Responding to the Moment, Protecting Each Other

Grassroots organizations in the US are increasingly facing legal and political attacks from the executive and legislative branches. These attacks are impeding their ability to operate and carry out critical missions by way of reputational damage, threats to their tax-exempt status, and weaponization of the law, increasing their risk and liability. As government officials and private actors deploy authoritarian tactics in an effort to stifle dissent and shrink civic space, nonprofit organizations must strategically prepare and respond effectively.

Given these escalating threats, Grassroots International has been supporting our US-based grantees and allies on strengthening their security and resiliency. Over the summer, we joined Charity & Security Network, Muslims for Just Futures, New Left Accelerator, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and Rising Majority in co-sponsoring an online workshop on Civil Society Rights & Resiliency: Navigating Attacks, Risk, and Compliance.

This workshop brought together legal and policy experts, leading advocates, and experienced trainers to equip participants with the insight and tools needed to fortify their structures and policies. It consisted of a two-part program focused on 1) education and 2) implementation. The sessions in Part 1 centered around lawfare trends, legislation targeting charities, and financial access challenges, while the sessions in Part 2 offered practical tools and strategies for nonprofit risk management and legal compliance.

Unfortunately, pressures have only intensified in recent months. Memos and directives, let alone troops in cities, have posed a chilling threat to constitutionally protected speech. Below, we’ve collated some resources from allies as an offering to our community.

Know Your Rights

• CUNY CLEAR: Know Your Rights flyers
• ACLU: Know Your Rights Resources
• Muslims for Just Futures: Know Your Rights Resources
• Center for Constitutional Rights: If an Agent Knocks

Risk Assessment and Safety Planning

• Vision Change Win: Risk Assessment Tool (PDF)
• Frontline Defenders: Practical Steps for Human Rights Defenders at Risk (PDF)
• Progressive Safety Alliance: Safety Recommendations – September 2025 (PDF)

Specific Risks for Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs)

• Charity and Security Network (C&SN): How to Protect Your Nonprofit: Essential Steps
• 10 Key Issues in 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Legal Compliance: A Resource Roadmap for Public Charities
• C&SN: Rapid Response Plan for NPOs
• New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI): Nonprofit Toolkit
• C&SN: Nonprofit Compliance Checklist (PDF)

Digital Security

• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Security Self-Defense: Security Starter Pack
• Frontline Defenders: Security in a Box
• Access Now: Staying Safe and Secure Online
• Activist Checklist
• Equality Labs: Anti-Doxing Guide
• Organization Security Assessment Tool

Travel and Immigration

• ACLU: Enforcement at the Airport
• CUNY CLEAR: Flying While Muslim, Black, Immigrant [but relevant for anyone]
• Muslim Legal Fund of America: What to do if you are detained at a port of entry
• ACLU: DACA
• ACLU: 100-Mile Border Zone

Our ability to respond to the moment depends on staying strong as a movement ecosystem. Both solidarity and knowledge are power.