Of all the impacts that the second Trump administration has had on the global social, environmental and geopolitical landscape over the last 16 months, setting back green, and diversity, equality and inclusion agendas is arguably the most egregious. Hardfought and pioneering policy and legislative changes that took generations to achieve swept aside with the stroke of a bronzersmudged Sharpie.
Being at the forefront of progressive liberal thinking, charities have borne the brunt of this shift in mindset. Appetite for change is being suppressed in both public and corporate arenas due to either a sense of impotency, fear or, in some cases, an eagerness to return to a “pre-woke” culture à la Mad Men.
And it’s not just happening far away “over the pond”. This edition carries a feature on the struggles faced by even the largest UK-based LGBTQ+ charities as attitudes shift, and incomes drop, particularly from corporate supporters. Galop’s co-CEO Ben Kernighan notes that some companies are “sadly retreating from their commitments to support diversity and inclusion”. Similarly, Sebastian Rocca, CEO and founder of Micro Rainbow, which operates safe houses for LGBTQI asylum-seekers and refugees, says: “Corporates are very nervous to continue to support organisations like ours, both from a migration and LGBTQI angle.” These are the actual real-life impacts of political ideologies that propagate intolerance.
As for the green agenda, things are a bit more positive. The cover feature looks at how some charities are still pushing ahead net-zero efforts despite political headwinds and other challenges. As Claire Stanley, director of policy and communications at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, says: “Charities are showing awareness and interest but the struggle to adopt can come from limited resources and lack of capacity.”
This is the world we are living in and in response, fundraisers at LGBTQ+ organisations are digging deep to seek alternative income pots, while green efforts by the likes of WWF-UK, Leprosy Mission, Sufra and Newlife highlighted alongside the cover story of this issue offer hope that there is still a proactive will to make the change needed. All is not lost; just don’t tell MAGA.
Stephen Cotterill is editor of Fundraising Magazine
Related articles
