Democracy Fund
OVERVIEW: The Democracy Fund is a bipartisan funder that supports organizations working to promote effective governance, election and campaign finance reform, media and public engagement, freedom of the press, and government accountability.
IP TAKE: This major bipartisan funder has a unique, proactive approach to its grantmaking and does not accept unsolicited proposals, so getting through the door will be difficult. It is not an accessible funder or particularly approachable, but it offers big grants in this area, making it worth reaching out to their office to learn more about how they choose to make grants. This funder has been evolving quickly, so stay tuned for more funding and initiatives down the road. The Democracy Fund also appreciates partnerships, so consider them for your work if you’re a larger organization.
PROFILE: The Democracy Fund was established in 2011 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Initially an Omidyar Network initiative, the Democracy Fund became an independent foundation in 2014. This private foundation invests in organizations that support the Fund’s vision of an “open and just democracy that is resilient in the face of change and worthy of the American people’s trust.” To fulfill its mission, the Democracy Fund champions the “leaders who defend democracy and who challenge our political system to be more open and just” through a Healthy Democracy Framework, which focuses on six elements: an energized civic participation, vibrant news and media, independent civil society, effective governing institutions, free and fair elections, and impartial rule of law and equal civil rights. The Democracy Fund also has a sister fund through which it conducts similar work, the Democracy Fund Voice.
The Democracy Fund’s current priorities include Free and Fair Elections, Effective, Representative, and Accountable Governance, Media, and a Just and Inclusive Society.
Grants for Civic Engagement and Democracy, Journalism
The Democracy Fund’s work is centered completely on civic engagement and democracy. Its Free and Fair Elections program focuses on ensuring that “all Americans, especially those who have been historically underrepresented at the polls, have the opportunity to fully participate in the democratic process and freely vote for the candidates and issues that represent their communities.“ The Democracy Fund designed its strategies for its Election program in order to “increase the quality of election planning and execution, mitigate risks to secure elections and credible outcomes, and reduce the practical and structural barriers to voting for a higher and more representative turnout.”
- The Effective, Representative, and Accountable Governance program “works to strengthen Congress as a co-equal branch of government, our governing system as a vehicle for the will of the people, and our ability to work together to solve the greatest challenges we face as a nation.” Grantmaking strategies here focus on “efforts to strengthen congressional capacity to legislate and perform oversight, as well as measures to protect the rule of law and check executive power. They also include experiments to mitigate polarization, promote pluralism, and advance shared American priorities and values.”
- Grantmaking for Media addresses the ways in which journalism is evolving to become more “digital, participatory, and inclusive.” The Democracy Fund’s Our Public Square program supports these “experiments and the long-term sustainability of journalism that is critical to our democracy.” To meet these challenges, the Fund collaborates with peer funders and communities interested in “creating, adapting, and sustaining new media models that prioritize the public interest.”
- Lastly, the Democracy Fund also makes grants through its Just and Inclusive Society program, which works to protect the civil rights of communities targeted by discrimination and hate. The Just and Inclusive Society project partners with community-based organizations and funding collaboratives to learn, invest in and advocate for efforts that:
- Build resilience by supporting the leadership of targeted communities and strengthening networks of diverse allies.
- Support coordinated communications efforts to respond to hate and violence and shape group norms by amplifying voices across communities.
- Fund impact litigation, direct legal services, and legal education to challenge infringements to civil rights and civil liberties.
Other Grantmaking Opportunities:
- Beyond its central grantmaking programs, the Democracy Fund also has several, what it calls, joint funds through partnerships with other funders that overlap with the Democracy Fund’s work.
- Electionline and Voter Study Group are other Democracy Fund initiatives that provide information on “sustainable local journalism, election administration, and the changing views of the American electorate.”
Important Grant Details:
Grants generally range from $100,000 to $500,000, but the foundation will sometimes award grants over $1 million.
The Democracy Fund is very open about its grantmaking habits, and publishes its Financial Information.
Past grantees include Millennial Action Project, Bipartisan Policy Center, Center for Public Integrity, Pew’s Election Initiative, American Press Institute, Institute for Nonprofit News, Propublica, and the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
- The Democracy Fund is highly proactive about its grantmaking strategy and does not accept unsolicited proposals.
PEOPLE:
- Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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