Venting at Democrats and fearing Trump, liberal donors pull back cash

The demoralization and fear gripping blue America in the early weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration have left liberal groups and their allies struggling for cash, hurting their ability to effectively combat the right-wing transformation of the federal government.

The small-dollar online spigot that powered opposition to the first Trump administration has slowed to a trickle.

Charitable foundations are pulling back, devoting time to prepare for expected investigations from the Republican-led Congress.

And some of the country’s biggest liberal donors have paused giving, frustrated with what they see as Democrats’ lack of vision and worried about retaliation from a vengeful president.

Fundraising slowdowns are common after a presidential defeat and before marquee midterm races fully begin. But interviews with more than 50 donors, strategists and leaders of activist organizations show that many Democrats believe this year is different.

While Trump has not taken action against any liberal groups or lawmakers, Democrats worry his frequent threats of retribution during the campaign have led to a chilling effect on charitable foundations and nonprofit advocacy groups.

The political environment is strikingly different from 2017, when money poured into Democratic causes, fortifying existing organizations and seeding a flowering of new groups to fight different parts of Trump’s agenda.

Now, some of those same organizations are struggling to survive.

The downsizing has reached some of the most storied brands in Democratic politics.

Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, laid off 20% of its staff in what it called a “strategic restructure.” This month, the Center for American Progress, the party’s most prominent policy group, cut 22 people — 8% of its staff.

Donors increasingly want to stay anonymous, which could slow the flow of cash to Democratic super political action committees because they must eventually disclose their donors.

Liz Minnella, a top Democratic fundraiser, started a political group this year, Connect Forward, to help create a media ecosystem of liberal voices. She said she structured it as a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization — which does not have to disclose its donors — in part because she was “prioritizing protecting our donors” from possible retribution.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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