Democracy Fund

funding-tools

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.

Featured

What We Learned from Evaluating the Impact of Our Election Security and Confidence Investments

In the fall of 2021, Democracy Fund commissioned an evaluation of our Election Security and Confidence portfolio – the major focus of the Elections &…

Featured

Reflection on the Impact of Investing in Voter Centric Election Administration

From its inception, Democracy Fund has invested in organizations supporting election administration. We believe that well-functioning election operations are a core component of a healthy…

Report

A new tool to measure the health of local news ecosystems

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…

Toolkit

The Journalism DEI Wheel

The Journalism DEI Wheel is an interactive tool designed to help funders in particular inform grantmaking by seeing the bigger picture on a higher level, with useful…

Report

Guide to Assessing Your Local News Ecosystem

A step-by-step toolkit to help you gather the information you need to fund local news and information in your community.

Toolkit

New Tools for Funders: Supporting DEI in Journalism

As part of Democracy Fund’s efforts to address diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in journalism, Dot Connector Studio has developed two tools — the Journalism DEI…

Toolkit

The Journalism DEI Tracker

The Journalism DEI Tracker is a regularly-updated online database that identifies organizations, news outlets and projects, and educational institutions working to support DEI in journalism across the…

Report

Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Journalism: What Funders Can Do

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to fostering robust American journalism that supports a healthy democracy. The failure of newsrooms to fully reflect their communities,…

Blog

A Bold Funder Collaboration Focuses on Supporting Journalism that Strengthens Democracy

Something remarkable starts today. Across the country 155 newsrooms are banding together for a year-end campaign to stand up for journalism that strengthens democracy. Today…

Blog

Congress Needs Modern Tech to Keep Up with Constituents’ Needs. Here’s How Philanthropy Can Help.

Even before the emergence of so-called “resistance tech,” investors, venture funds, and foundations were pumping money into tech tools that make it easier for citizens…

Blog

Local People Will Create the Future of Local News

Josh Stearns co-authored this piece with Teresa Gorman. Local news is critical to a healthy democracy, and we believe that the future of local news…

Blog

A New Fund Aims to Put the Public Back into the Public Square

Today four foundations are announcing a new joint fund designed to fuel a new era of journalism rooted in listening to communities. The Community Listening…

Brief

Learning From North Carolina

Democracy Fund’s Public Square Program defines a local news ecosystem as the network of institutions, collaborations, and people that local communities rely on for news,…

Report

Effective Place-Based Philanthropy

Democracy Fund believes that strong local news and a vibrant public square are critical to a healthy democracy. Today, local news is struggling in communities…

Blog

How Local-National Funding Partnerships Can Strengthen Local News

Democracy Fund believes that strong local news and a vibrant public square are critical to a healthy democracy. That is why our local news strategy…

Blog

News Match Launches With $3 Million in Matching Funds for Nonprofit Newsrooms Across the Country

Today three foundations are putting up $3 million in matching dollars and inviting the nation to stand up and support local news and investigative reporting.…

Report

Communities Of Practice

At a time when news and journalism are experiencing significant disruption, Democracy Fund is seeking to better understand and equip news outlets and reporters for…

Report

Pathways To Engagement

Journalists are working with their communities in a range of new ways that are reshaping how newsrooms report, publish, and pay the bills. This emerging…

Blog

Introducing the new Local News Lab

We don’t know what the future of media and journalism holds, but we do know that no matter what technological, economic, or cultural shifts occur,…

Blog

Strengthening our Systems Thinking Muscles

Democracy Fund’s President, Joe Goldman, recently wrote on our blog about some of the benefits and difficulties our organization has found while integrating a systems…

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