Ideas
Grants Database
Democracy Fund champions the leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge it to be more open and just. We are proud to have supported more than 200 organizations doing this work.
- Media Democracy Fund
- $500,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2023
The Digital Equity and Opportunity Initiative at Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, is a major opportunity for national, state, and place-based funders to engage with one of the most significant digital equity opportunities in history: the implementation of the broadband portions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Project:
Digital Equity and Opportunity InitiativeFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
October 2023 to September 2025Strategy:
Equitable Civic Infrastructure- Media Democracy Fund
- $75,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2023
The Disinformation Defense League at Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund (NVF), is a distributed national network of organizers, researchers, and disinformation experts disrupting online racialized disinformation infrastructure and campaigns that target communities of color.
Project:
MDF Disinformation Defense LeagueFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
October 2023 to September 2026Strategy:
Civil & Human Rights Online- Media Democracy Fund
- $302,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2023
NetGain at Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, supports philanthropic collaboration and leadership on issues of technology and society, and supports engagement of organizations led by and serving communities of color in debates around platforms, power, and the public interest.
Project:
MDF NetGainFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
October 2023 to September 2026Strategy:
Civil & Human Rights Online- Media Democracy Fund
- $100,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
The Unicorn Fund at Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, is an award program that supports under-resourced grassroots leaders, including independent journalists, who face attacks for expressing their ideas, telling the truth, and taking a stand on the front lines of narrative change.
Project:
Unicorn FundFoundation Center Topic:
MediaGrant Length:
December 2020 to May 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Media Democracy Fund
- $300,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2018
To provide support to Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund, to further the NetGain Partnership and to support engagement of organizations led by and serving communities of color in debates around platforms, power, and the public interest.
Project:
Netgain Partnership & Platform AccountabilityFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
December 2018 to November 2019Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Media Democracy Fund
- $100,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2019
The Unicorn Fund at Media Democracy Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, is a one-year experimental award program that supports under-resourced grassroots leaders, including independent journalists, who face attacks for expressing their ideas, telling the truth, and taking a stand on the front lines of narrative change.
Project:
Unicorn FundFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Public Participation, Media/JournalismGrant Length:
November 2019 to October 2020Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Menlo College
- $80,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2019
To support the Women Also Know Stuff initiative by providing capacity for workshops and a road show.
Project:
Support to Women Also Know StuffFoundation Center Topic:
OtherGrant Length:
July 2019 to June 2021Strategy:
Pro-Voter Reform- Meridian Institute
- $290,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2012
The Meridian Institute will assess the feasibility of finding common ground solutions to address problems related to the regulation of money in our political system.
Project:
Finding Common Ground on Campaign FinanceFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign FinanceGrant Length:
August 2012 to February 2014Strategy:
Previous Strategy- Mi Familia Vota Education Fund
- $300,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2023
Mi Familia Vota Education Fund’s develops and implements non-partisan field programs and strategies for the diverse Latino population to promote citizenship, increase voter registration, and increase voter participation. Their Election Administration Outreach program increases the communities’ understanding to foster trust in the electoral process among Latino voters.
Project:
Election Administration OutreachFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
December 2023 to November 2025Strategy:
Resilient Elections- Military Veterans in Journalism Inc
- $25,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2024
Military Veterans in Journalism’s Information Integrity Project is a nonpartisan initiative combating the spread of deceptive narratives and violent extremism in veteran and military communities. A team of journalists, including several military veterans, report on violent extremist groups and narratives and engage with the community online to counter recruitment efforts.
Project:
Information Integrity ProgramFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
July 2024 to June 2025Strategy:
General- Millennial Action Project
- $350,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2016
This grant will allow Millennial Action Project to build on work to increase civil dialog and strengthen its own organization through collaborations with like-minded organizations while focusing on a key strategic constituency identified in our emerging strategy/map — younger Americans.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
December 2016 to November 2018Strategy:
Previous Strategy- Millennial Action Project
- $175,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2019
General support for Millennial Action Project
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
January 2019 to December 2019Strategy:
Constructive Politics- Millennial Action Project
- $138,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2015
The matching grant with the Hewlett Foundation will allow Millennial Action Project to build on work this year to increase civil dialog and strengthen its own organization through collaborations with like-minded organizations while focusing on a key strategic constituency identified in our emerging map — younger Americans.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
December 2015 to November 2016Strategy:
Constructive Politics- Millennial Action Project
- $425,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2020
General operating support for the Millennial Action Project.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation/Public ParticipationGrant Length:
April 2020 to March 2023Strategy:
Constructive Politics- Millions of Conversations, Inc.
- $600,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2019
The purpose of this grant is to provide general operating support for Millions of Conversations (MoC).
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Public Participation, Government, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, MediaGrant Length:
August 2019 to July 2021Strategy:
General- Millions of Conversations, Inc.
- $250,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2018
To provide general operating support for American Muslims for Prosperity (AMFP).
Project:
American Muslim Bipartisan Advocacy CampaignFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Government, Civic Participation/Public Participation, Civic Participation/Civic Education and LeadershipGrant Length:
June 2018 to May 2019Strategy:
General- Millions of Conversations, Inc.
- $300,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2021
Millions of Conversations is a movement to transcend divides and bring Americans together through common values to create a shared future. Using Truth & Reconciliation work, they challenge narratives that stigmatize our fellow Americans, disrupt intolerance before it takes root, and help heal communities so all Americans may experience a sense of belonging.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Media, Civic Participation/Public ParticipationGrant Length:
October 2021 to September 2022Strategy:
General- Millions of Conversations, Inc.
- $350,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2022
Millions of Conversations is a movement to transcend divides and bring Americans together through common values to create a shared future. Using Truth & Reconciliation work, they challenge narratives that stigmatize our fellow Americans, disrupt intolerance before it takes root, and help heal communities so all Americans may experience a sense of belonging.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Media, Civic Participation/Public ParticipationGrant Length:
December 2022 to November 2024Strategy:
Power Building in Marginalized Communities- Mississippi Center for Justice
- $450,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2024
By engaging elected officials, faith-based leaders, media, community activists, educators, childcare providers, healthcare professionals and other advocacy partners, the Mississippi Center for Justice dismantles the policies that keep Mississippi at the bottom of nearly every indicator of human well-being and deny African-American and lower-income Mississippians opportunities.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
July 2024 to September 2027Strategy:
Equitable Civic Infrastructure- Mississippi Votes
- $100,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Elections and Voting
- 2022
Mississippi Votes works to increase voter registration and turnout (specifically within 18-35 voting bloc) through innovative and high-tech engagement programming and outreach strategies. They also engage traditional organizing techniques to cater to the needs of today’s voters.