The Skillman Foundation

The Skillman Foundation joined more than 100 philanthropic organizations to release this statement.

Acts of political violence—from the recent murder of Charlie Kirk to the murder of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman of Minnesota—have no place in our democracy. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of those lost to these senseless attacks, and we extend our deepest sympathy in the face of unimaginable pain.

Our country is built on the premise that everyone has the right to express themselves, even when others don’t agree with or like what they say. No one should fear for their safety simply for expressing their views. We must all forcefully condemn these heinous acts as affronts to the fundamental principles and health of our nation—and as charitable giving organizations, including those working in communities impacted by these tragedies, we do.

Our organizations are composed of people working to strengthen communities. We support our neighbors when they are in need and remain committed to uniting across divides and partisanship. Philanthropy exists to bring people together, not drive them apart.

Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve. We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give. Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans.

At a moment that is fragile and fraught, we must rise to the higher standard we all collectively desire. Now is a moment for leadership that drives unity rather than sows further division. Our organizations will continue focusing on helping people across all backgrounds, geographies, ideologies, and belief systems, to heal, thrive, and live peacefully together, protected by the freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution.

Signatories

1. Adler & Colvin
2. Akonadi Foundation
3. Albert Pick Jr. Fund
4. Amalgamated Foundation
5. Barr Foundation
6. Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
7. Bush Foundation
8. California Black Freedom Fund
9. California Community Foundation
10. Carnegie Foundation
11. Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
12. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
13. Comer Family Foundation
14. Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
15. Conant Family Foundation
16. Democracy Fund
17. Duke Foundation
18. East Bay Community Foundation
19. Erol Foundation
20. Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
21. Ford Foundation
22. Foundation for Child Development
23. Foundation for Systemic Change
24. Freedom Together Foundation
25. Fund for Nonviolence
26. General Service Foundation
27. Grand Victoria Foundation
28. Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment
29. Grove Foundation
30. Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
31. Health Forward Foundation
32. Healthy Communities Foundation
33. Henry Luce Foundation
34. Hill-Snowdon Foundation
35. Humanity United
36. Hyams Foundation
37. Imaginable Futures
38. James B. McClatchy Foundation
39. Kapor Foundation
40. Kenneth Rainin Foundation
41. Knight Foundation
42. Kresge Foundation
43. Latino Community Foundation
44. Lohengrin Foundation
45. MacArthur Foundation
46. MADRE
47. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
48. Marin Community Foundation
49. Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
50. McGregor Fund
51. McKnight Foundation
52. Mellon Foundation
53. Mertz Gilmore Foundation
54. Metta Fund
55. Michael Reese Health Trust
56. Minneapolis Foundation
57. New York Foundation
58. Northwest Area Foundation
59. Omidyar Network
60. Open Society Foundations
61. Packard Foundation
62. Peter E. Haas, Jr. Family Fund
63. Philanthropy California
64. Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)
65. Polk Brothers Foundation
66. Presbyterian foundation
67. Public Welfare Foundation
68. Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund
69. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
70. Rockefeller Brothers Fund
71. Rosenberg Foundation
72. Sachs Foundation
73. San Francisco Foundation
74. Schmidt Family Foundation
75. Schott Foundation
76. Siegel Charitable Foundation
77. Sierra Health Foundation
78. Silicon Valley Community Foundation
79. Sobrato Philanthropies
80. Spencer Foundation
81. Stanley Center for Peace and Security
82. Stuart Foundation
83. Stupski Foundation
84. Surdna Foundation
85. Terra Foundation for American Art
86. The California Wellness Foundation
87. The Christensen Fund
88. The George Gund Foundation
89. The James Irvine Foundation
90. The Joyce Foundation
91. The Libra Foundation
92. The Skillman Foundation
93. The Summit Foundation
94. The Water Foundation
95. The Winston-Salem Foundation
96. Tides
97. TransitCenter Foundation
98. Unbound Philanthropy
99. Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
100. Walter & Elise Haas Fund
101. Weingart Foundation
102. William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund
103. Woods Fund Chicago
104. Y & H Soda Foundation
105. Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation