Foundation Leaders, Now Is the Time to Make Sure All Election Votes Are Counted

To the Editor:

On the eve of the election, 10 days ago, more than 110 philanthropists and foundation leaders signed a letter calling for secure elections and a peaceful response to the results. The letter listed a series of important concerns — voter suppression, unfounded claims of voter fraud, the encouragement of violence, the peaceful transfer of power — but then added incongruously, “We sign this letter as philanthropic leaders and representatives of nonpartisan institutions whose interest in the presidential election is not a particular outcome for any candidate.”

In the post-election haze, the letter seems quaint and more than a little disingenuous. The letter raised concerns that exist only because Donald Trump is president, so how can the signatories profess to have “no interest” in the outcome of the election? It seems doubtful that they had other concerns — immigration control, the right to bear arms, Roe v. Wade — that made their position more balanced over all. Rather than explicitly pretending that they didn’t care who wins, couldn’t they just have stayed silent?

Yes, any normal reader would find the letter deeply perplexing, but philanthropy insiders know better. They know that the incongruous sentence was intended as an innocent codicil to mollify foundation lawyers afraid that the letter might otherwise violate the IRS’s absolute prohibition against foundations (and other 501(c)(3) organizations) being involved in political campaigns, though it mentions no political parties and raises only issues that are “obligations to democracy.”

What’s far more serious is that these leaders did not take more forceful action months ago when it was becoming clear what was going on. The foundations could have written to the nation’s governors — even including the codicil — on the same “obligations to democracy”: no voter suppression, fair nonpartisan polling, etc. They could have funded a nationwide poll of American citizens to show the depth of the commitment to fair elections.

Tuesday’s night’s chaotic election gives these leaders a reprieve and the opportunity to show real leadership. They must use their voices — and their dollars — right now to ensure that all votes are counted.

They should all be having emergency board meetings to consider things like funding legal defense of all properly completed mail ballots; investigation of and possible legal action against the postal service and those who may have given the postal service instructions; and immediate investigation of charges of voter suppression. All this, of course, in defense of “universal values” without a particular election outcome in mind.

At this moment, doing the right thing as we enter a period of uncertainty may entail some financial, personal, or reputational risks for philanthropic leaders and their institutions. But things that feel safe and easy are not what we need. Apprehensive trustees should resign rather than try to restrain their bolder colleagues. Foundations without the stomach for the fight should consider distributing their resources to braver organizations rather than leave vital resources on the sidelines when they are needed most and when the struggles and actions of the next few weeks will have an enormous impact on whether we will have a functioning democracy going forward.

Philanthropy has been in for a lot of criticism of late, but even its harshest critics appreciate its ability to take risk. We need risk taking now more than ever. If not now, when?

Peter Goldmark
Foundation consultant and former president of the Rockefeller Foundation

New York

John MacIntosh
New York