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
  • College to Congress
  • $165,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2019

This grant will provide general support for College to Congress. 

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jan 2019 to Dec 2019

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting
  • $166,211.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2023

The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, a fiscally sponsored project of Morehouse College, is a news trade organization dedicated to increasing and retaining reporters and editors of color in the field of investigative reporting.

Project:

Ida B. Wells Society

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Dec 2023 to Nov 2025

Strategy:

Journalism & Power Building
  • Business Forward Foundation
  • $170,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2018

The purpose of this grant is to support Business Forward Foundation’s project to 1) organize business leaders and train them speak out on the business benefits of diversity and inclusiveness, 2) to strengthen an ad campaign to support the organizing work, and 3) to develop a storefront sign campaign around diversity, inclusion and empathy. A portion of this grant will also support the costs of Business Forward Foundation conducting an audit of its 2018 financials.

Project:

Business Leaders for Vulnerable Communities

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy, Media, Civic Participation/Issue-based Participation, Civic Participation/Naturalization and Immigrant Civic Integration, Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Dec 2018 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

General
  • One America Movement
  • $170,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2020

To support One America Movement, a fiscally sponsored project of Repair the World, to conduct leadership development trainings focused on polarization and pluralism. 

Project:

Support for One America Movement project

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation

Grant Length:

Apr 2020 to Mar 2022

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • Morgan State University Foundation Incorporated
  • $170,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2019

The Institute for Urban Journalism at Morgan State University trains new cadres of black journalists through new fellowships; runs Social Justice Reporting Collaboratives between students at Morgan State and other journalism institutions; and produces research on the needs of black communities residing in news deserts or facing otherwise biased or insufficient news.

Project:

Institute for Urban Journalism

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training, Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2022

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • 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 Horizon Forum
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2020

The Horizon Forum, a fiscally sponsored project of Proteus Fund, will identify best practices, explore case studies, and develop solutions to address the problem of racist, dangerous, and xenophobic activity funded through the philanthropic sector.

Project:

The Horizon Forum

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Dec 2020 to Nov 2022

Strategy:

General
  • The Equity Alliance
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2022

The Equity Alliance is the leading Black-led grassroots organization in Tennessee promoting intentional, unapologetic, innovative, and culturally relevant year-round civic engagement among Black communities, while providing their communities with the tools and knowledge they need to be self-determining and create sustainable change.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation, Civic Participation/Issue-based Participation, Civic Participation/Public Participation, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting Access

Grant Length:

Oct 2022 to Sep 2023

Strategy:

Pro-Voter Reform
  • 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
  • Over Zero
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Just and Inclusive Society
  • 2018

Over Zero, a fiscally sponsored project of the Hopewell Fund, works to reduce and prevent violence, and to build societal resilience on issues of violence prevention, polarization, and more. Over Zero will initiate and complete research on societal resilience factors within the U.S.

Project:

Support for Over Zero

Foundation Center Topic:

Other

Grant Length:

Dec 2018 to Nov 2019

Strategy:

General
  • Oficina Legal Del Pueblo Unido Inc., dba Texas Civil Rights Project
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2017

This grant will provide support to Texas Civil Rights Project’s (TCRP) High School Voter Registration Project. This grant will provide TCRP with support to continue its work with the Secretary of State, high schools, voter registrars, and other relevant stakeholders to improve compliance in this area. TCRP will build important relationships between these entities while encouraging compliance with the law.

Project:

High School Voter Registration Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration

Grant Length:

Dec 2017 to Nov 2018

Strategy:

Pro-Voter Reform
  • Portland State University Foundation
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2024

The Local Election Officials (LEO Survey) is a project created in partnership between the Elections and Voting Information Center (EVIC) at Reed College and team and Portland State University’s Center for Public Service. This grant supports the design, administration, analysis, and dissemination of findings from the sixth survey.

Project:

LEO Survey

Foundation Center Topic:

Other, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration

Grant Length:

Apr 2024 to Sep 2025

Strategy:

Resilient Elections
  • Millennial Action Project
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2019

General support for Millennial Action Project

Project:

Support for Millennial Action Project

Foundation Center Topic:

Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Jan 2019 to Dec 2019

Strategy:

Constructive Politics
  • Take The Lead Inc
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2019

To support Take the Lead’s “50 Women Can Change the World in Journalism” program, providing training, cohort building, and networking opportunities for women leading in the media industry.

Project:

50 Women Can Change the World

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Journalism Education and Training

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Feb 2022

Strategy:

Engaged Journalism
  • Advancement Project
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2020

Advancement Project is a next generation, multi-racial, policy, communications, and legal action group committed to civil rights and racial justice . They use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements, achieve policy change and support local movements to ensure impacted communities are at the forefront of change.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout

Grant Length:

Sep 2020 to Dec 2021

Strategy:

General
  • The OpenGov Foundation
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Governance
  • 2015

This grant is designed to help support planning by the OpenGov Foundation as they aim to create a Congressional Digital Service. The Congressional Digital Service would provide resources and infrastructure to help build out the digital needs of Congress.  A successful plan would likely include a fundraising plan, hiring of a director, and a strategic plan for the next 3-5 years.

Project:

Planning Grant to Help Establish a Congressional Digital Service

Foundation Center Topic:

Government, Government/Legislative Branch Performance

Grant Length:

Dec 2015 to Nov 2016

Strategy:

Empowering Congress
  • The Civic Engagement and Elections Research Fund
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Elections and Voting
  • 2019

To provide support for the field of elections and voting research through participation in the Civic Engagement and Elections Research Collaborative Fund, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund.

Project:

The Civic Engagement and Elections Research Collaborative Fund

Foundation Center Topic:

Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting Access, Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership

Grant Length:

Nov 2019 to Oct 2020

Strategy:

Pro-Voter Reform
  • Constitutional Accountability Center
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Governance
  • 2022

Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC) is a think tank, law firm, and action center dedicated to fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history. They work in the courts, through government, and with legal scholars to preserve the rights and freedoms of all in America and to protect the judiciary from politics and special interests.

Project:

General Operating Support

Foundation Center Topic:

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

Grant Length:

Nov 2022 to Oct 2023

Strategy:

Preventing Authoritarian Abuse of Power
  • Algorithmic Justice League
  • $175,000.00
  • Project
  • Public Square
  • 2021

Algorithmic Justice League, a fiscally sponsored project of New Venture Fund, conducts and publicizes research investigating algorithmic bias in high visibility commercial and public sector AI systems.

Project:

Algorithmic Justice League

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Oct 2021 to Mar 2023

Strategy:

Digital Democracy
  • Free Press
  • $175,000.00
  • General Operating Support
  • Public Square
  • 2020

General operating support for Free Press. 

Project:

Free Press

Foundation Center Topic:

Media/Media Access and Policy

Grant Length:

Jul 2020 to Jun 2022

Strategy:

Digital Democracy
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