Grants Database

Democracy Fund collaborates with our grantees, donors, and other partners to strengthen and expand the movement for an inclusive, multiracial democracy. We are proud to have supported more than 400 organizations doing this work.

Program Areas
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Elections and Voting
General and Field Building
Governance
Just and Inclusive Society
President's Office
Public Square
Strategies
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Civil & Human Rights Online
Constructive Politics
Digital Democracy
Ecosystem News
Empowering Congress
Engaged Journalism
Equitable Civic Infrastructure
General
Investigative Journalism
Journalism & Power Building
News & Information Ecosystems
Oversight and Accountability
Power Building in Marginalized Communities
Press Freedom
Preventing Authoritarian Abuse of Power
Previous Strategy
Pro-Voter Reform
Representative Institutions
Representative Leadership
Resilient Elections
Rights and Dignity
Roadmap for American Democracy
State and Local Accountability
Trust in Elections
Voter-Centric Election Administration
Voting Power
Organization Name (A-Z) Grant Amount Type Program Area Year
  • Faith Matters Network Collaborative
  • $100,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2022

Faith Matters Network catalyzes personal and social change by equipping community organizers, faith leaders, and activists with resources for connection, spiritual sustainability, and accompaniment.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Nov 2022 to Oct 2023

Strategy:

General
  • Federation of American Scientists
  • $103,500.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2019

The Federation of American Scientists’ Congressional Science Policy Initiative strengthens connections between the scientific community and congressional policymakers. They will develop an open source, web-based application that allows scientists, engineers, and technologists to engage with congressional committees.

Project:

Congressional Science Policy Initiative

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Issue-based Participation, Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2020

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • Field Foundation of Illinois Inc.
  • $225,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2022

The Chicago Media and Storytelling Program at the Field Foundation supports pivotal investments to increase the production of news and innovative content that is by, for, and about African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) communities and helps create a more inclusive, accurate, and comprehensive narrative of Chicago.

Project:

Chicago Media and Storytelling Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism, Media

Grant Length:

Nov 2022 to Oct 2023

Strategy:

News & Information Ecosystems
  • Field Foundation of Illinois Inc.
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2018

To support efforts to create a healthy local news ecosystem via a grant program that supports community-based journalism and media organizations in Chicago, with a focus on community-based journalism organizations led by people of color.

Project:

Chicago Local News Field Fund

Foundation Center Topic:

Media, Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Dec 2018 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

Ecosystem News
  • Field Foundation of Illinois Inc.
  • $400,190.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2019

To support the Media and Storytelling Program at the Field Foundation, which supports pivotal investments to increase the production of news and innovative content that is by, for, and about African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) communities and helps create a more inclusive, accurate, and comprehensive narrative of Chicago.

Project:

Chicago Media and Storytelling Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism

Grant Length:

Dec 2019 to Nov 2021

Strategy:

Ecosystem News
  • Fight for the Future Education Fund
  • $300,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2023

Fight for the Future Education Fund is a group of artists, engineers, activists, and technologists harnessing the power of the Internet to channel outrage into action, defending people’s most basic rights in the digital age. They work to ensure that technology is a force for empowerment, free expression, and liberation rather than tyranny, corruption, and structural inequality.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Oct 2023 to Sep 2025

Strategy:

Civil & Human Rights Online
  • First Draft News
  • $500,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2019

To support First Draft News, a fiscally sponsored project of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, in designing training programs at news outlets across the United States in resilience building and collaboration to provide ongoing support for journalists, technologists, and the public as they navigate the challenges of mis/disinformation.

Project:

Mis/disinformation Trainings

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Apr 2021

Strategy:

General
  • First Look Institute
  • $100,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2021

Lawyers for Reporters, a joint project of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and First Look Institute’s Press Freedom Defense Fund, provides pro bono legal assistance to local journalists and media organizations in the United States.

Project:

Lawyers for Reporters

Foundation Center Topic:

Media, Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Oct 2021 to Sep 2022

Strategy:

Press Freedom
  • Fordham University
  • $300,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2013

Researchers from Fordham University and other academic partners will conduct field experiments on the role of money in our political system.

Project:

Field Experiments on Money in Politics

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Mar 2013 to Jul 2017

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • Foreign Policy Research Institute
  • $125,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2019

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) will analyze and distribute research on election mis/disinformation as promulgated by foreign actors. FPRI will provide a standardized review of state-sponsored media outlets, the themes and messages they advance in the U.S., and offer indicators of nefarious influence in social media.

Project:

Foreign Interference in Elections Research

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Feb 2021

Strategy:

Trust in Elections
  • Former Members of Congress Inc.
  • $350,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2017

General Operating Support

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Dec 2017 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • Former Members of Congress Inc.
  • $450,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2019

General Operating Support

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Dec 2019 to Nov 2023

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • Former Members of Congress Inc.
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2016

The purpose of this grant is to support the Former Members of Congress Association and their work to improve the function of the U.S. Congress. 

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Dec 2016 to Nov 2017

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • Foundation for City College
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2024

The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice is a leadership development initiative housed within the City University of New York, to harness the potential of leaders of color working in the democracy reform and social justice sectors.

Project:

Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Other

Grant Length:

Oct 2024 to Sep 2026

Strategy:

General
  • Foundation for City College
  • $100,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2023

The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice is a leadership development initiative housed within the City University of New York to harness the potential of leaders of color working in the democracy reform and social justice sectors.

Project:

Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Nov 2023 to Sep 2024

Strategy:

General
  • Foundation for City College
  • $350,000.00
  • Project
  • President's Office
  • 2021

The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice, a leadership development initiative housed within the City University of New York, provides training and resources to leaders of color working in the democracy reform and social justice sectors.

Project:

Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice Seed Grant

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Dec 2021 to Nov 2023

Strategy:

General
  • Foundation for Minority Interests In Media Inc.
  • $750,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2019

To provide general operating support to the Emma Bowen Foundation as they continue their work placing undergraduates of color in a variety of media outlets across the U.S., diversifying newsrooms overall, and track the retention of their fellows in the industry over time. 

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2022

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • Foundation for Minority Interests In Media Inc.
  • $250,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2023

The Emma Bowen Foundation helps place students of color in a variety of media outlets across the U.S. to increase the diversity of newsrooms. They provide early career support for journalists of color, and track the retention of their fellows in the industry over time.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

May 2023 to Apr 2024

Strategy:

Journalism & Power Building
  • Foundation for Minority Interests In Media Inc.
  • $500,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2017

This grant will provide support for the Emma Bowen Foundation’s (“EBF”) diversity through internships work. This project will provide capacity for EBF to support at least 25 interns in rural, diverse-led, and nonprofit news outlets across the country. To enhance and extend current EBF intern programing on media specific content and leadership development, EBF will also hire a Program Director.

Project:

Supporting Diversity through Internships

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Oct 2017 to Sep 2019

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • Four Freedoms Fund
  • $20,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2019

To support wellness and healing for frontline staff at Four Freedoms Fund, a project of NEO Philanthropy, and to learn about strategies, resources, and needs in the field. 

Project:

RAD Healing and Wellness for Four Freedoms Fund

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Nov 2020

Strategy:

General
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