President’s Letter: The Power of Standing Together

Dear friends,

James Baldwin once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” 

I have found myself returning to this quote often, especially in the past week as we witnessed a significant escalation of attacks on charitable foundations, non-profit charities, and our democracy. Last week, the administration issued a presidential memorandum — a type of executive action — ordering Joint Terrorism Task Forces to investigate and disrupt the work of advocates, nonprofits, and donors under the guise of national security and combatting domestic terrorism. The memorandum was signed hours after The New York Times reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to push U.S. attorneys to investigate the Open Society Foundations (OSF) and pursue criminal charges. 

It’s no accident that these actions are happening now. They are part of a campaign of attacks on organizations — law firms, universities, media companies, nonprofits, and foundations — that disagree with the administration’s actions, provide forums for dissent, or don’t enthusiastically and vocally support the administration’s ideology. These actions don’t just target one institution or one field; they are blatant efforts to weaken civil society’s ability to hold the government accountable. They are frontal attacks on every American’s Constitutional right to free speech, which protects our ability to give in accordance with our values. I’m heartened to see some conservative donors join the chorus of criticism of these troubling actions.

Our partners at OSF have, for decades, led critical work to strengthen our democracy and protect the rights of all people. The DOJ demanding targeted investigations represents a dangerous threat to the rule of law. That’s why so many organizations have stood up to publicly support OSF. Other funders have also been named by the administration and its allies in politically motivated investigations and similarly hostile actions for giving to groups focused on climate justice, immigrant justice, racial justice, reforming the criminal legal system, and more. We at Freedom Together will continue to stand in solidarity with our peers in the face of baseless attacks.

Unfortunately, we expected these continued abuses of power. Not only because of the recent swell of rhetoric from the administration that grossly mischaracterized the work of charitable foundations and the nonprofit organizations we support, but because such actions are a cornerstone of the authoritarian playbook. We’ve seen similar attempts to invoke national security to restrict and dismantle civil society in India, Hungary, and Turkey, and in our own history during the Civil Rights era, and against Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities in the last two decades. At Freedom Together, we’re also conscious that attacks on frontline groups and activists with fewer resources are increasing, and we’re investing more to support their safety and security.

By weakening civil society organizations, the administration and its allies are attempting to undermine multiple dimensions of the First Amendment — freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Controlling how people can speak out, the ways they get credible information about what’s happening in their communities and across the nation, and how they gather with their neighbors is a core strategy for consolidating authoritarian power. 

This is a code-red moment for our country and we must respond with the seriousness it demands. 

Scholars warn that we have a limited window to act before what remains of our democratic norms and institutions slip away. If that happens, our ability to make progress on the issues most vital to people’s lives could disappear for a generation or more.

To stop this escalation, we must join together and build power of our own. The organizers of successful nonviolent movements, from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to pro-democracy efforts in India and South Africa, show us the way forward. Leaders stood up and took enormous risks to challenge authoritarian power. They helped everyday people understand the harm of authoritarian actions, recruited millions of people to join their movements, and built broad coalitions across lines of difference. Most importantly, they took bold action, refusing to cooperate with oppressive systems and demanding freedom, together. 

These strategies are already proving useful in 2025. After the FCC attempted to censor Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show, a campaign took shape, because people across the country understood the attack as a challenge to everyone’s fundamental freedoms, not just those of one person. A widely circulated resource from activist Nelini Stamp helped spur mass action to act with courage and use collective levers of power. Prominent artists and unions spoke out in defense of free speech. People took to the streets demanding that ABC put Kimmel back on air. And Disney+ users canceled their subscriptions in droves, which contributed to Disney losing billions in market value. The collective groundswell sent a powerful message that there would be significant consequences to ABC’s actions, and the company reinstated Kimmel’s show. Now is the time to scale similar efforts to protect our fundamental freedoms. 

I am proud of our partners in the philanthropic sector, who have refused to capitulate and have instead chosen to stand shoulder to shoulder in support of each other and our grantees. This spring, charitable foundations signed a pledge to Unite in Advance of attacks on our sector. After the administration’s recent threats, nearly 200 charitable organizations condemned political violence and affirmed the central importance of the freedom to give and to support people across every background, geography, and belief. Grantees like the ACLU have similarly been organizing joint statements from celebrities, nonprofits, and prominent leaders. 

As leaders of charitable foundations, we must continue to remember who we are and never back down from our commitments to justice and inclusion. Foundations like Freedom Together support nonprofits that help millions across the country. From small towns to big cities, we fund opportunities for people to build better lives and to thrive. Our work is deeply American, and it’s essential to the future of our democracy. 

Now is the time to stand up for that democratic future. I know that we can prevail — but only if we heed Baldwin’s clarion call to confront the grave threats we face — and to do it together. 

In solidarity,

Deepak Bhargava