Prebunking for CSOs in 2025
By Laura Adams
Okay, friends—brace yourselves. The attack on civil society in the U.S. isn’t hypothetical anymore: it has arrived, and it’s straight from the authoritarian playbook we've seen elsewhere. Trump and Musk are painting a bullseye on nonprofits and charities, weaponizing the media, starting bogus investigations, and spreading wild accusations to cripple organizations that challenge their ideology.
But here's the good news: we don't have to wait around for the flood of lies to hit. We have an evidence-based levee: it's called prebunking, and it's the best protection against misinformation and propaganda. Here's why prebunking is our secret weapon and some ideas for prebunking messages you can use right now.
Prebunking means getting ahead of misinformation by teaching people how to spot it before it arrives. You expose people to versions of these attacks early, making them immune to stronger, nastier versions later. Research shows that prebunking reduces susceptibility to false information by priming the public to critically evaluate these tactics for what they are.
The U.S. government is already using tactics familiar from authoritarian regimes:
Terrorist Labeling In authoritarian regimes, legitimate protests and nonprofits critical of government policies are labeled as extremist or terrorist, a tactic already in use by Trump-aligned media and government officials.
Financial Misconduct Allegations: Elon Musk and others have made wild accusations that nonprofits misuse their funds, despite the transparency provided by publicly available financial records.
Frivolous lawsuits and Arbitrary Investigations: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and arbitrary tax investigations are used by authoritarians to drain nonprofit resources, intimidate their staff, and silence critics in other organizations.
Legislative Attacks: Authoritarian regimes frequently alter laws to increase administrative burdens and operational hurdles for nonprofits. We're already seeing new proposals in the U.S. aimed at making it harder and more expensive for nonprofits to operate.
Get your sandbags ready to hold back the waves of BS! Here are some prebunking messages you can share with others today:
Transparency Triumphs: Elon Musk calls nonprofits scams. Funny—anyone can check the exact salaries and funding sources of nonprofits instantly through ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, Guidestar, or BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Facts matter.
Tax Status as a Political Weapon? Not So Fast. In the U.S., tax-exempt status is granted based on clear legal criteria, not political allegiance. Using the IRS to punish dissent undermines democratic principles and is an abuse of power. Stay vigilant and question attempts to weaponize regulations and agencies.
Fake Investigations Ahead: Expect phony ‘investigations’ claiming nonprofits are breaking the rules. Spoiler: the real 'crime' is speaking truth to power.
Suddenly 'Terrorists'? Seriously?: If your favorite charity suddenly gets tagged as 'terrorist,' you’re seeing an authoritarian scare tactic live. Trump officials are already trying it. Stay sharp and question everything.
New Laws Solving Imaginary Problems: When new laws suddenly make it harder or costlier for nonprofits to operate, ask yourself who benefits. Increased red tape is a classic authoritarian tactic to silence community voices.
The 'Foreign Agent' Fallacy: "When they start calling nonprofits 'foreign agents,' they're pulling a classic authoritarian move straight from Putin’s playbook. Real nonprofits proudly disclose their funding relationships. Don’t fall for recycled Kremlin conspiracies."
Prebunking is one of our best tools to keep our communities informed and free. They want to drown us in lies? Let's build our truth levees higher.
