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.
- University of Arizona Foundation
- $750,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2015
For general support to National Institute for Civil Discourse to encourage political and civic leaders to embrace vigorous debate in a way that allows for diverse perspectives to be shared, for complex issues to be discussed thoughtfully, and for challenging topics to be explored without resorting to invective and personal attacks.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch Performance, GovernmentGrant Length:
Jun 2015 to May 2017Strategy:
Previous Strategy- Dēmos: A Network for Ideas and Action LTD
- $750,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2014
This grant will provide $750,000 over three years to DEMOS, to contribute to their work in enforcing the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act-that state motor vehicle agencies comply with the requirement to provide information and assistance to register to vote at all state facilities.
Project:
Motor-voter compliance.Foundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election AdministrationGrant Length:
Dec 2014 to Nov 2017Strategy:
Voter-Centric Election Administration- State Leadership Project
- $750,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2023
State Leadership Project’s Thunderbolt—Democracy Dream Team is a collaboration effort to engage new funders to expand funding for the pro-democracy and non-partisan civic engagement fields.
Project:
Thunderbolt — Democracy Dream Team collaborationFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Civic Participation/Civic Education and LeadershipGrant Length:
Oct 2023 to Dec 2024Strategy:
General- 2020 Census Project
- $750,000.00
- Project
- President's Office
- 2018
To support the 2020 Census Project, a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund. The 2020 Census Project’s Democracy Funders Collaborative Joint aims to ensure that the 2020 Census is implemented effectively, and produces a robust count of the population of the U.S.
Project:
2020 CENSUS PROJECTFoundation Center Topic:
OtherGrant Length:
Jun 2018 to Nov 2019Strategy:
General- Law For Black Lives
- $750,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2020
To support Law for Black Lives (L4BL), a fiscally sponsored project of NEO Philanthropy, on its litigation and and capacity building.
Project:
Support for Law for Black LivesFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation/Issue-based Participation, Government/Civil Liberties and Rule of LawGrant Length:
Mar 2020 to May 2023Strategy:
General- Bold Impact
- $765,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2019
The purpose of this grant is to support Bold Impact in their coordination work to organize action within their stakeholder network to generate momentum to advance data policy innovation within a human rights framework through the event series Rights x Tech.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Dec 2019 to Apr 2023Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Hearken
- $771,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2020
To support Hearken and their “Responsive Election Coverage for Better Democracy” work, fiscally sponsored by the American Press Institute, to provide training, coaching, resources and emergency support to 500+ journalists throughout the country, for more engaged, trusted, and informed elections coverage in 2020.
Project:
Election SOSFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Apr 2020 to Mar 2021Strategy:
Engaged Journalism- Center for Media Justice
- $775,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2020
General operating support for MediaJustice.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Jul 2020 to Jul 2023Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association
- $785,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2023
The Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association (MMCA) is a growing group of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) media stakeholders, advocates, and allies resolved to get more content, more ownership, more impact, and more control of our story and of where, when and how its told.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Oct 2023 to Sep 2026Strategy:
Equitable Civic Infrastructure- George Washington University
- $800,000.00
- Project
- Elections and Voting
- 2023
The Multiracial Democracy Project, an initiative of The GWU Institute for Racial, Ethnic and Socioeconomic Equity, supports a racially diverse community of researchers in law, policy, and social science in developing their research, and connects them to civil rights organizations, democracy reform organizations, and policymakers to better inform policy debates.
Project:
The Multiracial Democracy ProjectFoundation Center Topic:
Campaigns, Elections, and Voting, Media/Journalism, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Election Administration, Media/Media Access and Policy, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Redistricting, Media, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voting AccessGrant Length:
Dec 2023 to Nov 2026Strategy:
General- Pillars Fund
- $800,000.00
- Project
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2019
To support Pillars Fund’s Culture Change Project, in partnership with Pop Culture Collaborative. They have developed the American Muslim Pop Culture Cohort and curriculum and will now advance their work even further.
Project:
Pillars Fund and Pop Culture Collaborative - countering Islamophobia through narrative changeFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Public Participation, OtherGrant Length:
Dec 2019 to Nov 2023Strategy:
General- Colorado Media Project
- $800,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2023
The Colorado Media Project, a fiscally sponsored project of the Rose Community Foundation, supports people and organizations working to build a more connected, collaborative and sustainable local news and information ecosystem in Colorado.
Project:
Colorado Media ProjectFoundation Center Topic:
Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Oct 2023 to Sep 2026Strategy:
News & Information Ecosystems- Check My Ads Institute
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2023
Check My Ads Institute is an independent watchdog reshaping the digital adtech industry from within its ranks — and building a new sustainable standard in digital advertising.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Sep 2023 to Sep 2026Strategy:
Civil & Human Rights Online- Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2023
The Action Center on Race and the Economy supports racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations with strategic planning and advocacy coordination on political campaigns. The Action Center also leads campaigns to spotlight the political influence that corporate and financial profiteers wield as they erode the basic racial and economic rights of communities of color.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Oct 2023 to Sep 2025Strategy:
Equitable Civic Infrastructure- New York University
- $800,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2019
To support New York University in their work to organize data to hold platforms accountable to the American public and to advance America’s democratic promise. This grant will fund research and scholarship into how best to collect and publish data regarding political advertising on platforms, with a focus to ads that involve race and gender.
Project:
Platforms & Political AdsFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Jul 2019 to Apr 2023Strategy:
Digital Democracy- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Public Square
- 2017
The purpose of this grant is to support the existing activity of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press as it fits within the emerging strategy for the Press Freedom arm of the emerging Fourth Estate Initiative.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Other, Media/JournalismGrant Length:
Apr 2017 to Mar 2019Strategy:
Press Freedom- University of Arizona Foundation
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2011
For general support to National Institute for Civic Discourse to encourage political and civic leaders to embrace vigorous debate in a way that allows for diverse perspectives to be shared, for complex issues to be discussed thoughtfully, and for challenging topics to be explored without resorting to invective and personal attacks.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Government/Legislative Branch Performance, Campaigns, Elections, and Voting/Voter Education, Registration, and TurnoutGrant Length:
Oct 2011 to Oct 2013Strategy:
Previous Strategy- The Miami Foundation Inc.
- $800,000.00
- Project
- Public Square
- 2018
The purpose of this grant is to create a joint Legal Clinic Fund administered by the Miami Foundation to support and expand legal clinics that are housed at law schools and focus on the first amendment, media access, and transparency. This grant will help strengthen legal clinics as a backbone of legal support for local newsrooms.
Project:
Press Freedom Clinic FundFoundation Center Topic:
Media/Media Access and PolicyGrant Length:
Dec 2018 to Nov 2020Strategy:
Press Freedom- ReflectUs
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Governance
- 2019
To provide general support for ReflectUs.
Project:
General Operating SupportFoundation Center Topic:
Civic Participation/Civic Education and Leadership, Civic Participation/Public ParticipationGrant Length:
Nov 2019 to Oct 2023Strategy:
Constructive Politics- Ayni Institute Inc
- $800,000.00
- General Operating Support
- Just and Inclusive Society
- 2023
The Ayni Institute is a movement training center run, led, and rooted in the immigrant experience, community organizing, and indigenous wisdom that seeks to build the necessary capacity to win social change. They support social movements, leaders, and institutions in increasing their strategic and organizational capacity.