What to do if you’re targeted by the White House
22 things your nonprofit can do if faced with politicized executive actions
The White House is engaged in an all-out assault on civil society. Targeting the legal profession with executive orders, retaliating against independent media, escalating existential threats to universities — all of these aim to extinguish any civic space not controlled by the president.
Likely, nonprofit organizations are next.
Read more: Trump’s next move to silence free speech is coming.
Nonprofit organizations — an integral component of civil society — provide critical services to local communities; feed, house and clothe the poor; support veterans; advocate for access to healthcare; protect children and the elderly; offer religious services; fight for clean air and water; defend civil liberties and other core freedoms; and, importantly, hold our leaders in government to account when they abuse their power. That’s precisely why the current administration — like autocratic regimes around the world — plans to target nonprofits. It’s another way to silence critics and sideline any organization that might serve as a check on the president’s power.
The landscape is shifting rapidly, which means that these attacks might not come solely in the form of executive orders singling out individual organizations. Rather, they could come from the president directing agencies like the DOJ and IRS to initiate time-consuming and resource-draining investigations into nonprofits that receive federal funds.
Whether you’re a nonprofit who's already experiencing politicized attacks, or you’re worried you may be targeted in the future, we know this is a scary time. But staying focused on your work has never been more important. Our democracy needs organizations like yours. As a follow-up to the guide we wrote to help orient nonprofits to the threat of politicized government investigations, we created a primer on responding to politicized executive actions so that you can continue to do your mission-critical work in the face of these threats.
Here are the 22 things to do if your organization is targeted — including general operating, internal and public communications, and security responses:
General operating responses: how to carry on with your work
Remain Calm. Staying level-headed will help ensure good decision-making and avoid disrupting your core work.
Involve legal counsel as soon as possible. An attorney’s expertise will be crucial in determining your organization’s options and protecting confidential information.
Continue your mission-based work to the extent practicable. It may be tempting to pause or shut down operations, but this is usually not necessary and may even be counterproductive.
Ensure that your staff is aware of all relevant guidance for what they should and should not do throughout this process. In frightening times, communication is critically important.
Ensure your front-line staff know what to do if they receive a call or in-person visit from someone claiming to be a government official, including how to verify the official’s identity and your protocol for accepting service of process on behalf of the organization.
Communicate with funders and partners, consistent with any guidance about such communications from legal counsel. It’s important not to hide or retreat in moments like these — civil society is stronger together.
Evaluate whether to inform your insurance carriers of the situation, if you have insurance. Your carrier may have resources to help you navigate a crisis.
Stay up-to-date on all required filings and registrations. Even as you address this situation, it is important that you continue to meet your routine administrative and legal obligations.
Internal responses: how to think about internal communications & document retention
Continue to follow your organization’s document retention policies and consult with legal counsel whether there is any need to create exceptions to those policies as a result of a politicized executive action. It is important not to delete documents in response to any executive action.
Assume that anything in writing could be disclosed or discoverable. Emails and text messages, even on platforms that promise encryption, DO qualify as discoverable documents.
Remember that jokes and sarcasm often do not translate out of context, especially in writing, and can easily be misunderstood or misconstrued. Your staff should use extra caution when communicating with each other.
Be cautious about sending written messages about any executive action targeting your organization. It’s natural to want to send a flurry of communications following something like this, but it’s important to remember that anything in writing could be discoverable. Ideally, all communications should include legal counsel. This may be particularly critical if you hear from others indirectly, and without verification, that your organization may soon become a target. In such a scenario, remind staff of your communications and document retention protocols and refrain from spreading rumors or engaging in speculation.
Public communications responses: how to win the narrative
Consider engaging a crisis communications professional to help, depending on the severity of the situation. Engaging with a professional early may be useful in getting ahead of things.
Ensure you have a clear process in place for preparing and approving public statements.
Temporarily limit public communications, especially about the specific politicized executive action, until you’ve had a chance to consult with legal counsel. This includes speaking with the press, responding to social media posts, or even communicating with friends.
Be prepared to share compelling information about the important work your organization does, and how that work positively affects peoples’ lives.
Only engage when you have a strategy in place. Importantly, do not engage in personal public criticism of government officials or post on social media while panicked or triggered.
Security responses: how to keep your people safe
If you are targeted, your organization may receive unwanted attention from other bad actors seeking to take advantage of your perceived vulnerability. Your response to politically motivated executive actions should also include protecting your organization against these additional threats.
Implement online threat monitoring for your organization and staff. Monitoring can help you know if your organization is being discussed or threatened online and needs to take additional security measures.
Encourage staff to be vigilant about online and data privacy. Consider signing up for an online data scrubbing or internet data privacy service, and adopting measures like multi-factor authentication.
Review your physical security protocols. Make sure your staff knows what resources you have available and who to call if they receive or perceive a threat (including calling 9-1-1 if they sense immediate danger).
Retrain staff on cybersecurity best practices and be alert for increased phishing and cyber attacks.
Keep basic security protocols even as your organization is moving quickly. Take the time to double check the “To” field of messages, use proper privacy settings, vet participants in group chats and calls, and encourage staff to be cognizant of their physical security.
Despite these looming threats, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture: the path forward lies in organizations across the ideological spectrum calling these tactics out for what they are, forcefully pushing back, standing up collectively, and continuing their everyday, mission-oriented work.
*This newsletter is not meant to, and does not, offer legal advice.* Any organization or individual who believes they may be covered or impacted by any executive actions should consult with an attorney.
Additional resources
Politicized Executive Actions Targeting Civil Society
Democracy 2025 - Resources to Respond to Threats on NGOs and Civil Society
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