Listening to Nonprofits in Moments of Political Uncertainty: Five Suggestions from Grantees

In moments of great uncertainty, it can be easy to freeze. However, as the pandemic taught us, funders have a crucial responsibility to support nonprofits to weather moments of rapid change and continue to serve communities effectively for the long term.

As Election Day approaches, we are again in a moment of political uncertainty – with change to come regardless of the outcome. In the coming months, funders will need to balance agility, consistency, and attention to equity. All of which require preparation. To help funders consider how best to act in moments of political uncertainty and change, we can learn from 2017.

In that year, immediately following the 2016 presidential election, 25 funders that participated in CEP’s Grantee Perception Report chose to add an optional module of questions about actions grantees and their funders were taking in response to a changed political environment. As a result, 2,226 nonprofits offered suggestions in response to the question: “What advice would you give to the Foundation as it seeks to be as effective as possible in this changing U.S. political landscape?”

We used an AI tool to assist us in extracting themes from those comments, then verified those themes with our own coding. What follows are five key pieces of advice nonprofits had for funders in a time of political uncertainty, right after the 2016 election. Each of these suggestions is accompanied by a couple illustrative quotes directly from grantees.

1. Stay Committed to Long-Term Goals

Grantees encourage funders to keep in mind the long timelines necessary for true change and remain committed to existing goals and partnerships. Even as context changes, they call on funders not to overreact and abandon important work.

• “Stay the course: fund sensible groups committed to lasting change at the local, state, and national levels.”
• “Remember — it’s a long game. We should adjust with the times but have faith in the business models we’ve been using when they have a track record of success over time.”

2. Use Funder Voice on Key Issues

Grantees urge funders to clearly and publicly communicate their stance on key issues and increase affirmation for grantees doing advocacy, policy, and civic engagement work.

• “Emphasize that nonprofits have an important role in policy advocacy. Help nonprofits understand their role in social change and the parameters of what is allowable by nonprofits in areas such as voter education, lobbying, etc. Most foundations have overly strict prohibitions on how organizations engage in policy work.”
• “Be more outward facing. Make a stand on what values they hold and how they conduct business with those values as a guiding principle.”

3. Support Nonprofits Beyond Grant Funding

Beyond their financial support, grantees request capacity-building assistance, especially help with facilitating grantee convening and collaboration. (Quantitative data supports this theme; in CEP’s 2017 survey data, three quarters of grantees at the typical funder said they were seeking to enhance collaboration with other nonprofit organizations in response to a changed political environment.)

• “We would appreciate staff training and support around our communication and marketing efforts and securing funds from other sources.”
• “Bring all of the partners they are in discussions with regarding specific strategies or new initiatives to discuss the various roles on the team and how each of their approaches will contribute to a stronger whole without competition or duplication.”

4. Provide Flexible Funding

During the COVID-19 pandemic, another moment of uncertainty, the provision of flexible funding increased across the philanthropic field. This support proved invaluable for nonprofit organizations and allowed them to say nimble in a shifting environment. Likewise, in 2017, grantees called on funders to increase their provision of flexible funding.

• “Providing more general operating support is one way to support these organizations.”
• “Nonprofits will need flexible funding that enables their organizations to be nimble and responsive as the landscape in which we work shifts considerably.”

5. Support Marginalized Communities

Grantees ask funders to recognize that moments of instability will have the biggest impact on communities that are already marginalized, and they suggest that funders increase proactive support for these communities.

• “Consider investing in free clinics or programs that would assist families to receive appropriate medical care free of charge.”
• “Support for the most vulnerable groups: children, seniors, immigrants.”

We also noticed one through-line in all of these suggestions: Grantees continually encouraged funders to ‘communicate more’ about their goals, approaches, and any changes made. This theme isn’t at all surprising when you consider grantees’ experiences in 2017. When they were responding to the survey – generally between February and November of 2017 – only about one third of grantees at the typical funder said they’d heard from their funder or their program officer about any response to a changed political environment. Half of grantees said they had heard nothing specific – but wished they had.

With the election of new leaders, political landscapes shift regularly in ways that often bring changes in policies, regulations, priorities, and budgets – changes that can dramatically impact the nonprofit sector. In 2017, two thirds of grantees indicated they adjusted their goals, approaches, or services in response to a changed political environment. During that same period, about a third of funders indicated they shifted their strategies.

Regardless of who wins the next election or the one after that, it’s common sense to take grantees’ suggestions to heart and think ahead about moments of uncertainty. By proactively preparing for change and communicating frequently and clearly, philanthropic organizations can ensure their – and their grantees’ – missions endure, no matter the shifting political winds.

Kevin Bolduc is vice president, Assessment and Advisory Services, at CEP. Find him on LinkedIn. Elisha Smith Arrillaga is vice president, Research, at CEP. Find her on LinkedIn. Nina Groleger is a senior analyst, Assessment and Advisory Services, at CEP. Find her on LinkedIn.