Funding Social Justice: Who Controls Movement Money?

As the wealthy get wealthier, a handful of major financial institutions are gaining enormous and disproportionate power over which social justice movements get funding and which don’t.

Following a recent widely criticized federal indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center by the Trump administration, the nation’s largest donor-advised fund sponsors—Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab—immediately froze all grants to the 55-year-old civil rights organization.

The Rise of DAFs

Over the past decade, donor-advised funds (DAFs), special accounts where wealthy donors can set aside money for charity, have become a major vehicle for giving towards communities. Today, more than $326 billion in charitable funds are held in DAFs and that amount is expected to keep growing.

Commercial DAF sponsors often market themselves as neutral financial intermediaries. But when they can restrict funding dollars to politically targeted organizations, they aren’t passive administrators at all—they’re shaping the boundaries of what’s considered “acceptable” social justice.

How Gatekeeping Happens

The recent freezing of grants to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) by Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab shows just how quickly big donor-advised fund sponsors can turn into resource gatekeepers, while profiting from the guise of appearing politically neutral.

This unprecedented move by the nation’s largest DAF sponsors is not a coincidence. The Trump administration’s targeting of Southern Poverty Law Center is part of a larger campaign by conservative policies and policymakers to intentionally target social justice organizations across the country.

And if a nationally recognized organization can be financially isolated this quickly, what does that mean for smaller, grassroots organizations that don’t have resources to fight back?

Why This Matters in Our Region

For the Northwest and Mountain West–an area often underrepresented in social justice philanthropy–this question is deeply urgent. Our region sits on key social justice frontlines including Indigenous sovereignty, rural organizing, environmental justice, anti-extremist organizing, immigration justice, and housing justice.

That threat is especially serious in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, for example, which have some of the most hate groups per capita according to SLPC research. Which is why Social Justice Fund Northwest (SJF) has long known that regional donor organizing and community-driven funding is critical.

Community-Controlled Giving Is Key

At SJF, we organize donors to move money with intention. When wealthy institutions increasingly decide what social justice work is “acceptable” to support, donor organizing becomes essential work for community-centered public foundations.

Sustaining justice work requires funding structures that are accountable to communities, not political pressure from wealth management firms. We need funding rooted in relationships, shared values, and long-term commitments so grassroots organizations on the frontlines can access philanthropic dollars, especially during politically contentious moments.

How to Take Action

• If you have a DAF account at Fidelity, Schwab or Vanguard, you can reach out and encourage them to reverse their decision.
• Consider moving your DAF account to a community foundation or other aligned funder
  • Email us to learn more about Social Justice Fund Northwest’s DAF program
• Support the Southern Law Poverty Center and small, grassroots racial justice organizations directly and consistently—not just when they are in the news.

Written by Aisha Al-Amin, Director of Development, and Sharon Ho Chang, Strategic Communications Manager

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