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.
- Oficina Legal Del Pueblo Unido Inc., dba Texas Civil Rights Project
- $390,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2018
To provide support to the Texas Civil Rights Project’s ongoing work to increase compliance with the state’s high school voter registration law, increase Section 5 compliance through litigation, and develop pro-voter policy blueprints in Texas’ largest counties.
Project:
High School Voter Registration and Section 5 LitigationFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and Turnout, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
Dec 2018 to May 2020Strategy:
Pro-Voter Reform- The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
- $396,500.00
- Project
- President's Office
- 2017
The purpose of this grant is to support The Center for High Impact Philanthropy (“CHIP”) to develop a toolkit for donors that will help philanthropists understand the various aspects of strengthening our democracy and ways they can support efforts around the United States. CHIP will conduct a field scan, develop specific resources on what is working well, and disseminate the toolkit to various donor networks.
Project:
Educating Donors About DemocracyFoundation Center Topic:
Other, Media/Journalism, Campaigns, Elections, and VotingGrant Length:
Dec 2017 to Mar 2020Strategy:
General- Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2023
The Maynard Institute was founded to promote diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. They challenge the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Aug 2023 to Jul 2025Strategy:
Journalism & Power Building- International Women's Media Foundation
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2023
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is the only global organization built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists. They are a bold and inclusive organization that supports journalists where they are with awards, reporting opportunities, fellowships, grants, safety training and emergency aid.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism Education and TrainingGrant Length:
Aug 2023 to Jul 2025Strategy:
Journalism & Power Building- Internews Network
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2024
The Listening Post Collective, a project of Internews, uses strategy and capacity building for local and community news primarily led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, to build engaged and trusted journalism. Their programs focus on news deserts and place-based community media systems.
Project:
Listening Post CollectiveFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Apr 2024 to Dec 2025Strategy:
Journalism & Power Building- ISRC Education Fund
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2023
The Independent Strategic Research Collaborative Education Fund (ISRC), a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund, provides research, messaging development, and research and communications alignment to the pro-democracy movement. Their work includes facilitating convening spaces for leaders to share intel, strategy, messaging guidance, and calls to action.
Project:
ISRC Education FundFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration, OtherGrant Length:
Dec 2023 to Jan 2026Strategy:
Resilient Elections- 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 ProgramFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Jul 2019 to Dec 2022Strategy:
Empowering Congress- PEN American Center, Inc.
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2024
PEN American’s Online Abuse Defense Program trains journalists and newsrooms to prepare for, and react to, online attacks via trainings, tools, and resources. They also partner with a broad variety of field actors to build better, safer online spaces.
Project:
Online Abuse Defense ProgramFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Journalism, Media/Journalism Education and Training, MediaGrant Length:
Mar 2024 to Feb 2026Strategy:
Journalism & Power Building- Constitutional Accountability Center
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2023
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, government, and with legal scholars to preserve the rights of all in America and to protect the judiciary from politics.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Government/Open Government and TransparencyGrant Length:
Nov 2023 to Oct 2025Strategy:
Preventing Authoritarian Abuse of Power- Inner-City Muslim Action Network
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2023
Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) was established with the goal of addressing structural and systemic injustices in inner-city communities by employing integrative holistic interventions. These include support services in: healthcare, ReEntry, arts access, community engagement and safety as well as inter-generational organizing and advocacy.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Other, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting AccessGrant Length:
Nov 2023 to Oct 2026Strategy:
Power Building in Marginalized Communities- More in Common Inc.
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2020
To support More in Common’s November 4th Project to help decrease polarization and to advance the norms of belonging in anticipation of the 2020 presidential election.
Project:
Support for the November 4th ProjectFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation/Public Participation, OtherGrant Length:
Jun 2020 to Mar 2021Strategy:
General- Georgetown University
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2017
The purpose of this grant is to provide a portion of the initial funding for the forthcoming Institute for Constitutional Accountability and Protection at Georgetown University’s law school. The Institute will draw on expert litigators, savvy litigation strategy, and the constitutional scholarship of Georgetown to vindicate individuals’ rights and protect America’s constitutional way of life.
Project:
Institute for Constitutional Accountability and Protection at Georgetown University Law CenterFoundation Center Topic:
OtherGrant Length:
Oct 2017 to Sep 2018Strategy:
General- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2017
The purpose of this grant is to support NAACP-Legal Defense Fund’s (“LDF”) Police Reform Campaign. For this project, LDF will employ litigation, research, technology, and data strategies to advance reforms at the local, state, and national levels.
Project:
Policing Reform CampaignFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Civic ParticipationGrant Length:
Oct 2017 to Mar 2019Strategy:
General- The University of Texas at Austin
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2015
This grant supports the work and experimentation of the Engaging News Project and in so doing will raise the knowledge across industry of news engagement practices that are COMMERCIALLY-VIABLE and DEMOCRATICALLY-BENEFICIAL.
Project:
Journalism for DemocracyFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Oct 2015 to Nov 2017Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Proteus Fund Inc.
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2018
To provide support for the Security & Rights Collaborative (SRC), a Proteus Fund initiative. SRC’s primary grantmaking focus is to support a diverse field of organizations working to address anti-Muslim bigotry, xenophobia, and more, by building capacity of Muslim, Arab and South Asian (MASA) community based and grassroots organizations.
Project:
Security and Rights CollaborativeFoundation Center Topic:
OtherGrant Length:
Sep 2018 to Aug 2019Strategy:
General- Congressional Management Foundation
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2015
This general operating grant is aimed at helping boost the efforts of the Congressional Management Foundation’s efforts to help Congressional offices manage resources as effectively as possible. More specifically, this grant aims to boost several key functions within CMF including a program that would look at developing guiding principles that would establish best practices for use of technology in Congressional offices and a program that focuses on training Freshman Member offices.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch PerformanceGrant Length:
Jul 2015 to Jun 2017Strategy:
Empowering Congress- Proteus Fund Inc.
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2017
The purpose of this grant is to provide support for the Security and Rights Collaborative within the Proteus Fund. The Security Rights Collaborative functions primarily as a convener and funder of grassroots and local organizations focused on the American Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities. This grant will support SRC such that they have broadened capacity to distribute funding and provide support to their grantees.
Project:
Security and Rights CollaborativeFoundation Center Topic:
OtherGrant Length:
Jun 2017 to May 2018Strategy:
General- Issue One
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Elections and Voting
- 2017
To provide general support to Issue One as they continue to broaden the coalition of leaders, supporters and ideas in an effort to find meaningful opportunities to educate the public on problems and solutions to the influence of money on politics.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign FinanceGrant Length:
Apr 2017 to Mar 2019Strategy:
Previous Strategy- Issue One
- $400,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Elections and Voting
- 2014
To provide general support to Issue One (formerly Fund for the Republic).
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Campaign FinanceGrant Length:
Dec 2014 to Dec 2016Strategy:
Previous Strategy- American Press Institute
- $400,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2013
The American Press Institute will improve the practice of fact checking and significantly increase the adoption of fact checking practices through research and the convening of media leaders.