The new report "Healthy Local News & Information Ecosystems: A Diagnostic Framework,” presents a framework to help local news funders assess whether a community’s information…
Ideas
Explore insights, lessons, and resources from our work
Democracy Fund staff — alongside grantees, researchers, and other field experts — regularly develops resources and shares lessons on strengthening democracy. Here you will find guides, reports, and insights from our team and network.
Independent journalism is an essential instrument of accountability and critical to the health of our republic. Without it, the public’s ability to check the power…
The health of our American democracy requires strategic investment in community-led solutions that combat political violence and mitigate its cost to society. The Costs of…
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) play a crucial role in our elections. This report seeks to raise the level of recognition of the agency’s role…
After a heroic effort to maintain the integrity of our election system over the past year, Wednesday’s inauguration marks a key turning point, one that…
Last week, President Trump and his allies incited an insurrection against the United States of America in an attempt to undermine the peaceful transfer of…
As representatives of nonpartisan philanthropic institutions, serving rural, urban, and suburban communities across the nation, we condemn the violence that broke out at the U.S.…
2020 was a marathon for journalists preparing for an election that seemed very likely to go off the rails. But in communities around the country,…
When you look back at how local news fared in 2020, you might be surprised by how hopeful I am for the future. Things have…
News is a public good. What does it mean to treat journalism as a public good? Without an informed citizenry able to access the news…
Today, Joe Biden was projected the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He will serve as the 46th president of the United States, and Kamala…
This election season brought unprecedented turnout across the country. Millions of voters cast their ballots through early voting, vote-by-mail, and yesterday, at the polls. They…
It’s become something of a cliché to say that we’re living in uncertain times — but times of uncertainty can be powerful opportunities for new…
Blog
Fighting for an internet that is safe for all: how structural problems require structural solutions
In 2017, a college student named Taylor Dumpson achieved what many young scholars dream of: she was elected student body president. As the first African-American…
As law students across the country return to the classroom, many are also putting their education to work through legal clinics where they can help…
Democracy Fund seeks to develop leaders among Capitol Hill staff so that policymaking and Congress reflect the diversity of our country. For me, this is…
This November, the United States will hold an election amidst a pandemic that has claimed over 180,000 American lives. Religious leaders can play a crucial…
According to the Pew Research Center, one in five Americans rely primarily on social media for their political news and information. This means a small…
Without sufficient transparency and accountability, online platforms have become hotbeds for disinformation that manipulates, maligns, and disenfranchises voters, especially people of color and women. The…
Blog
Beyond the statement: How journalism funders can act in solidarity with marginalized communities
Organizations, businesses, and groups across the United States sent this statement to millions of people via social media feeds and e-mail lists in early June…
Take a Deeper Dive
Local News Lab, electionline, and Voter Study Group are Democracy Fund initiatives that provide original, curated information on sustainable local journalism, election administration, and the changing views of the American electorate.
Examining and delivering insights on the evolving views of American voters.
Voter Study Group
Creating new kinds of collaboration between journalists, newsrooms, and communities.
Local News Lab
America’s only source for politics-free news about our nation’s elections.
electionline