By James Poulos, GOOD.is
Say what you will about Americans, but they like to put their money where their mouth is. On a wave of unprecedented uncertainty and suspicion around Donald Trump’s incoming administration, people across the political spectrum are ponying up for organizations they think stand a decent chance of holding the line against whatever they’re worried Trump will do next.
In the few days since the election, activist groups have seen a marked surge in support. The Sierra Club’s monthly donation record was exceeded fourfold, Planned Parenthood raked in 80,000 donations, and the ACLU’s online donations page crashed as over $7 million flowed in from some 120,000 donors, according to The Atlantic.
“Other organizations reporting major increases in support included the NAACP, the National Immigration Law Center, and major LGBT-rights organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal,” Fortune noted. “The Anti-Defamation League, which combats anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry, said donations surged 50-fold the day after the election, and some major donors made new, six-figure commitments.”
Media figures, many of whom were left smarting by Trump’s surprise victory, have thrown their weight behind the funding wave, often emphasizing the importance of a free press and vigorous reporting. In a recent show, John Oliver recommended a string of nonprofits including ProPublica. The investigative journalism outfit “reported a surge in donations after being mentioned ... receiving ‘multiple donations per minute’ up to 12 hours after the show aired,” according to Business Insider.
The civic trend shows little sign of stopping—and Trump isn’t even in the White House yet.