Joe Goldman is the President of Democracy Fund, a foundation committed to building an inclusive multiracial democracy that ensures freedom, dignity, justice, and well-being for all. As the foundation’s president, Joe is an outspoken advocate within philanthropy for creating a more effective and powerful pro-democracy field.
Since 2014, Democracy Fund and its partner organization Democracy Fund Voice have committed over $550 million to support pro-democracy organizations working to strengthen our democracy.
Joe has played a key role in creating and leading several bodies aimed at strengthening and growing the field, including chairing or co-chairing the Trusted Elections Fund (now the Moxie Fund), the Partnership for Safe Voting, the Voter Engagement Fund, and the Safe Voting Fund. He also chaired the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group for which he co-authored a series of reports on public attitudes about democracy and authoritarianism.
Previously, Joe was Vice President of Citizen Engagement at AmericaSpeaks, where he directed and facilitated large-scale public deliberations across the country, including the Unified New Orleans Planning Process after Hurricane Katrina and the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site after 9/11. Joe has also led citizen engagement programs from inside the government, including Mayor Anthony Williams’ Neighborhood Action initiative in Washington, D.C., and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission’s Common Ground regional planning process in Chicago.
Joe was a Public Service Fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he received a master’s degree in public policy. He graduated with honors in political science from Vassar College.