Allyson Kapin is taking matters into her own hands – using Trump’s tweets as ammo, this #GirlBoss is raising funds for nonprofits and social justice movements alike with WeCanResist.IT.
HC: WeCanResist.IT is essentially a way to raise money for nonprofit organizations by using Trump’s hateful tweets against him. How did you come up with this idea? Can you elaborate a little on how the process works.
Allyson: “We wanted to find an effective way to channel people’s anger and frustration over Trump’s policies against Muslims, reproductive healthcare, immigrants, communities of color, the LGBTQ community, and the environment. WeCanResist.It turns Trump’s tweets into donations for social justice organizations who are doing on-the-ground work with the communities impacted the most. We’re specifically using Twitter, the very medium that Trump loves best and that he says was key in helping him win the election.”
“WeCanResist.It answers the question, ‘What can I do now to resist Trump’s anti-democratic policies?'”
HC: When did you decide to launch WeCanResist.IT?
Allyson: “Right after the elections.”
HC: As the cofounder of WeCanResist.IT, what does a typical work day look like for you?
Allyson: “My day begins with coffee and a review of the news. It’s critical that we know what’s happening every day, especially in the current political climate. Living in DC, it’s not uncommon to see impromptu protests at least once a week now. Staying on top of what’s going on helps us iterate the web app so that WeCanResist.It is at the cutting edge of events, and so we are prepared for any rapid response needed. This means reading the news throughout the day, listening to podcasts, regularly scrolling through Twitter, and making sure that Facebook notifications are popping up on my phone.”
“Being immersed in the political climate is also helpful for the nonprofits that WeCanResist.It supports. We want to make sure that when there is a harmful policy being passed or negotiated, for example, Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, our nonprofits who are working on that issue have the support they need and the resistance dollars in their bank accounts. Our team is unbelievable, and has worked hard to make sure that this app runs smoothly: addressing any bugs, ensuring the little orange hand cursor is just the right size, and preparing emails and social media to have at our fingertips to share in just the right moment. We brainstorm throughout the day, and sometimes we get sidetracked and come up with another brilliant strategy – which is just fine by me. This is a collaborative effort, and I’m so proud of the work we’re doing to support the nonprofits on the ground fighting the Trump administration’s toxic ideology.”
HC: Do you have any partners/co-founders working on this project with you?
Allyson: “The team is awesome and is mainly comprised of Art Hanson, Kristin Johnson, Jared Seltzer, Justyn Hintze and myself.”
HC: How did you choose the list of charities featured on the WeCanResist.IT site?
Allyson: “Great question. To launch the web app we featured several of the nonprofits based on personal experiences working directly with the nonprofits who we know do great work, are strategic, and need more funding. There’s a few nonprofits that are getting a significant portion of the funding attention right now and that’s a problem as there are a lot more organizations doing work that’s just as important who need funding too.”
“I also run a web agency that works with nonprofits, so I have a window into how many of these organizations featured on the app operate and the work they are doing.”
HC: What do you hope to accomplish with WeCanResist.IT within the next five years?
Allyson: “To help fund the social justice nonprofits who are doing on-the-ground work to fight the Administration’s oppressive and anti-democratic policies. Trumpism has unleashed more racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and attacks on reproductive justice and the environment than I have ever seen before.”
“We want to reach all the new activists and concerned citizens out there who are looking for the next step after attending the women’s march, the climate change march, and all the protests happening across the country. We hope to get as many people as possible to use the web app and transform Trump’s hateful tweets into funding for social justice organizations.”
“WeCanResist.It asks users to donate to the causes that are fighting the policy and legal battles that the Trump administration is putting forward, including defeating the Muslim ban, the immigration ban, fighting for reproductive rights, and protecting the environment. They are working to protect us against all the policies being ripped apart by the Trump administration. Social media has been a powerful tool in giving people on both sides of the political aisle a channel to share their views and amplify it. But WeCanResist.It wants to find a way to turn those social media conversations into a sustainable fundraising stream for people like you and I.”
“Right now the app lets people donate every time Trump tweets, but we are going to be adding more legislative targets over the coming months, and this is something that will continue to expand over the next few years. Regardless of who’s in charge of this country, we will need to hold our elected officials accountable, and this is what WeCanResist.It is about.”
HC: Aside from being the main project lead, do you have another full-time, day-to-day job?
Allyson: “Yes, I run Rad Campaign, a social change web agency and I also run the nonprofit Women Who Tech.”
HC: Coming up with such a politically-charged idea takes guts. What/who inspires you?
Allyson: “Injustices inspire me to wake up everyday and fight the attacks on our human rights. It’s terrifying to watch the leader of the free world try to destroy our democracy. People died for our freedom and human rights. I cannot stand by and let this Administration destroy it.”
HC: How can our readers help or become more involved in this project?
Allyson: “It’s super easy. Go to https://WeCanResist.It“
- You select the nonprofits you want to donate to from the list of charities we have vetted and who we know do amazing social justice work around the clock.
- You set the donation amount you want to donate per @realDonaldTrump tweet.
- You set the maximum monthly donation limit. It can be as little as $5 – the cost of a beer or latte.
- At the end of every month, your donation(s) will be processed, and we’ll send you a summary of how much you donated to each nonprofit based on the number of tweets sent.
HC: Is there anything else you’d like to let us know?
Allyson: “WeCanResist.It uses the very medium that Trump likes best, Twitter, into a tool for positive social change. Every time Trump tweets, social justice organizations get donations.”
- WeCanResist.It is a place to channel the anger, get involved, and fund the social justice nonprofits who are under attack right now.
- WeCanResist.It answers: ““What can I do as as a new activist or someone who wants to help fund the #resistance”?” These social justice groups are doing the groundwork and need your continued support right now.
- WeCanResist.It is a community that supports young people in their activism. There’s a misconception that young people are apathetic and don’t care about social justice issues, but that’s not true. They just want to engage on their terms and where they feel that they can make an impact.