Thank you for your interest in Mobilizing Philanthropic Support for Palestinian Communities, co-sponsored by 18 Million Rising (18MR) and AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy), featuring Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC) and U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR).
Given the sharp rise in attacks against Palestinian-led and Muslim-led organizations and our efforts to protect the digital security of our panelists, we are sharing this written summary of the funder briefing with key takeaways and resource lists.
We are heartened by the clear sense of commitment shared by our attendees to overcoming the challenges of driving greater philanthropic support to Palestinian-led and Muslim-led organizations.
Many funders in the audience expressed interest in continuing to strategize with and mobilize colleagues in both the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, and this is a space that AAPIP will continue to pay close attention to in our future programming.
Key Takeaways from the Funder Briefing:
- 18MR, AROC, and USCPR each shared their robust social analysis on advancing social change in this political climate. They highlighted the unprecedented need to pivot into rapid response while at the same time, made it clear the necessary investments they and their supporters need to make in their existing and evolving long-term strategic plans.
- While quickly pivoting to develop responsive programs and organize direct action campaigns, 18MR, AROC, and USCPR prioritized deepening their ongoing coalition work and relationshipswith critical Palestinian and Muslim organizations, allies, and supporters.
- The attacks on Muslim and Palestinian organizing have resulted in a need to hire more consultants, invest in digital security and internal systems security capacities, strategize with legal teams to address lawsuits and ongoing federal attacks, and the need to hire more long term base builders who can absorb the millions of people who have been organized by their responsive programming.
- When nonprofits like AROC, USCPR, and 18 Million Rising lose access to funding for their stance on Palestine and anti-war mobilizations, it ripples out into the community and movement ecosystem – stifling dissent and the ability to organize across issues. Suddenly, organization-wide staffing and other community programs that provide key services are at risk of being defunded as well. This affects local, state, and national work supporting a wide range of issues that are at the forefront of our democracy.
- Panelists shared ways in which funders can creatively support the critical work of grassroots Palestinian and Muslim organizations. Given the complex and interconnected nature of the issues being addressed, funders can provide multi-year grants and rapid response support for critical work in the following areas: digital security, community safety, reproductive health, women’s health, climate justice, housing, youth and education, immigrant rights, movement building, coalition building, democracy, place-based grantmaking, and more.
- There are frameworks, written by movement leaders and leaders in philanthropy, providing clear guidance on how to organize philanthropy to meet this moment. A clarion call: How attacks on U.S. Palestinian solidarity movements undermine our democracy, written by Rana Elmir, Program Director of Rise Together Fund, and published by National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, offered four strategies to organize the sector: Challenge Funder Threats and Apathy, Advocate for Legal Protections, Support Funder Advocacy and Solidarity, and Challenge False Narratives.
- Lastly, because of shifting needs in digital security, we will not be providing the direct email addresses of our panelists to registered attendees. We are encouraging folks to (1) email us at AAPIP for direct introductions or (2) reach out to the panelists through their general websites. All three organizations represented in this funder briefing are available and interested in connecting with the broader philanthropic community.
- 18 Million Rising www.18millionrising.org/contact-us
- Arab Resource and Organizing Center www.araborganizing.org/contact
- US Campaign for Palestinian Rights www.uscpr.org/contact
- Email AAPIP at
In our continued efforts to mobilize philanthropic resources to Palestinian-led and Muslim-led organizations, please share these takeaways and the resources linked below with your grantmaking institutions and across your funder networks.
Given both the retreat in philanthropic funding to 18MR, AROC, USCPR, and allied organizations, and the chilling effect across the philanthropic sector, now is the time for funders to engage more meaningfully and urgently. As was mentioned during the session, funding Palestinian-led and Muslim-led organizations is not only a practice of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, but it is also an investment in broader cross-sector efforts towards racial justice, civic engagement, and democracy.
In Community,
AAPIP and 18 Million Rising
Media referenced in slide deck
“Foundations leverage funding to suppress support for Palestine” by Nicole Froio (Prism, October 21, 2024)
“The A.D.L. of Asian America” by E. Tammy Kim (The New Yorker, October 15, 2024)
“Palestine and Israel | Towards a New Philanthropy” by Funders4Palestine (The Forge, October 9, 2024)
Netanyahu Delivers Speech Before Congress (AP News, July 24, 2024)
“Nonprofits Are Taking a Stance on Gaza — and Paying the Price” by Sara Herschander (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 18, 2024)
“We Need Movement Infrastructure” by Ahmad Abuznaid and Darakshan Raja (Nonprofit Quarterly, March 21, 2024)
“Palestine Is in Asia: An Asian American Argument for Solidarity” by Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Nation, January 29, 2024)
Petitions and open letters referenced in slide deck
ACLU letter urging Congress to oppose H.R. 6408/S. 4136 (ACLU, May 6, 2024)
TAAF: Drop the ADL Community Letter (18 Million Rising, May 2, 2024)
An open letter from Jewish donors and Jews in Philanthropy (Jewsinphilanthropy.org, May 2024)
Resources referenced in slide deck
U.S. Aid to Israel in Four Charts (Council on Foreign Relations, May 31, 2024)
Al-Nakba: Resistance Until Return! (18 Million Rising, May 14, 2024)
100 Days of Building Power and Solidarity: Observations and Recommendations about Immediate and Long-Term Infrastructure Needs for Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab Groups in the U.S. (Building Movement Project and Muslims for Just Futures, January 12, 2024)
Funding Freedom: Philanthropy and the Palestinian Freedom Movement (Solidaire Action, 2022)
Resources shared/requested by the audience
Not My Tax Dollars mapping tool (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights)
“A new vision for philanthropy in Israel and Palestine” by John Lyndon (Alliance Magazine, October 24, 2024)
“Is philanthropy failing Palestine, Israel, and the Middle East?” open survey (Alliance Magazine, October 2024)
“How attacks on U.S. Palestinian solidarity movements undermine our democracy” by Rana Elmir (National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Fall 2024)
Leaders Urge Philanthropy to Provide Sustainable Support Before, During and After Election Years (National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Fall 2024)
“The Quiet Success of the Israel Divestment Movement” by Marianne Dhenin (Yes! Magazine, August 6, 2024)
The State of American Muslim Philanthropy: 21 years after 9/11 (AAPIP, September 12, 2022)