It’s the day after Earth Day, and if you’re not already furious, allow me to help.

Donald Trump is once again treating the IRS like a blunt-force weapon, threatening to revoke the tax-exempt status of Harvard—yes, Harvard—under the camouflage of “fighting antisemitism.” That’s rich, considering the administration’s actual gripe seems to be that Harvard wouldn’t roll over when asked to become a surveillance arm of the state. (They said no, and he froze $2.2 billion in research funding. Not subtle, Don.)

And let’s be clear: Harvard is only the first target. If you think Trump’s blitzkrieg stops at Ivy walls, think again. Every nonprofit, advocacy group, and policy shop that dares to question his good looks, brilliance and supremacy should expect the knock at the door next.

But before we panic—or worse, go quiet—let’s take a breath and consult history.

The Sistine Chapel of Smears

Long before Trump’s Truth Social tantrums and Nixon’s Enemies List, there was Lyndon Baines Johnson and his well-manicured vendetta against the Sierra Club.

Back in 1966, the Club had the audacity to fight a truly insane proposal: to flood part of the Grand Canyon so tourists in motorboats could get a “better look” at the Canyon walls. That’s not satire—that’s an actual justification used by the Johnson’s Bureau of Reclamation. It’s as if someone proposed flooding the Sistine Chapel so tourists could float up and get a better view of the ceiling. (And yes, that was the Sierra Club’s actual headline in The New York Times ad they ran to stop the madness.)

LBJ and his administration did not take kindly to the Club’s blasphemy. Just one day after the ad campaign launched, the IRS showed up on the Sierra Club’s doorstep in San Francisco—with a hand-delivered letter revoking their tax-exempt status. The charge? Engaging in too much lobbying. The reality? They embarrassed the President.

So what happened?

• Club Membership doubled.
• Media coverage exploded.
• The dams were scrapped.
• And the Grand Canyon? Still not a lake.

Fear Doesn’t Win. Outrage Does.

The Johnson administration’s ham-fisted attempt to bury the Sierra Club backfired spectacularly, converting the organization into a national cause célèbre. People joined in droves not despite the attack—but because of it. They recognized that principle was under siege, and they showed up with their wallets, letters, and voices.

Now flash-forward to 2025. Trump freezes funding. Threatens the tax status. Demands Harvard rat out its students and comb through syllabi. The response?

More donations.

More small-dollar gifts from people who never gave to Harvard before. Not because they love billion-dollar endowments, but because they know what it means when a petty tyrant tries to punish resistance with phony audits and funding cuts.

They’ve seen this episode before.

What Fundraisers Need to Learn (Fast)

If you’re a fundraiser, development director, or nonprofit CEO shaking in your sensible loafers right now, let me offer a counterintuitive piece of advice:

Lean in.

Do not tiptoe. Do not self-censor. Do not start sanitizing your mission statements into pablum to avoid scrutiny. You cannot appease someone who sees your very existence as defiance.

Instead, take a page from David Brower, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club 59 years ago:

• Tell the truth. Even if it stings. Especially if it stings.
• Make it visual. (See: Sistine Chapel ad.)
• Name names. Don’t euphemize “powerful interests.” Call out the would-be autocrats with enough gall to flood a canyon—or save democracy.
• Ask boldly. People want to give when they feel something’s at stake. And folks, everything is at stake.

If They Come for You, Say Thank You

When Trump or his proxies launch their next IRS or other bonkers salvo at your group, don’t rush for the bunker. Rush for the microphone. If you’ve got a compelling cause—and the courage to defend it—there’s a whole audience ready to show up with cash, checkbooks, and courage.

And if you’re one of the unlucky—or lucky—groups targeted? Don’t whimper. Don’t beg.

Channel your inner Grand Canyon.

And flood the damn media with your story.

Let the public float up to the ceiling and really see what’s going on.

Roger