Daily Life

Planned Parenthood has seen donations skyrocket in wake of Donald Trump's win

If there is one unforeseen advantage of Donald Trump's election to the seat of the US presidency, it is the fevered goodwill that has flowed into the coffers of progressive, anti-Trump, causes since.

Since the Republican nominee's election win on November 8, nonprofit organisations in the US - such as pro-choice charity Planned Parenthood - have seen a massive upsurge in donations. In the build-up to Christmas, the wave of generosity only strengthened as disappointed voters did their best to counter the President elect's dismaying policies around civil rights, including immigration and women's reproductive rights.

According to the Guardian, Planned Parenthood received more than 300,000 donations in the six weeks since the election - a rate of fundraising that is 40 times its usual.  

A spokesman told the news site that around half the donors were millennials and 70 per cent had never given to the family planning organisation before.

One of those was singer Katy Perry, who gave $A13,000 to Planned Parenthood in November, telling her large social media following that it was "time to turn words into action". 

 

It's time to turn words into action❗️There are so many steps to take, but my first vow is to support organizations that may have their funding support taken from them in the future by the government. I am making a public donation to Planned Parenthood for the teenage me who made several visits to first a clinic in Santa Barbara and then Los Angeles, CA to educate myself on my sexual health, a subject I had little to no information on because of my sheltered upbringing. I had no idea how things worked down there, and had no idea how to make a plan for them. Planned Parenthood educated me on my body and my reproductive health, so that I could focus on my dreams and using my voice until I knew the timing was right for me to make a plan to have a family. Since then, I have been able to focus wholeheartedly on bringing messages of strength and becoming a voice for others. Without this education, I may have had a different life path. That is just my experience, but I know Planned Parenthood's broader range of services can sometimes be the only medical support low-income families ever see. I know what it's like to need help. I came from a lower- to middle-class family and never grew up with the option of health insurance. I remember having 13 cavities as a teenager, and the best option my parents could come up with was to try and take me to Mexico because we couldn't afford anything in California. I am grateful for and stand in support of Planned Parenthood for giving Katheryn Hudson the knowledge to plan, and for continuing to be a haven for women to learn all options for their future. Now, more than ever, we all need to protect and create safe places for each other. I hope I can help inspire you to make a gift as well, and become a member and an ally. Go to: https://www.plannedparenthood.org to show your support. #wewontgoback

A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on

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It hasn't ended there. The news site reported that donations to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) rose by 7,000 per cent the day after the election, with the organisation reporting it has raised almost US$23 million from more than 300,000 donors since.  

It said the tide of giving has reached far and wide and has included both national and local groups working for environmental protection, gun safety, voting rights, public eduction, press freedom, women in office and workers' rights.

To give the flood of donations a little more potency, many of the financial gifts have been made in the name of Trump, his right-hand man, Mike Pence, and other Trump administration insiders themselves. 

A high profile example was Amy Schumer's donation to Planned Parenthood in honour of famous anti-abortionist, Pence.

 

Done and done @ppact

A photo posted by @amyschumer on

The website Donate Bigly - tagline "small hands v. big hearts" - makes it easy, in its own words, to donate to nonprofits in honour of Trump, Pence "and their binder of deplorables," taking no cut along the way.

There, users are encouraged to part with their cash to further the work of charities including the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), with a host of politicians including Jeff Sessions receiving certificates of thanks for their part in the generous donation. Sessions, Trump's Attorney General elect, has a history shadowed by allegations of racism and is known to hold deeply conservative views. 

For their part, progressive charities are reacting to fears of Trump and his allies. As the NAACP website puts it, "We need you more than ever".