Stand With Us for Philanthropy

We invite philanthropic and nonprofit organizations to sign on to the statement below to join the Council on Foundations and Independent Sector in supporting the rights of philanthropic organizations, charitable nonprofits, and individual donors to give in ways that align with their values.  

We believe that philanthropic organizations, charitable nonprofits, and individual donors have the right to exercise their values and views through giving money and other resources, as protected by the First Amendment. That includes efforts to support historically marginalized groups. 

Right now, those fundamental rights are under attack, in the form of a lawsuit by the American Alliance for Equal Rights. AAER has sued the Atlanta-based Fearless Foundation – led by Black women and committed to providing grants, tools, and mentorship to women of color – claiming that its program for Black female entrepreneurs is racially discriminatory.  

While we have different views, funding priorities and values, we, the undersigned, stand together in affirming that: 

  • Philanthropic donations support our communities in ways that mirror the diversity of our priorities and interests. 
  • Charitable giving is expressive conduct and a form of nonpartisan, constitutionally protected speech. 
  • Philanthropy has a positive impact for communities and charitable causes across the country, including supporting historically marginalized groups and communities. 
  • Philanthropic organizations, charitable nonprofits, and individual donors have the right to exercise their views through giving, as protected by the First Amendment, even when others might disagree with where a funder chooses to donate. However, together, we have a duty to ensure that charitable dollars never promote hate, extremism, and violence.  

We are committed to making it easier for organizations and people to give, across all dimensions of society, not harder. We call on the courts to dismiss this lawsuit and uphold the First Amendment rights of philanthropic organizations, charitable nonprofits, and individual donors to give in ways that align with their values. 

Signers

Akonadi Foundation

Albuquerque Community Foundation

Alliance for Justice

Andrew Delaney Foundation

Appalachia Funders Network

Appalachian Community Fund

Arizona Community Foundation

ARNOVA

Asian Pacific Fund

A to Z Impact Foundation

AZ Impact for Good

Barton Institute For Community Action

Blue Grass Community Foundation

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Brazil Foundation

Bush Foundation

California Black Freedom Fund

California Community Foundation

Camelback Ventures

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Community Foundation

Cedarmere Foundation

Center for Effective Philanthropy

Central New York Community Foundation, Inc.

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP)

Chinook Fund

Colorado Cross Disability Coalition

Colorado Health Foundation

Colorado Trust

Commonwealth Fund

Community Foundation Boulder County

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Community Foundation for Loudoun & Northern Fauquier Counties

Community Foundation for Southwest Washington

Community Foundation of Burke County

Community Foundation of East Mississippi

Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

Community Foundation of Greater Flint

Community Foundation of Louisville

Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts

Community Foundation of the Ozarks

Community Foundation of Western North Carolina

Community Shares of Colorado

Conant Family Foundation

Cone Health Foundation

Council of Michigan Foundations

Council of New Jersey Grantmakers

Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.

Cuore e Mani Foundation

Dan and Margaret Maddox Charitable Fund

Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

Ellis-Beauregard Foundation

Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

Environmental Grantmakers Association

Equal Measure

Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Inc.

Florida Philanthropic Network

Ford Foundation

Forefront

Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky

Four Way Community Foundation

Funders Together to End Homelessness

Gary Community Ventures

Gates Family Foundation

George Family Foundation

GET Cities

GiveMN

Global Fund for Women

GlobalGiving

Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation

Grantmakers for Education

Grantmakers for Thriving Youth

Grantmakers in the Arts

Grantsmanship Center

Greater Denver CARES

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Greater Toledo Community Foundation

Grunin Foundation

Harpo Foundation

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Hawaii Community Foundation

Headwaters Foundation

Hideo Sasaki Foundation

Hill-Snowdon Foundation

Hopelab

Hudson-Webber Foundation

Humanity United

Imaginable Futures

Jerome Foundation, Inc.

Joan Mitchell Foundation, Inc.

John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

John Rex Endowment

Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust

Kenneth Rainin Foundation

Kettering Foundation

Lancaster County Community Foundation

LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment

Latino Community Foundation

League of American Orchestras

LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

Lehigh Valley Community Foundation

Lemelson Foundation

Lily Auchincloss Foundation

Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

Lora L. & Martin N. Kelley Family Foundation

Lucy Yao O'Hara Charitable Foundation

Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation

Maine Association of Nonprofits

Maine Philanthropy Center

Marguerite Casey Foundation

McGregor Fund

McKinney Family Foundation, Inc.

McKnight Foundation

Memphis Music Initiative

Meyer Memorial Trust

Michael and Karen Schley Foundation

Michelson 20MM Foundation

Michigan Nonprofit Association

Minnesota Council on Foundations

Mom Your Business

Morgan Family Foundation

Mortenson Family Foundation

Ms. Foundation for Women

National Center for Family Philanthropy

National Council of Nonprofits

National Indian Child Welfare Association

National Philanthropic Trust

NC IDEA Foundation

Nellie Mae Education Foundation

NEO Philanthropy

New Breath Foundation

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

New Jersey Center for Nonprofits

New Venture Fund

New York Foundation

NGOsource/Techsoup Global

Nonprofit Association of Oregon

Nonprofit New York

North Valley Community Foundation

Northwest Area Foundation

Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation

Northwest Minnesota Foundation

Nutmeg Foundation

Omidyar Network

Oregon Community Foundation

Partners for Health Foundation

PEAK Grantmaking

PFund Foundation

Philanthropy Colorado

Philanthropy New York

Philanthropy Northwest

Philanthropy Southeast

Pierce Family Foundation

Pohlad Family Foundation

Points of Light

Powerful Patient Inc

ProInspire

Raikes Foundation

redefinED atlanta

Rhode Island Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Rocky Mountain Health Foundation

Rose Community Foundation

Ruth Mott Foundation

Sand Hill Foundation

San Diego Foundation

San Francisco Foundation

Schreiber Philanthropy

Sierra Club Foundation

Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Solidaire Network

Springfield Area Arts Council

St. Croix Valley Foundation

StriveTogether

Surdna Foundation, Inc.

Surya-Chandra Foundation

Taos Community Foundation, Inc.

The Athens County Foundation

The California Endowment

The California Wellness Foundation

The Communications Network

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia

The Community Foundation of Mendocino County

The Community Foundation of West Texas

The Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation

The Dallas Foundation

The Denver Foundation

The Funders Network

The Healing Trust

The Henry Ford

The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.

The Homestead Foundation Inc.

The James Irvine Foundation

The Kresge Foundation

The Lake County Community Foundation

The Minneapolis Foundation

The Nelson Foundation

The New York Community Trust

The Rippel Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation

The Skillman Foundation

The Waymakers Collective

The Winston-Salem Foundation

Tides

Tipping Point Community

United Philanthropy Forum

United Way of Rhode Island

VNA Foundation

Voqal Partners

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Washington Women's Foundation

Welcoming America

Wichita Foundation (KS)

Windward Fund

Women's Foundation of Colorado

Women's Fund of Rhode Island

Women's Way

Woodbury Community Foundation

Youth Speaks, Inc

YWCA USA

Questions?

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