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
  • Public Agenda, Inc.
  • $350,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2014

As a partner to the Participatory Budgeting Project, Public Agenda will play a lead role in the development of participatory budgeting  through surfacing local evaluation research, performing independent research and communicating research results to key constituencies.

Project:

Participatory Budgeting Research

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Budgeting, Civic Participation/Public Participation

Grant Length:

Dec 2014 to Dec 2016

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • Public Agenda, Inc.
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2017

The purpose of this grant is two-fold. This grant will support research and communications on the impacts and general efficacy of participatory budgeting regarding how governments spend money. This grant will also map and compare expert insights on the state of U.S. democracy, so that field leaders might better anticipate the path of democratic evolution and decide how best to support positive change in our politics. 

Project:

Impacts of Participatory Budgeting on Government Spending and Jumpstarting Democracy

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Public Participation

Grant Length:

Dec 2017 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • Public Citizen Foundation, Inc.
  • $150,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2015

To provide a renewal grant to Public Citizen Foundation for its work on the Bright Lines Project, which is a bipartisan group of tax attorneys who have developed a set proposed rules which are designed to clarify the IRS regulations governing nonprofit organizations’ political activities.

Project:

Bright Lines Project Renewal

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

Jul 2015 to Sep 2016

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • Public Citizen Foundation, Inc.
  • $150,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2014

The Bright Lines Project provides communications support to a team of nonpartisan tax attorneys supporting a nuetral, consistent application of the IRS rules related to political activity.

Project:

Bright Lines Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign Finance

Grant Length:

May 2014 to May 2015

Strategy:

Previous Strategy
  • Public Knowledge
  • $600,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2023

Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. They work to shape policy on behalf of the public interest.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Sep 2023 to Sep 2026

Strategy:

Equitable Civic Infrastructure
  • Public Knowledge
  • $470,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2019

From the Grant Start Date up to the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date, August 14, 2020, the Grant funds are restricted for the following purpose:
To support the creation of a Communications Justice fellowship at Public Knowledge to examine early career diversity in tech advocacy nonprofits, publish research and findings, and promote practices to increase representation of marginalized and lower-income applicants.
Any remaining funds from this Grant as of the Amendment No. 1 Effective Date, August 14, 2020, are hereby released from the project restriction outlined above and can be used to support Grantee’s charitable, educational, and/or scientific purposes as described in Grantee’s charter documents.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Oct 2019 to Apr 2023

Strategy:

Digital Democracy
  • Public Media Company
  • $50,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2024

Public Media Company is an essential partner to media organizations around the
country. They work with nonprofit and noncommercial media organizations, providing specialized business services, and helping them expand their service and impact, strengthen their communities, and secure their future.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy, Media

Grant Length:

Sep 2024 to Aug 2025

Strategy:

General
  • Public Narrative
  • $100,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2024

Public Narrative works to strengthen community-driven journalism in Chicago. In 2024 Public Narrative assumed stewardship of the Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA). Their work to integrate CIMA into Public Narrative closes the feedback loop among stakeholders and collaborators like CIMA administrators, members, audiences and supporters/philanthropy.

Project:

Chicago Independent Media Alliance

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism

Grant Length:

Aug 2024 to Jan 2025

Strategy:

News & Information Ecosystems
  • Public Policy and Education Fund of New York, Inc.
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2021

The Public Policy and Education Fund of New York provides training, coaching, and leadership development to build a more diverse, resilient and effective democracy movement.

Project:

Grassroots Training and Coaching

Foundation Center Topic:

Government, Civic Participation/Public Participation

Grant Length:

Aug 2021 to Jul 2022

Strategy:

General
  • Public Rights Project
  • $350,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2023

Public Rights Project’s Voting Rights and State Abuse of Power program is a rapid response litigation hub supporting a corps of 200 election officials across 12+ states. They provide training, technical assistance and legal backup to election administrators to enable them to quickly and effectively respond to election threats.

Project:

Voting Rights and State Abuse of Power Program Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting

Grant Length:

Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Strategy:

Resilient Elections
  • R Street Institute
  • $730,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2017

General Operating Support

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Nov 2017 to Oct 2019

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • R Street Institute
  • $1,575,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2019

R Street Institute’s Governance Project aims to assess and improve the state of America’s national system of self-governance by producing research papers and other writing about congressional capacity and separation-of-powers issues.

Project:

Governance Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Government/Open Government and Transparency

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2023

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • Race Forward
  • $150,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • General and Field Building
  • 2024

Race Forward’s Institutional and Sectoral Change program builds resources to equip civil society to counter authoritarianism and support transnational networks of young people committed to pro-democracy movement building.

Project:

Institutional and Sectoral Change Program

Foundation Center Topic:

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

Grant Length:

Aug 2024 to Jul 2025

Strategy:

General
  • Race Forward
  • $200,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2022

Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, they build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture. Founded in 1981, Race Forward brings systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity.Race Forward was founded in 1981 as an initiative to bridge efforts between analysts and activists by working with community groups, government, and national organizations to develop and implement policy ideas that advance racial equity.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation, Government/Executive Branch Performance, Government

Grant Length:

Oct 2022 to Sep 2024

Strategy:

Representative Leadership
  • Reader Institute for Community Journalism Inc
  • $50,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2021

The Chicago Independent Media Alliance project at the Reader Institute for Community Journalism works to create a self-sustaining media ecosystem in Chicago. The Chicago Independent Media Alliance project is a partnership of independent and local media entities collaborating on editorial and revenue-generating models.

Project:

Chicago Independent Media Alliance

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism

Grant Length:

Jun 2021 to May 2022

Strategy:

Ecosystem News
  • Reader Institute for Community Journalism Inc
  • $100,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2023

The Chicago Independent Media Alliance project at the Reader Institute for Community Journalism works to create a self-sustaining media ecosystem in Chicago. The Chicago Independent Media Alliance project is a partnership of independent and local media entities collaborating on editorial and revenue-generating models.

Project:

Chicago Independent Media Alliance

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism

Grant Length:

Aug 2023 to Feb 2024

Strategy:

News & Information Ecosystems
  • Red Canary Song
  • $200,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2021

Red Canary Song, a fiscally sponsored project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs Inc., convenes migrant workers and provides mutual aid, including reproductive health and ob-gyn services for a growing population of migrant women. Their work includes outreach to those communities to make it feel safe for them to access these services in the first place.

Project:

RAD Support of Red Canary Song

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Dec 2021 to May 2023

Strategy:

General
  • ReflectUs
  • $558,500.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2017

ReflectUS (formerly known as the Women’s Representation Coalition), a fiscally sponsored project of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, is a project by a bipartisan group of national organizations who support women leaders and a political system in which more women can be represented.

Project:

Support for Women's Representation Coalition

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Civic Participation/Public Participation

Grant Length:

Nov 2017 to Oct 2019

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • ReflectUs
  • $800,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2019

To provide general support for ReflectUs. 

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

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

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2023

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • Refugees International
  • $150,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2023

The Refugee Advocacy Lab is an initiative hosted at Refugees International and co-founded with the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Refugee Congress. They support the advocacy community by developing strategic communications resources, championing inclusive policies, and building capacity for the field.

Project:

Refugee Advocacy Lab

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation, Civic Participation/Naturalization and Immigrant Civic Integration

Grant Length:

Nov 2023 to Oct 2024

Strategy:

Power Building in Marginalized Communities
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