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.

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Organization Name (A-Z) Grant Amount Type Program Area Year
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $475,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2016

The purpose of this grant is to support the Aspen Congressional Program’s efforts to improve trust, dialogue, and informed participation among Members of Congress.

Project:

Aspen Congressional Program

Foundation Center Topic:

Government

Grant Length:

Apr 2016 to Mar 2019

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $250,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2018

The Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership identifies and brings together promising young political leaders to explore the underlying values and principles of western democracy, the relationship between individuals and their community, and the responsibilities of public leadership.

Project:

Strengthening the Rodel Fellowship Program’s Role in Bipartisan and Civil American Politics

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jul 2018 to Dec 2020

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $350,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2015

The Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership identifies and brings together promising young political leaders to explore the underlying values and principles of western democracy, the relationship between individuals and their community, and the responsibilities of public leadership.

Project:

Rodel Fellowship Expansion

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Nov 2015 to Aug 2017

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $300,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2014

Support the Aspen Congressional Program efforts to improve trust, dialogue, and informed participation among Members of Congress.

Project:

Aspen Congressional Program

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jul 2014 to Mar 2016

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $300,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2020

Working with ideologically and diverse group of organizations, the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program will produce public-facing materials, including a report with actionable recommendations and video tools, to help people rethink what the meaning of American ideals and identity.

Project:

Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation, Government, Civic Participation/Public Participation, Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Jul 2020 to Jun 2023

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $225,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2022

The Religion and Society Program at the Aspen Institute works to promote religious pluralism, inclusion, and to dismantle hate and extremism.

Project:

Support for the Religion and Society Program

Foundation Center Topic:

Other, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Grant Length:

Aug 2022 to Nov 2024

Strategy:

General
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $400,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2019

To support the Aspen Institute Congressional Program, a nongovernmental, nonpartisan educational program serving Members of the United States Congress and their staff. The Congressional Program’s focus on scholarly engagement gives Senators, Representatives, and senior staff the opportunity to delve into complex and pressing public policy issues with internationally recognized experts in a neutral, off-the-record settings in two primary forums: annual conferences and weekly breakfasts. 

Project:

Congressional Program

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jul 2019 to Dec 2022

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • The Aspen Institute Inc
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2020

To support the Inclusive America Project at The Aspen Institute. 

Project:

Support for the Inclusive America Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Apr 2020 to Mar 2022

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2022

Brookings Senior Fellows will conduct a series of researcher and former practitioner convenings to consider new and innovative ideas for changing the Senate including, but not limited to, its composition and its rules and practices.

Project:

Future of the Senate Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Sep 2022 to Aug 2025

Strategy:

General
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2023

The Brookings Institution is researching the impact of climate change and climate migration on American systems of democracy and governance.

Project:

Brookings Research: Climate Impact on Democracy

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Sep 2023 to Jan 2025

Strategy:

Power Building in Marginalized Communities
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2017

This grant will support Lawfare, a blog and project of the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program. Lawfare facilitates research and robust analysis of national security issues, and Lawfare experts also use FOIA to uncover information that will help foster objective, public, and transparent discussions around government decision-making. 

Project:

Support for Lawfare

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Open Government and Transparency, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law

Grant Length:

Dec 2017 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

Oversight and Accountability
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $10,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2020

The Brookings Institution is conducting research on social service partnerships between the government and faith-based organizations, and will publish and share a report that includes recommended best practices.

Project:

Institution Report on Federal Faith-Based Initiatives

Foundation Center Topic:

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

Grant Length:

Jul 2020 to Dec 2020

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $250,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2017

This grant will support a two-year research project to study how primary elections impact political polarization and congressional dysfunction, explore the potential of congressional primaries as a vehicle to increase political equality, restoring public trust in the electoral system, and ultimately what gives rise to more equitable economic opportunities.

Project:

Research into Primary Elections & Congressional Dysfunction

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Civic Participation/Public Participation, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout

Grant Length:

Nov 2017 to Mar 2020

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $350,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2019

To support the Brookings Institution’s work to track and analyze the actions being taken by members of the House of Representatives and its committees to conduct oversight of executive branch actions and policies in the 116th Congress through its House Oversight Tracker webpage. 

Project:

Brookings House Oversight Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Executive Branch Performance, Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jul 2019 to Jun 2023

Strategy:

Oversight and Accountability
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $400,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2023

Lawfare is a publication and media network at the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program. Lawfare facilitates research and robust analysis of national security issues, and Lawfare experts also use FOIA to uncover information that will help foster objective, public, and transparent discussions around government decision-making.

Project:

Lawfare

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Open Government and Transparency

Grant Length:

Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Strategy:

Preventing Authoritarian Abuse of Power
  • The Brookings Institution
  • $850,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2019

To support Lawfare, a blog and project of the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program. The grant will support Lawfare’s research and robust analysis of national security and rule of law issues and its use of FOIA to uncover information that will help foster objective, public, and transparent discussions around government decision-making. 

Project:

Lawfare Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Government/Open Government and Transparency

Grant Length:

Dec 2019 to Dec 2023

Strategy:

Oversight and Accountability
  • The Campaign Finance Institute
  • $200,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2016

The Campaign Finance Institute will support scholarship to assess the current conditions and features of campaign finance systems and determine and investigate the most important research questions associated with those systems. Answers to those questions can help inform the field of campaign finance reform with the respected nonpartisan information and analysis. 

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Aug 2016 to Jul 2018

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • The Campaign Finance Institute
  • $200,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2014

The Campaign Finance Institute serves to provide balanced, thoughtful policy analysis related to solving some of the challenges associate with money in our political system.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Jul 2014 to Jul 2016

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • The Campaign Finance Institute
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2012

The Campaign Finance Institute will convene a nationally prominent group of scholars to assess what is known about the campaign finance system and determine what are the most important research questions that should be investigated to insure that future policy reforms are informed by the best available nonpartisan information and analysis.

Project:

Research Agenda for Campaign Finance Policy

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Aug 2012 to Sep 2013

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • The Campaign Legal Center, Inc.
  • $650,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2016

The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that defends and protects our nation’s democracy in the areas of campaign finance and voting rights.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting Access, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Oct 2016 to Sep 2018

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
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