Democracy & Elections
Most Recent
New Digital Platform Connects Last-Minute Democracy Donors to Grassroots Civic Groups
The environmental nonprofit Clean and Prosperous America has launched a tool to help donors find groups with funding shortfalls working in key states and races.
Inside a New Collaborative Strategy to Fill Gaps in State-Based Democracy Funding
With the November 5 election looming, Building for Democracy Education Fund is pulling together progressive donor networks to get resources to the states and grassroots groups that need them.
The Oracle of Boston: How Billionaire Investor Seth Klarman and His Wife Beth Give
Democracy funding has been a big recent priority for the couple, along with health, direct services and the Jewish community. We dig into mega-gifts, the couple’s family foundation and more.
Meet a Philanthropist Who Wants to Fix Voting — and Tackle Hunger
Thinking big has always been a strong suit for Bradley Tusk, a political strategist and venture capitalist who’s now backing a big bet on mobile voting through his Tusk Philanthropies.
Three Lesser-Known Democracy Funders That Front-Loaded Support This Year
Leaders from the Park Foundation, Wallace Global Fund and the James B. McClatchy Foundation talk about their civic engagement strategies, which included early money to front-line nonprofits.
Funders Get Behind a Program to Help Young Elected Officials Succeed in Office
People For the American Way launched its Young Elected Officials Network to provide training and community for newly-minted officeholders — a cause that’s gotten relatively scarce support from progressive funders.
A Democracy Funding Advisor on What’s Animating Donors in the Election’s Home Stretch
We connected with Mike Berkowitz, the head of the Democracy Funders Network, to discuss moving beyond a defensive posture, being an “in-group moderate,” and how donors are leaning into joy.
Foundation for a Just Society On Why Democracy Philanthropy Matters
When it comes to giving for democracy, the foundation of Jim Simons’ daughter Audrey Cappell goes broad and deep in the American Southeast. That support will be crucial amid threats to the franchise this year.
Philanthropy Must Push Back Against Social Media Misinformation
Recent comments by Mark Zuckerberg reflect tech companies’ loosening grip on the problem of misinformation. Philanthropic funders committed to health, democracy and much more should be concerned.
Against Democracy Threats, the State Infrastructure Fund Channels Optimism — and Donor Dollars
The donor collaborative fund has a strong track record of state-based civic engagement giving under its belt as it takes on an election in which pro-democracy progress is on the line.
Pivotal Ventures Is Working to Build Women’s Political Power. Here’s How
Since her break with the Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates has been forcefully advocating for women’s political empowerment, a goal that’s playing out in her LLC’s evolving funding.
How the Irvine Foundation Navigates the Intersection of Economic Mobility and Civic Engagement
In 2022, the California grantmaker launched Just Prosperity, an initiative to advance policies that reflect the priorities of low-income workers, with an eye toward boosting their sway in civic life. How’s that been playing out?
Media Literacy Can Help Defang Disinformation. These Funders Are Backing It.
Helping people become wiser consumers and producers of media isn’t the focus of a whole lot of grantmaking, despite its obvious importance right now. But some funders do support those efforts.
In a Hyper-Polarized Time, This New Funding Collaborative Wants to Bring People Together
Backed by a diverse group of funders, the Trust for Civic Life is one of philanthropy’s latest bids to directly address toxic polarization and build up civic infrastructure. Its initial grants support work in rural areas.
J.D. Vance Has Set His Sights on Philanthropy Before. What Should the Sector Expect?
Donald Trump’s VP pick has a history of lambasting big philanthropy as part of the “elites” he’s positioned himself against. Will his ascent supercharge the GOP’s growing, highly partisan calls for philanthropic reform?
Philanthropy Can Help Foster Pluralism, But It Can Only Do So Much
As civil society looks to address toxic polarization following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, philanthropy-backed bridge-building efforts have a tough hill to climb.
Latinos Will Play a Critical Role in the Upcoming Election. Here’s What Funders Are Supporting
Among the fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. electorate, Latinos are poised to be a major deciding factor in November’s races. Philanthropic funders are backing lots of efforts to engage them — here’s an overview.
“The Election Isn’t the End Point.” A Deep Dive into the Carnegie Corporation’s Democracy Giving
Geri Mannion has led the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s U.S. democracy program since 1998. In an expansive recent conversation, she walked us through its multifaceted civic engagement grantmaking.
Philanthropy Must Safeguard Our Right to Protest, a Key Pathway to Progress
As the rights to free expression and assembly come under attack, guest author Rajasvini Bhansali argues philanthropic funders have an urgent role to play in protecting front-line organizers.
An Urgent Moment for The Movement Cooperative, a Progressive Election Infrastructure Hub
With backing from institutional grantmakers and its own members, TMC provides shared access to collectively purchased database and software resources. Now, it faces the mammoth challenge of the 2024 contests.
Why All Funders Should Be Democracy Funders
In this guest piece, foundation leaders Cathy Cha and Ralph Lewin share how their organizations came to democracy work and offer some pointers for other funders unsure where to start.
One Organization’s Quest to Forge a Civic Path Out of the Culture Wars, and Rally Funders
The Harwood Institute is working to help communities find common ground and avoid the political and cultural clashes that are dividing the country. It’s also seeking to bring more philanthropic funders to that work.
Disinformation Poses a Serious Threat to Democracy. Here Are Some of the Funders Pushing Back
Philanthropy’s been engaged in the fight against disinformation for a while, but those efforts are even more crucial in an election year that will once again test the nation’s institutions. Here are a few key grantmakers to note.
Faith-Based Funding Can Help Protect Democracy
Religious organizations are central hubs for civic opportunity across the U.S. In this guest piece, Kristen Cambell, Aaron Dorfman and Josh Rolnick make a case for why democracy funders should take that into consideration.
Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
As she departs from the Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates is quickly ramping things up with a multifaceted, $1 billion commitment focused on women’s rights. What does this all tell us about how her giving might evolve?
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Gears Up for the Fall Election — and Beyond
The Hewlett Foundation’s U.S. Democracy Program Director Ali Noorani talks elections, trust, misinformation, and how to build centrist and bipartisan constituencies.
Funders Must Step Up to Engage Pro-Equality Voters This Year
With LGBTQ+ rights under attack, mobilizing pro-equality voters will be crucial this year. Guest authors Fran Hutchins and Dani Martínez highlight ways funders can engage, including through a new donor organizing network.
The Gill Foundation, an LGBTQ Powerhouse, Dives Into Pro-Democracy Funding
One of the country’s largest LGBTQ funders is moving $4.3 million to democracy nonprofits in the lead-up to the 2024 election. It’s the latest example of a key cause-focused philanthropy embracing broader civic engagement work.
Democracy Donors Rally to Fund Election-Related Work Well Before November
The All by April campaign launched by the Democracy Fund led to $127 million in commitments, giving nonprofit groups across the country an opportunity to gear up for election-related work this summer and fall.
What Can We Learn from How Two Regional Funders Are Confronting Challenges to Democracy?
California’s James B. McClatchy Foundation and North Carolina’s Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation both support civic engagement and democracy. Needs vary from place to place, but the urgency is a constant.
