The Problem of Hate
Over the past several years, anti-democratic extremism, hate speech, and politically motivated violence have increasingly threatened many of the most cherished values in civil society. Although the vast majority of philanthropic funding goes to charities acting to advance the greater good, in some limited cases, funding for groups espousing hate and extremism has come through grantmaking organizations.
Philanthropy has a duty to ensure that charitable dollars never support organizations that promote hate, extremism, and violence. The Council on Foundations encourages our members and the broader philanthropic sector not only to speak out against such funding, but also to put policies and practices into place to prevent it.
The Council is committed to doing our part in guiding our members and demystifying these issues. We will continue to release guidance and resources for foundations looking to establish values-aligned grantmaking policies. For the philanthropic community to stand as a trusted partner in advancing the greater good, we must be a collective voice against hate.
Resources: Aligning Values and Practice
In 2021, we developed a white paper, Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism, and an accompanying resource hub—a living list of resources for foundations looking to address this issue, including sample policies from a variety of foundations, organizational resources, and background information.
If you have any questions or a resource to share, please email Nidale Zouhir.
