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.
- Issue One
- $250,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2020
The Rebuild Congress Initiative (RCI), a project of Issue One, seeks to better understand congressional dysfunction and aims to build bipartisan coalitions in support of congressional reform measures — especially efforts to increase congressional capacity.
Project:
The Rebuild Congress InitiativeFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Jul 2020 to Jul 2023Strategy:
Empowering Congress- The Ohio State University
- $495,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2020
To support the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability (IDEA) at The Ohio State University in deploying and promoting Connecting to Congress, its online deliberative town hall meeting module for use by congressional offices. This grant will help the project expand its pilots with congressional offices and inform potential broader adoption by Congress through analysis of data gathered during the pilots.
Project:
Connecting to CongressFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Public Participation, Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Mar 2020 to Nov 2022Strategy:
Empowering Congress- Trustees of Princeton University
- $50,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
To support research that contributes to a growing body of evidence that can inform stakeholders in media, industry, and government on how to most effectively design and regulate online spaces in a way that limits threats to democracy, with a particular focus on the impacts on people of color and women.
Project:
Investigating Digital Outrage as a Root Cause of Threats to DemocracyFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Apr 2020 to Mar 2023Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Oficina Legal Del Pueblo Unido Inc., dba Texas Civil Rights Project
- $500,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Elections and Voting
- 2020
This grant provides general operating support for Texas Civil Rights Project. Texas Civil Rights Project protects the civil rights of Texans through their work on economic justice, voting rights, and criminal justice.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting AccessGrant Length:
Jul 2020 to Jun 2022Strategy:
Pro-Voter Reform- 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 projectFoundation Center Topic:
Civic ParticipationGrant Length:
Apr 2020 to Mar 2022Strategy:
Constructive Politics- Community Foundation of New Jersey
- $215,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
The New Jersey Local News Lab Fund is a collaborative fund that supports people and organizations building a more connected, collaborative, and sustainable local news and information ecosystem in New Jersey.
Project:
New Jersey Local News Lab FundFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Nov 2020 to Mar 2023Strategy:
Ecosystem News- National Conference of State Legislatures
- $100,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2020
The National Conference of State Legislature’s Center for Legislative Strengthening (CLS) provides nonpartisan research and analysis for state legislators and legislative staff about legislative operations, procedure, and continuity planning. Their work bolsters the autonomy and effectiveness of the legislative branch of government in the 50 states and U.S. territories.
Project:
Center for Legislative StrengtheningFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Dec 2020 to Mar 2022Strategy:
Empowering Congress- American Oversight, Inc.
- $450,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2020
American Oversight is building a centralized hub for oversight of the government’s response to the public and economic crisis created by COVID-19. Using information detailed in FOIA requests, news articles, public reports, Inspectors General reports, and congressional investigations, they will support oversight and investigative activities of the watchdog community.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Open Government and TransparencyGrant Length:
Jul 2020 to Jun 2022Strategy:
Oversight and Accountability- National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
- $200,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2020
The NGA Center for Best Practices will provide resources and technical assistance to governors and their staff so state executive branches can better support election infrastructure security and resilience.
Project:
Election Security GovernanceFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration, GovernmentGrant Length:
Jun 2020 to Jun 2024Strategy:
Trust in Elections- Spaceship Media
- $100,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
Spaceship Media 2.0, a fiscally sponsored project of Social Good Fund, serves journalists by developing skills and capacity through Dialogue Journalism methods and local engagement.
Project:
Spaceship Media 2.0Foundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Nov 2020 to Oct 2021Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- $140,000.00
- Project
- Governance
- 2020
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law project on COVID-19 accountability uses public education and litigation to address racial disparities in the government’s public health and economic recovery response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Project:
COVID-19 AccountabilityFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Government/Open Government and TransparencyGrant Length:
Oct 2020 to Sep 2021Strategy:
Oversight and Accountability- Massachusetts Media Fund Inc d/b/a Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism
- $50,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
The Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism (BINJ) was launched in 2015 to support the development and production of independent news in Massachusetts. From the outset, BINJ has fulfilled that mission by syndicating bold independent reporting to community publications, running collaborations, and training promising media makers.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Nov 2020 to Oct 2021Strategy:
Ecosystem News- Chicago Reader
- $50,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
The Chicago Independent Media Alliance project at the Chicago Reader, a fiscally sponsored project of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, brings together 60 community media in Chicago to provide training, shared resources, and a coalition of support during a devastating time for media that serves communities.
Project:
Chicago Independent Media AllianceFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Nov 2020 to Oct 2021Strategy:
Ecosystem News- NAHJ Association
- $200,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
Through professional development services and scholarships, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) works to diversify mainstream newsrooms, so they better represent the communities they serve. NAHJ also advocates for the accurate representation of Latinos/Hispanic in news.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Oct 2020 to Sep 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
- $200,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
General operating support for The National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media, Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Apr 2020 to Mar 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Montclair State University Foundation, Inc.
- $600,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, provides critical infrastructure to the local news and information ecosystem across New Jersey. Their signature program, NJ News Commons, along with their other efforts, works to create a more collaborative local news ecosystem in New Jersey and beyond.
Project:
Center for Cooperative Media NJ News CommonsFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Oct 2020 to Oct 2022Strategy:
Ecosystem News- Outlier Media
- $500,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
Outlier Media, a fiscally sponsored project of MuckRock Foundation, Inc., is a trailblazing newsroom in Detroit whose strategy of identifying and serving community needs is a model for engaged journalism practice. Outlier also serves as an Ecosystem Builder by sharing resources, strategy, learning, and systems with peers in other cities.
Project:
Outlier MediaFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Oct 2020 to Aug 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Journalism & Women Symposium
- $100,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
The Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) is expanding their regional programming and diversifying their membership to support their mission to empower and grow the number of women in journalism.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Jul 2020 to Jun 2022Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- $1,450,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
General operating support for Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Digital Justice Initiative.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Apr 2020 to Apr 2023Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Center for Media Justice
- $775,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
General operating support for MediaJustice.