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What charities can learn from right-wing populism

Lucy Caldicott
Lucy Caldicott
— 4 min read

Let's be honest, talking about right-wing populism in charity circles feels deeply uncomfortable. It should. We fundamentally oppose the division, the scapegoating, the deliberate exclusion of vulnerable people. But we can't ignore something else: it's been devastatingly effective at building movements and mobilising people.

This isn't about adopting their messages so much as understanding how they deliver them. Because while we've been crafting careful, nuanced communications, right-wing populist movements have been building passionate, committed communities ready to act. If we want to compete for attention, hearts and minds, we need to understand what we're up against.

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