and must continue our work given the new challenges that are creating a heightened sense of anxiety throughout the country.”
Social media are providing a lift for these nonprofits. Some supporters are urging their Facebook and Twitter friends to donate, while the advocacy groups are rolling out donation campaigns geared to targeting fears that Trump’s administration will curtail civil rights. The ACLU’s website, for instance, now greets visitors with an image of Trump’s face overlaid with the words, “See you in court.”
Other nonprofits that are witnessing a groundswell of support include the Sierra Club, the Anti-Defamation League, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Naral Pro-Choice America, among others. Many have been helped by celebrity call-outs, such as “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver singling out many groups on his post-election episode, including the Trevor Project.
“We saw an immediate spike in visits to our website, donations and volunteer inquiries after his show,” Mendelsohn said.
A surge in intimidation and harassment since the election has also garnered support for the work of the Southern Poverty Law Center, among other nonprofits that fight hate crimes, CBS News reported on Wednesday.
Most of the incidents have been aimed at immigrants, African-Americans and LGBT Americans. The Southern Poverty Law Center has also garnered more than 350,000 signatures on a petition asking President-elect Trump to rescind his appointment of Steve Bannon as his chief strategist. Bannon previously led Breitbart News, which has at times been home to sexist, racist and white nationalist rhetoric.
So what about nonprofits and advocacy groups that support Trump’s policy positions? It’s not clear whether they’ll see a similar bump in donations. There’s evidence that many are failing to achieve the same type of growth in interest as liberal advocacy groups following the election. For instance, the National Rifle Association -- whose gun rights platform is supported by Trump -- witnessed a considerably smaller uptick in interest than Planned Parenthood on Nov. 9, based on data from Google Trends.
The NRA’s website notes that its supporters “achieved a historic accomplishment on election day 2016.” Whether the NRA can translate that success into an outpouring of donations remains to be seen. The group didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
It’s likely donations for civil rights and advocacy groups will keep coming as the holidays approach. Some social media users urging their friends to give donations for the holidays instead of buying gifts, for instance.
Said one Twitter user referring to Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, “If you’re on my holiday gift list, this year’s gift is @PPact & @ACLU donation.”