Should We Abandon Nonprofits and Just Focus on Mutual Aid?

People are frustrated with nonprofits. They can feel slow, bureaucratic, and more accountable to funders than the communities they serve. Meanwhile, mutual aid is fast, direct, and rooted in solidarity, meeting urgent needs without the red tape. So should we stop giving to nonprofits and focus only on mutual aid?

💡 It’s not either/or. We need both.

1. Nonprofits Can Move Resources at Scale

Mutual aid is powerful, but it often relies on small, direct contributions. Nonprofits have the infrastructure to mobilize millions of dollars, fund legal battles, support movement-building, and create systemic solutions that mutual aid alone can’t sustain.

2. Nonprofits Can Push Systemic Change

Mutual aid is necessary because of systemic failures—but what if we could change those systems? Radical nonprofits work to shift policies, redistribute wealth, and challenge power structures so that mutual aid isn’t always needed.

3. The Problem Isn’t Nonprofits—It’s How They Operate

Some nonprofits do cater more to wealthy donors than to their mission. But instead of abandoning the model, we can support nonprofits that embody mutual aid values: those that are accountable, community-led, and focused on dismantling oppressive systems.

4. Who Should We Fund?

When deciding whether to give to a nonprofit or mutual aid, ask:
✔️ Is this nonprofit redistributing wealth and power?
✔️ Are they led by the communities they serve?
✔️ Are they working toward systemic change, not just temporary relief?

Don’t fund nonprofits that uphold the status quo. Fund the ones that fight to change it.

Mutual aid is essential. So is long-term movement-building. The goal isn’t to choose one over the other—it’s to fund liberation in all the ways that move us forward.