Opinion: Charlie Kirk’s Killing and Civil Society

A free email with news, trends, and opinion articles about the nonprofit world, as well as links to our tools, resources, and webinars. Delivered every weekday. Philanthropy Today subscribers also get a bonus weekly email called Philanthropy Today — The Commons, about how America’s nonprofits and foundations are working to heal the nation’s divides.

September 11, 2025

From: Philanthropy Today

Subject: Opinion: Charlie Kirk's Killing and Civil Society

Charlie Kirk appears at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed.

Opinion
Opinion: Kirk’s Killing Is Unleashing New Attacks on Civil Society. We Must Respond With Bravery.

By Benjamin Soskis
Political violence must never become a pretext for crushing a strong and independent nonprofit sector.

We're sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network.

Please allow access to our site, and then refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, please contact us at 571-540-8070 or cophelp@philanthropy.com

Opinion: Kirk’s Killing Is Unleashing New Attacks on Civil Society. We Must Respond With Bravery.
By Benjamin Soskis
Political violence must never become a pretext for crushing a strong and independent nonprofit sector.

Political Violence and Nonprofits

The Chronicle has reported and published stories about polarization, political violence, and healing fractured communities. Here are some of those stories.

Opinion

Political Violence, Threats to Civic Society, and a Game Plan for Philanthropy

By Joe Goldman

Increasing attacks on pro-democracy advocates show that politicians aren’t the only ones at risk from violent political rhetoric.
Democracy

Born of Political Violence, This Group Helps Nonprofit Causes Find ‘Surprising’ Allies

By Drew Lindsay

Tim Dixon talks about the work of More in Common, which he co-founded after the murder of British politician Jo Cox, a close friend.
Interview

Can Nonprofits Help Stop Political Violence?

By Drew Lindsay

Common Ground USA executive director Nealin Parker — a veteran of conflict zones abroad — talks about the red flags she sees in the United States, and how organizations are trying to build peace.
Opinion

Congress Is Facing a Crisis of Courage. Here’s a Solution Tailor-Made for Philanthropy

By Nicole Marie Bergeron

To protect democracy, grant makers should fund security details for members of Congress.
Opinion

A Politician’s Crusade for ‘Healthy Conflict’

By Spencer Cox

Progress is infinitely harder when each side thinks the other is the enemy, argues Utah’s governor, the head of a philanthropy-backed effort to model civility in politics.

TRAINING

October 8 at 1 p.m. ET | Register Now

The nonprofit sector today is under deep strain — the work feels more urgent than ever, and the way forward is anything but simple. Join us for Leading Nonprofits Through the Twists and Turns, an interactive workshop with Melanie Ho, founder of Strategic Imagination. You’ll have a chance to step out of survival mode, explore ways to manage change, and understand how to lead well as complexity becomes the norm.

Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online

Melinda French Gates is pairing with the Wellcome Leap global health research organization to put $100 million into studying women’s health. Wellcome and French Gates’s Pivotal Ventures will each contribute $50 million for research into conditions that affect women disproportionately, including autoimmune diseases and depression, and cardiovascular disease, for which women have worse outcomes. Women’s health research has historically been underfunded, with many women systematically excluded from trials and studies. (BBC)

Background from the Chronicle:

More on Big Philanthropy

The Gates Foundation’s Last 20 Years: Planning for Sustainability Matters (Devex)
- Background from the Chronicle: The Gates Foundation, the World’s Biggest Philanthropy, Announces Plans to Shutter in 2045
Corporate Philanthropy Surges, Led by Pharma Giants (Devex)
- Background from the Chronicle: The Tax Bill Will Upend Corporate Giving. Here’s How to Prepare
Powerful Utah Families to Fuel 2034 Olympics With 9-Figure Fundraising Push (Salt Lake Tribune)

More News

What Is Turning Point USA, the Organization Founded by Charlie Kirk? (New York Times)
Lambda Legal Attorney Indicted Over Judge-Shopping Probe (Law360 Pulse — subscription)

Federal Funding

Harvard Federal Funding Set to Resume — at Least for Now (Boston Globe)
New York Loses Federal Grant for Head Start Program for Poor Families (New York Times)
Oregon Nonprofit Serving Disabled Kids Loses Federal Funds Over DEI Training (KXL)
- Background from the Chronicle: Nonprofits and the Trump Agenda

Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup.