By Maddy Bynes-DeVaney, MPP
No matter what side of the aisle you're on politically, we all gritted our teeth and waited on November 5th as the country voted on which direction it will take for the next four years. It's no secret that I am personally upset by the results of the 2024 election. It didn't go my way. And from what I'm hearing from clients, it didn't go the way many of you would have liked either. It's important to keep this election in perspective and know how we move forward as a sector, and society, from this election in order to be welcoming to all people in our communities.
Though I agree that this election cycle was a watershed moment in our country's history and determinative of the direction that we as the American public would like to go, it is also important to remember that EVERY election feels large and monumental. In 2012, 2016, and 2020 many of our friends and family, and certainly the news media, impressed upon us the potential shift that could happen if we embraced one candidate or the other. In each election, for the vast majority of Americans, life went on. Was life more difficult? Sometimes. Was life scarier? For some communities, yes. Did the economy change? Undoubtably. But the fact of the matter is we got up to work on our missions, fighting another day.
This is a somber realization, as I know many of my readers are from marginalized communities. As I say this, I want to recognize the very real and important fear you are feeling. It's okay, and it's appropriate to feel that fear. I fear alongside you as an ally. Some of you are worried your very civil rights are at stake. Some of you are worried your marriages won't be recognized. Some of you are worried that your family and friends might be deported. I'm worried about these things too. I come from a Jewish family in which we often talked about how to get out of the country if something ever went wrong like it did during the Holocaust. In fact, I saw just yesterday the somber sight of swastika flags being waved outside of a reproduction of the Diary of Ann Frank. Disgusting and scary. I know that as a woman of reproductive age, my safety regarding my medical decisions with my doctor are at jeopardy. This is scary. These are real fears and we need to talk about them. But we also need to recognize that we have agency and power to advance good in the world regardless of the political outcome or climate.
As nonprofit organizations you have a responsibility to your staff/board of directors/ volunteers, donors, and the population of people eligible to receive services. So how do organizations move forward? Firstly, it is important to remember that non-profit organizations MUST remain non-partisan. That doesn't mean that you have to remain non-political, but it does mean that the political voice you take needs to be focused on policy that impacts your organization/mission. Here are some examples:
Political Statements | Policy-Centered Statements |
Immigration: "My organization does/does not agree with President-Elect Donald Trump's stance on immigration." | Immigration: "Our organization is concerned with how President-Elect Donald Trump's stated policy plan of mass deportations will be carried out. Our mission is to ensure that all immigrants have the right to safe shelter. We oppose the implementation of this policy because its stated effects will disproportionately disadvantage our service population and risk safe shelter and housing for migrant communities." |
LGBTQ+ Rights: "Trump wants to take away your right to marry who you love." | LGBTQ+ Rights: "Our organization always prioritizes the rights and needs of LGBTQ+ communities. As the new administration and Congress come into office, we will work with our elected policymakers to ensure policies that recognize the value of being able to marry who you love." |
Inflation: "Donald Trump is going to increase/reduce the inflation prices making the cost of living higher/lower." | Inflation: "The incoming Trump administration's policies of mass deportation and increased tariffs will result in higher prices because of the reduction in low-waged workers and the increase in tariffs (taxes) on American businesses importing low-cost goods. This will disproportionately impact the population we serve because low-income residents living paycheck to paycheck will have difficulty meeting all of their needed expenses." |
Make sure that as you draft messaging you are aware that you need to tie the messaging to a specific policy that has a likelihood of moving through the process. Make sure that every statement is also tied into how that policy impacts and effects the people that you serve.
I always encourage organizational leadership to assume best intent. That's hard to do in our current political climate, but SO important. We don't know what the Trump administration or Congress will do. We have some guesses, for sure, but we don't know and we won't know until it happens. My recommendation is to not be confrontational when nothing has been proposed to an official body that can make the policy change. If a policy has not been proposed to Congress or through regulations, sub regulatory guidance, executive order, etc. then it isn't yet policy or even a proposal of policy.
So what do you do during this time when there is a Lame Duck Congress and an incoming administration change?
This is an excellent time for organizations to begin identifying or fortifying their policy priorities, research, and messaging. These can be positive changes, like discussing fee for service contracting, or they could be negative changes like discussing potential deportation policy. Bynes Consulting Group is here to help you and your organization understand the policy landscape and develop priorities and action plans for public policy that work for your organization. We are happy to help you as you take this next step at the local, state, and federal levels.
Policy priorities will help to give you a solid understanding of where the "line in the sand" is when government actions are taken. It also gives you the opportunity to mobilize into action more quickly as an organization and in the community.
How to Address the Community
For the majority of my clients, my gut reaction to this question is to ask yourself: if the election had gone the other way, would you have put out a public facing statement to the community? If the answer is no, then you should rethink putting out a statement in this case. For both sides of the political spectrum, this election was billed as an end of the nation. That means that if Kamala Harris had won, there would have been a relatively equal number of people scared and shocked right now. Those people deserve your services and supports too, and as a nonprofit, you need to make sure you're accessible to them. If you've not historically commented on election results, I recommend not commenting on them now.
If you must comment, you should always focus comments around your mission. How are you going to commit to serve your service population? How are you going to ensure that your service population's voices are heard in the policy making process? Be careful to not conflate your own political views with those of the organization that you represent.
As always, Bynes Consulting Group is here to help you draft a statement that is well researched and focused on your public policy agenda and mission.
What's Most Important
Most of all, I want to let you know that we are a safe space and ally for you. Bynes Consulting Group will ALWAYS support marginalized communities and communities of color in developing a more equitable society. We support people of all backgrounds, races, creeds, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, and income in getting the resources they need to thrive. We also respect ALL political affiliations and stand ready to work with everyone who needs help in ensuring that their mission is executed in an effective and equitable manner.
We are ready to work with the Trump Administration, the new Congress, and state and local elected officials to effectively advance the missions of our non-profit partners. Remember that we are all in this world together and we need to be able to listen to one another and end these political environments that encourage us to be more divided. Reach out to one another and be there to support each other.
Excellent commentary!