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.
- Human Rights First
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2018
To support the Veterans for American Ideals (VFAI) project as they continue to organize veterans and chapters to speak out to counter Islamophobia, to advocate for refugees, and to bridge divides. In particular, this grant will support VFAI’s veteran trainings and bi-annual convenings, service and community events, and their 29/29 Ramadan initiative.
Project:
Veterans for American Ideals - countering islamophobiaFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism, Civic Participation/Public Participation, Civic Participation/Issue-based Participation, Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic ParticipationGrant Length:
Dec 2018 to Nov 2019Strategy:
Empowering Congress- Pillars Fund
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2018
To support Pillars Fund’s Culture Change Project, in partnership with the Pop Culture Collaborative, as they develop an American Muslim Pop Culture Cohort.
Project:
Pillars Fund and Pop Culture Collaborative - countering islamophobia through narrative changeFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Public Participation, OtherGrant Length:
Dec 2018 to Nov 2019Strategy:
General- 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 ProjectFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign FinanceGrant Length:
May 2014 to May 2015Strategy:
Previous Strategy- The Lugar Center
- $150,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2017
This grant will support the work of The Lugar Center, including their work to study the function of Congressional committees, creating bipartisan delegation meetings at state universities, increase congressional capacity for oversight, and other work to improve the bipartisan function of Congress.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Civic Participation/Civic Education and LeadershipGrant Length:
Jul 2017 to Jun 2018Strategy:
Empowering Congress- Student Press Law Center
- $150,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2017
General operating support for the Student Press Law Center.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Dec 2017 to Mar 2019Strategy:
Press Freedom- Future of California Elections
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2018
This grant will support the Future of California Elections (FoCE), a fiscally sponsored project of Community Partners, in conducting network-building work around California Motor Voter and Voters Choice Act implementation.
Project:
Grant for FoCE network-buildingFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
Dec 2018 to Dec 2020Strategy:
Pro-Voter Reform- Center for Strategic and International Studies, Inc.
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2018
This grant to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) will support their project to assess and counter foreign technology-enabled threats to our judicial system. The project will engage stakeholders in off-the-record discussions of the threats presented, train individuals in the judicial system to counter these threats, and will culminate in a report with findings and recommendations for further action.
Project:
Countering Active-Measure Threats to the U.S. JudiciaryFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Judicial Selection and Performance, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of LawGrant Length:
May 2018 to Apr 2019Strategy:
Oversight and Accountability- Social Science Research Council
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2018
The Social Data Initiative will examine social media’s impact on society and democracy, explore questions about the responsible use of social network data, and generate insights to inform solutions.
Project:
Social Data InitiativeFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Sep 2018 to Aug 2019Strategy:
Digital Democracy- The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2018
The University of Virginia’s Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is a nonpartisan organization that uses quantitative and qualitative analyses to promote legislative effectiveness among lawmakers across the United States.
Project:
Center for Effective LawmakingFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
May 2018 to Apr 2020Strategy:
Empowering Congress- Open News
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2018
OpenNews, a fiscally sponsored project of Community Partners, creates and supports a diverse community of peers working, learning, and solving problems in technology for local newsrooms to create the stronger, more representative ecosystem that journalism needs to thrive.
Project:
OpenNews Local Coder CohortFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism Education and Training, MediaGrant Length:
Nov 2018 to Oct 2019Strategy:
Ecosystem News- Marshall-Wythe School of Law Foundation
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2014
The Election Law Program (ELP), a joint project of William & Mary (W&M) Law School and the National Center on State Courts, provides reliable, updatable State Election Law Wikis for state and federal court judges to help them make election law decisions promptly and fairly.
Project:
Election Law State Courts ResearchFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Judicial Selection and Performance, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
Dec 2014 to Dec 2016Strategy:
Voter-Centric Election Administration- University of Oregon Foundation
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2018
Gather supports community-minded journalists and other engagement professionals through an online platform that acts as a hub for critical tools, resources, and conversations for journalists.
Project:
Gather - Year TwoFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Sep 2018 to Nov 2020Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- West Virginia University Foundation, Inc.
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2017
This grant supports work to demonstrate how universities can lead collaborative reporting projects that challenge local newsrooms to shift their practices to better create journalism that is meaningful to communities and responsive to their needs through a focus on reporting from a rural Appalachian perspective.
Project:
WVU Media InnovationFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Aug 2017 to Jun 2019Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Wayne State University
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2017
This project grant will provide support for the Levin Center at Wayne Law to continue its efforts to strengthen congressional oversight. This work will include academic research and collaboration on congressional oversight issues. By facilitating the development of an academic field focused on oversight and research into effective oversight methods, the Levin Center’s work is part of a longer term strategy to rebuild civil society’s work on oversight and accountability issues.
Project:
Levin Center at Wayne LawFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Open Government and Transparency, Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Nov 2017 to Oct 2019Strategy:
Oversight and Accountability- VotingWorks
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2021
VotingWorks is developing an open-source tool which will enable election officials to conduct Risk-Limiting Audits (RLAs).
Project:
Risk Limiting Audit Tool DevelopmentFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
Aug 2021 to Jul 2022Strategy:
Trust in Elections- Online News Association
- $150,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2021
This grant provides general operating support to the Online News Association.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Jul 2021 to Feb 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Civic Engagement Research & Dissemination Hub
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2021
The Civic Engagement and Dissemination Hub, a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy Inc., is a source of research on best practices for voter contact in the field of nonpartisan civic engagement.
Project:
Civic Engagement Research & Dissemination HubFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Civic Participation, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting AccessGrant Length:
Aug 2021 to Dec 2021Strategy:
General- Native American Journalists Association
- $150,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2019
This is a general operating grant to the Native American Journalists Association that will increase their support of members through trainings, networking, and scholarship opportunities, while holding the media accountable in their portrayals of Native American communities.
Project:
Red Press InitiativeFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Nov 2019 to Feb 2021Strategy:
Press Freedom- Center for American Progress
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2023
The Democracy & Elections Program at the Center for American Progress explores ways to improve our democracy and increase fairness in representation through structural changes including electoral system reform.
Project:
Democracy & Elections ProgramFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting AccessGrant Length:
Dec 2023 to Nov 2024Strategy:
Representative Institutions- Human Rights First
- $150,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2022
Veterans for American Ideals (VFAI), a project of Human Rights First, is a coalition of veterans and allies who continue their service to America by upholding, defending, and advocating for human rights at home and abroad.