Some extremists use the Internet to ask their supporters for money not in return for goods or services, but simply to support their activism. For example, the National Alliance makes contributing more convenient for its members by accepting credit cards online. Visitors to its Web site can purchase a new membership for $15 or pay their monthly dues of $10 or more. About 2,000 people nationwide belong to the group.

Threatening to Curtail Online Activities

Yet most far-right organizations seem less successful than the National Alliance in fund-raising. Though information about the success of their appeals is sparse, frequent complaints voiced by extremists about the lack of financial support they receive, as well as threats that they will curtail their activities if they do not receive more money, indicate that few supporters send them generous contributions.

"I want to take this time to let you all know that I will be taking this website down shortly," wrote August Kreis, a leading proponent of the anti-Semitic theology known as Identity, on his Posse Comitatus Web site in December 2000. "I no longer can afford to continue with the lack of support shown by the failure of regular contributions to this ministry." After receiving a "steady amount of e-mails" in response to this statement, Kreis decided to keep the site open but grant access to "Members/Supporters ONLY." Presumably, these "Members/Supporters" have sent Kreis donations.

Holocaust denier Ingrid Rimland has also asked her readers for financial support. "Twice a year, as posted on my website, I ask my readers to support the Zundelsite with a free-will donation," she wrote in a February 2001 "ZGram" E-mail mailing list message. "Those of us who put our heads on the block need you. We can’t keep on going without you. We need not only your verbal support and occasional expression of appreciation – we need your financial support." Rimland pledged to remove from her mailing list those subscribers who neither made a donation nor contacted her to tell her why they could not contribute.

In January 2001, the Militia of Montana asked subscribers to its E-mail mailing list for "a $15.00 donation per year (4 cents a day)," citing "costs involved in maintaining an e-mail alert list." Without these donations, M.O.M. stressed that it "will be forced to shut down this part of our operation," but the group promised those donating by February 15 that their "service will not be interrupted."

Providing Premiums in Exchange for Contributions

In August 2000, Panzerfaust Records, Resistance Resistance, and other hate music merchants announced on various extremist Web sites and E-mail mailing lists a joint promotion in support of the Aryan Nations Legal Defense Fund. At that time, Aryan Nations was being sued by Victoria and Jason Keenan, who were chased and shot at in 1998 by the group’s security guards (the Keenans eventually won $6.3 million in damages with the help of the Southern Poverty Law Center). "Aryan Nations is making a call to ALL for help with their Legal Defense Fund, because it could be you or your organization next," read the announcement. "A victory for Aryan Nations is a victory for us ALL!" Supporters who donated $15, online or via regular mail, to the fund received their choice of any one of thirty white power CDs from the participating companies. In October 2000, Vinland Records, which participated in the campaign, posted on its Web site a "thank you to everyone who helped make the Aryan Nations fundraiser a huge success!"

A similar promotion by hate music distributor Strikeforce Records benefited the white supremacist women’s group Sigrdrifa, which takes its name from a Norse mythological maiden. An announcement sent via the Sigrdrifa E-mail mailing list urged supporters to order "some great new [white power] music and support SIGRDRIFA at the same time!" For more than a month, Strikeforce donated $1 to Sigrdrifa for every item sold. In addition, Strikeforce donated the proceeds from an auction of the hate rock LP "For Segregationists Only" by Johnny Rebel.

Using Crises to Raise Money

Extremists may more successfully raise funds when focusing on a financial need caused by a particular crisis, such as the lawsuit brought by the Victoria and Jason Keenan against Aryan Nations. In addition to their pleas on behalf of Aryan Nations, white supremacists online have asked for contributions to support the legal defense of extremists such as Don Black and Alex Curtis.

Described by one advocate as "a selfless and stalwart supporter of White racialists everywhere," Black asked in October 1998 for money to pay the "heavyweight attorney" he retained in the face of "extraordinary attempts" to shut down his Stormfront Web site "through the court system." That year, Stormfront had been named in two lawsuits, one concerning threats against Pennsylvania civil rights activist Bonnie Jouhari, and the other relating to the posting of a copyrighted newspaper article at the anti-Semitic Jew Watch site.

In November 2000, Federal authorities charged white supremacist Alex Curtis of San Diego, California with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of various individuals, including public officials. "Will you please contribute money to ease the burden on Alex and his parents?" asked Alex Curtis supporter Elena Haskins on her "Wake Up or Die" Web site. In a message to his E-mail mailing list, Rocky Suhayda of the American Nazi Party wrote of Curtis, "I want everyone on this list alone, to SEND HIM $5 to HELP WITH GETTING DECENT LEGAL REPRESENTATION. IF everyone does this, he would have at LEAST $10,000." Tom Metzger offered a free, one hour videotape of himself to any supporter donating $20 to Curtis. Despite these efforts to aid him, Curtis agreed in March 2001 to plead guilty to the charges against him.