A Note for Funders: Strategic Priorities for Countering Hate and Extremism

In December 2025, SCI was pleased to host a visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland by Eric Ward, a leading figure in efforts to combat rising hate and polarisation in the United States who previously worked at Atlantic Philanthropies and the Ford Foundation. During his two-week visit, Eric met with community leaders, activists, and changemakers working on the front lines of countering hate and far-right extremism. A full report on his visit can be found here. What follows are his specific thoughts on the role that philanthropy should be playing at this point in time.

Immediate Actions for Philanthropy

• Signal that countering far-right extremism is important and urgent work
  Civil society is waiting for clear signals from funders that it's credible and appropriate to work on this issue. People need validation to move on these issues without feeling they're being "fantastical" for taking the threat seriously.  In this moment, your signal matters – it adds credibility, provides validation and enables communities to act.
  
  
• Protect existing trusted leaders and influencers
  Hold onto and invest in the community leaders who have built respect and relationships over decades. These are your best resources who carry influence and can deliver tangible changes that hold communities together.  Avoid chasing new "bright shiny objects" – be cautious of complete pivots that abandon proven influencers and relationships, because once these leaders lose credibility in their communities, it's extraordinarily difficult to rebuild that trust.
  
  
• Build networks across issues and communities
  Break down silos by connecting immigrant, LGBTQ, Black, environmental, union and education communities so they understand these are joined up attacks on democratic practice, not separate issues. In the United States there was a failure to help these communities see the connections, allowing the far right to pick them off one by one. Create "nodes of networks" to bring people out of isolation and help them recognise their shared struggle.
  
  
• Fund immigrant and refugee leaders to lead broadly
  Stop funding immigrant and refugee leaders only to represent their own communities. Resource them to provide leadership across society – when they lead on housing, education or economic issues that affect everyone, it fundamentally shifts narratives and undermines far-right framing. This approach "steals thunder from the far right" by demonstrating that inclusive leadership delivers for everyone.
  
  

Long-Term Investments

• Support tangible delivery, especially on housing
  Support community leaders so they can deliver real results that communities can see and feel. When government starts producing housing and communities see tangible outcomes, it undermines the core grievances that far-right movements exploit. Competence kills the strongman – delivery matters more than messaging.
  
  
• Think generationally, not in campaign cycles
  This isn't a five-year or ten-year campaign. This requires generational investment in new, younger leadership. Make it cultural and economic, not just political mobilisation, because young people need to learn governance and build the skills to address root causes, not just symptoms.
  
  
• Facilitate global learning and coordination
  Connect American and European philanthropy and civil society in genuine partnership. Americans need to learn from places that have dealt with authoritarianism and division before, creating spaces for co-learning rather than having American expertise flow only one way. American philanthropy ignored warnings about rising authoritarianism and now there is a responsibility to partner with Irish and European philanthropy to preserve democratic pathways globally.
  
  

The Choice Ahead

Ireland and Northern Ireland have something the United States didn't when it faced this threat: recognition that it's real, trusted influencers in communities, willingness to have hard conversations and working examples of leadership that transcend old divisions. The window to get ahead of this threat is narrow.

The question for philanthropy is not whether to engage, but whether to move decisively before the opposition becomes more organised.

Social Change Initiative continues to support activists and changemakers working to build fairer, more inclusive, and peaceful societies. If you'd like to discuss these priorities or explore partnership opportunities, please get in touch.