Basiran
If the philanthropic sector is truly committed to dismantling authoritarianism and cultivating a liberated, democratic society, it must fundamentally recalibrate its relationship with the American South. For centuries, the South has served as the frontline of the nation’s deepest authoritarian impulses; yet, it has simultaneously remained the crucible of its most profound democratic breakthroughs. As we navigate a volatile political landscape, the necessity of long-term, structural investment in Southern organizing has never been more apparent.
The Cycle of Disinvestment: A Call for Generational Commitment
For decades, movement leaders and community organizers in Southern states have been caught in a precarious cycle. Philanthropic interest typically surges during election cycles—specifically when Washington-based pollsters label a state "flippable"—only to vanish as quickly as it arrived once the ballots are counted. This "boom and bust" funding model leaves local organizations struggling to retain talent, maintain infrastructure, and combat legislative attacks with meager resources.
ada smith, Director of Governing Power at the Backline Alliance, and Hillary Holley, Vice President of Politics & Advocacy for Women Donors Action, have witnessed this firsthand. "For our entire lives, we have seen funders cycle in and out of our states, and our communities feel the consequences," they note. When the funding dries up, organizers are laid off, and momentum is lost. When autocratic policies eventually metastasize from state capitols to the federal level, the nation finds itself ill-equipped to resist because the local infrastructure required to do so was never allowed to stabilize.
The 2026 midterms offer a critical inflection point. Despite receiving only a fraction of the national philanthropic support compared to other regions, progressive candidates in Florida, Tennessee, and Texas are successfully articulating a 21st-century vision for a new South. Their popularity proves that Southern communities are not only ready for change but are actively demanding it through state-based power-building.
The Emergence of Jim Crow 2.0
The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. The South is once again becoming a testing ground for regressive policies that threaten to undermine civil rights nationwide. Legal precedents such as Louisiana v. Callais have effectively weakened the protections of the Voting Rights Act, providing a blueprint for the systemic erosion of Black political power.
Conservative strategies are moving at a breakneck pace, echoing the tactics used to dismantle the progress of the Reconstruction Era. Reports indicate that as many as 19 Black-led congressional districts, alongside thousands of local school board and municipal seats, are at risk of being effectively erased this year. This is not an isolated regional issue; it is a national strategy. Authoritarian policies that take root in the South often serve as a template for broader, national implementation.
Historical precedents illustrate this pattern:
- Economic Inequality: Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in 2025 were merely the latest chapter in a century-long effort to hollow out public safety nets for Black and brown families.
- Bodily Autonomy: Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which acted as a catalyst for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, was the culmination of decades of legislative "gestational age" bills pushed in Southern states.
- Environmental Racism: The rapid influx of data centers in rural Southern communities represents the latest iteration of extractive corporate practices that prioritize white wealth over the health and stability of Black and brown rural families.
A Blueprint for Repair: The Historical Lesson
The South also holds the key to national repair. During the Reconstruction era, federal intervention enforced voting rights and provided protections that allowed for the election of 16 Black leaders to Congress and hundreds more to state and local offices. This period saw unprecedented investments in public welfare, medical care, and education—investments that benefited not just Black Southerners, but rural, low-income residents of all backgrounds across the country.
Today, the philanthropic response to this regression is largely insufficient. Conversations with leaders across the South—from the battleground powerhouses of Georgia and North Carolina to the often-overlooked regions of Louisiana and Alabama—reveal a common frustration: political funding is inconsistent, withheld during non-election years, and tied to narrow, high-profile electoral races. Too often, when a candidate loses, funders interpret it as a failure of the local movement, resulting in further divestment rather than a commitment to long-term base building.
Data from the Council of Foundations in 2024 confirms this disparity, noting that the South and rural communities receive the smallest slice of the philanthropic pie. When funding does arrive, it is frequently tethered to burdensome reporting requirements and unrealistic expectations for short-term outcomes.
Shifting the Paradigm: A Collective Commitment
In response to these systemic failures, leaders at organizations like Women Donors Action and the Backline Alliance are calling for a radical shift in grantmaking philosophy. They are urging donors to join a collective, long-term commitment to fund the South.
This shift requires moving beyond "electoral math" and toward "foundational repair." The current model of transactional funding must be replaced by multi-year, unrestricted grants—including 501(c)(4) funding—that allow organizations to engage in year-round advocacy and political power-building.
The success of Women Donors Action in Florida, which has maintained funding for eight consecutive years, demonstrates the power of consistent, long-term support. By investing in the infrastructure of these organizations, donors provide the stability necessary to nurture progressive victories, rather than hoping for "one-off" political wins.
Core Principles for Responsible Funding:
- Multi-Year Commitments: Move away from annual cycles to ensure organizers can plan for the long term.
- Unrestricted 501(c)(4) Grants: Empower local groups to engage in direct political activity and year-round advocacy.
- Trust-Based Philanthropy: Believe in the expertise of local organizers and relinquish the desire to control outcomes through burdensome metrics.
- Beyond Battlegrounds: Fund based on the needs of the community and the strength of the organization, not just a state’s "swing" status.
Implications for the Future of American Democracy
If philanthropy is to be a force for good, it must recognize that the South is not a problem to be solved, but the place where the nation’s future is being written. If the South transforms—economically, politically, and socially—the entire nation will follow.
The call to action is clear: treat this commitment like a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rather than a fleeting impulse. By making a down payment on structural change today, funders can help replace the current atmosphere of authoritarianism with a concrete, robust, and permanent plan for transformation. The path to a liberated world runs directly through the American South; it is time for philanthropy to walk that path with consistency, courage, and a commitment to generational change.
About the Authors
Hillary Holley is a lifelong Georgian and the Vice President of Politics & Advocacy for Women Donors Action. Her career includes leadership roles at the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Care in Action, and she was a key figure in the 2018 gubernatorial campaign of Stacey Abrams.
ada smith serves as the Governing Power Director for the Backline Alliance. Raised in the Appalachian film community, her work is rooted in cultural organizing and the long history of resistance within rural landscapes. She is a founding member of the STAY Project and serves on the steering committee of the Southern Power Fund.
Pevita Pearce
Reynand Wu
