Post-Election Playbook: Communicate, Strategize, Protect

As we digest the election results, we’re gathering our people and our plans for what’s to come. Our work for justice for all goes beyond any single campaign or election, and like many of you, we’re collecting our thoughts, our resources and our strength for the work that continues.

This post offers initial steps to inform reimagined strategy and curates smart resources that many generous contributors are offering to the field: 

Understand the Terrain Now 

The landscape has changed, and the first task is to make sense of Project 2025 and its implications for your issues. 

We’re starting with this excellent Afropunk article written by LightBox Collaborator Janna Zinzi. For a deep dive, Democracy Forward offers The People’s Guide to Project 2025. If you’ve been tracking the early appointments announced by the incoming administration, you’ve already witnessed how they are aligning to enact their agenda, by installing a fox in every henhouse, each prepared to fully exploit or totally gut the government institutions and powers entrusted to them.   

To understand the narrative landscape we’re operating in, our colleagues at ReFrame offer Signals in the Noise: Election Recap Edition. 

Sort Your House

Nonprofit organizations should start by readying themselves for change from within. 

What internal policies and practices can your organization codify now to protect employees and/or members who may need to travel for medical care, whose families may be under threat of deportation, etc? Get your HR team and your lawyers in a room to make plans now. 

Political Healers Project offers this Community Protectors Toolkit with approaches to safeguard the vulnerable. Jessica Juarez Scruggs, Director of Training and Capacity Building at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center compiled this excellent list of practical tools for loved ones and community. 

It’s also an excellent time for organizations to revisit digital security practices and RoadMap’s Weathering the Storms webinar series + toolkit offers excellent resources. You may also wish to update document retention policies; the National Council of Nonprofits offers a starting point.

Risk Assessment: Threats to the Third Sector 

Organizations would also be wise to have fresh conversations on risk assessment and risk tolerance.

Given JD Vance’s meta-vendetta on civil society institutions like universities and philanthropy, we may see attacks on the charitable tax status that foundations and nonprofits operate under to conduct vital, mission-driven work. 

Building Movement Project released a recent report Sounding the Alarm: Nonprofits on the Frontlines of a Polarized Political Climate. Even before the election, we saw proposed legislation that could have granted the executive branch extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization of tax-exempt status based on a unilateral accusation of wrongdoing. Advocates are likely to continue to be targeted, thanks to initiatives like Project Esther.  

These calculations are even harder when we work in 501(c)3 spaces. We are under attack and legally required to fight with one hand behind our backs. Still, we can, and must, fight.

Even with a sober risk assessment in hand, we’re urging leaders and organizations not to cede ground before the real fights have even begun: 

“Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”

Find Your Lane 

As we prepare ourselves for attacks on our people and our rights, it’s vital to determine your stance now, to allow you to discern how you want to engage in the many tough battles ahead.

Building Movement Project offers the Social Change Ecosystem Map to help you determine the right role for yourself and your organization. Knowing where you can make your best contribution is a strength.  

Many leaders are taking both solace and guidance from Waging Nonviolence, with 10 ways to be prepared and grounded now that Trump has won. 

Leadership & Amplification 

As important as finding your lane is knowing what isn’t your lane.

In some cases, your organization will need to take a leadership stance, and you should do so boldly and well! In other cases, the best strategy is to amplify the smart work of others.

Collate your list of allied organizations who are taking smart stances in the issue areas where you don’t need to lead; identify them now and commit to amplifying their leadership when the time is right. 

Already, smart leaders are offering messaging tools to guide your work and position you to amplify the timely, important work of others: Anat Shenker Osorio and Jiggy Geronimo have offered post-election messaging for our base. Time to Act Narrative Table has offered messaging guidance for narrative power coordination. 

Block & Build Strategies 

Many leaders are planning to confront the Trump agenda with Block and Build strategies, outlined here by Convergence Magazine. 

The 22nd Century Initiative offers Block, Bridge & Build: A Playbook for an Inclusive Multi-Racial Democracy, including links to case studies of strategies in practice. 

Figuring Out What to Say and When

In anticipation of a new fresh hell every day, it’s likely that focus will be frequently pulled to rapid response.

Should We Make A Statement? offers criteria to help you determine when rapid response is needed, and tips to do it well when it is needed. 

Furthering this work, we are working on a tool to help organizations and their communicators prepare their rapid response strategy and content so that we can spend less time reacting and blocking and more time acting and building the future we want. 

Authoritarian forces thrive on fear and isolation; this is the time to join together through the fights ahead. 

Our communities and our futures require our committed, connected, continuous engagement. We’re here for it and we’re here for you, your organizations and our movements for justice.

Read the full post on the LightBox Collaborative blog.