Statement Archives

Statement

Our commitment to being part of the solution

Joe Goldman

June 3, 2020

Democracy Fund stands in solidarity with our grantees, partners, and those across the nation who are outraged and grieving over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other Black lives that have been lost or harmed by racism, white supremacy, and police brutality. That includes the victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected communities of color.

At Democracy Fund, we believe that a healthy democracy requires that historically targeted communities have power and equal protection under the law. This means police brutality must end, and it means Black communities, social justice organizers, and allies across the country must be able to peaceably assemble to protest another attack on a Black man. These protests should be joined and amplified, not shut down nor met with police aggression. We have to center the experiences of Black people and other marginalized communities as we work to build a more equitable democracy. Many of us need to confront our own privilege to work in solidarity to actively dismantle racism.

Instead of helping us to forge a path forward, our nation’s leaders are threatening to deploy military force against fellow Americans, condoning attacks on journalists, and using social media to stoke division. This is a violation of the very principles of an open and just democracy, and further endangers our nation.

There is significant work to do to protect the lives of Black people to ensure they have power in our democracy. Philanthropy, including Democracy Fund, must do better at attacking the racism and injustice built into our society and institutions — including our own. We are committed to being a part of the solution.

Moving forward, we commit to four things:

Providing more dollars with fewer barriers to support Black-led organizations fighting for social justice and anti-racist policies;
Directing financial support to local newsrooms and Black reporters so that they can keep telling important stories, including those that shed light on injustice and racism;
Using our influence with other philanthropic organizations to improve funding strategies — including our own — that eliminate barriers for Black-led and -supporting organizations to receive resources; and
Working with foundations and donors across the country to find every resource possible to remove barriers and ensure that everyone is able to vote safely in November.

Black Lives Matter,
Joe Goldman

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Statement

Democracy Fund Statement on Twitter’s Decision on Political Ads

Democracy Fund

October 31, 2019

WASHINGTON – Democracy Fund president, Joe Goldman, and managing director, Tom Glaisyer, issued the following statement in response to Twitter’s announcement that it will no longer run political or advocacy ads:

“Twitter’s decision yesterday is a positive development, but it doesn’t go far enough —our political discourse remains broken on social media platforms. Companies like Twitter must adopt and enforce a code of conduct against hate speech and disinformation, and we must continue to hold them accountable until they do.

The time for half-measures and minor reforms has passed. Simply ending a portion of an advertising policy without providing transparency, addressing misinformation, and ending racially biased algorithms only deals with one part of a larger issue. In the lead up to the 2020 election, we need bold leadership from all platforms to strengthen our digital public square and preserve a healthy democracy.”

Two years ago, Democracy Fund and the Omidyar Network published a report, asking “Is Social Media a Threat to Democracy?” The report chronicled the role of social media platforms in spreading misinformation and divisive propaganda during the 2016 election. Democracy Fund continues to invest in programs, people and organizations that are working to create a robust public square that serves our democracy.

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Statement

Statement on the Planned Declaration of a National Emergency at the Southern Border

Democracy Fund

February 14, 2019

Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s planned declaration of a national emergency at the southern border:

President Trump’s plan to declare a national emergency to secure funding for a wall at our southern border — which he has justified using racist and xenophobic language — demonstrates his willingness to use authoritarian methods to circumvent our system of checks and balances.

President Trump’s actions are the real emergency. The temptation for a president to aggrandize power is precisely why the framers of the Constitution created three co-equal branches of government — each to check the others. That the president would declare a manufactured national emergency when he cannot get what he wants from Congress is the essence of undemocratic behavior. Congress and the courts must step in and constrain this abuse of executive power.

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Statement

Philanthropic Leaders Call for Protecting the Independence of Special Counsel Investigation

Democracy Fund

November 18, 2018

As leaders of nonpartisan American philanthropic institutions, we care deeply about the long-term health of our republic, our two-party system, and our democratic institutions. Together, we want to express our deep concern about the resignation of the Attorney General, which came at the request of the president, and the appointment of an Acting Attorney General who has openly criticized the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — an investigation he reportedly will now supervise. Led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, this independent investigation is integral to understanding not just what happened in 2016, but also who was responsible and how to prevent further interference in our political system in the future.

We believe it is essential that the independence of the special counsel investigation be preserved. We ask that other civic, business, and government leaders join us in standing up for the rule of law — a cornerstone of American democracy. John Adams is often quoted as describing a republic as “a government of laws, not of men.” Adherence to the rule of law preserves our democratic values and the rights of individuals; it maintains order, and it protects against arbitrary government action. It also ensures the independence and integrity of our governmental institutions, including our law enforcement agencies. Those in power cannot and should not use or manipulate law enforcement for their own personal protection or for political gain. Rather, these agencies must apply the law impartially in the pursuit of justice. In the United States of America, the rule of law is paramount.

Any action taken by a president that could interfere with the supervision of a legitimate law enforcement investigation into the activities of his campaign, his business interests, or those who serve in his administration, threatens these bedrock norms. This is especially true when such an investigation includes the specter of foreign interference in American elections. No one is above the law, including the president, his family, and others who serve in his administration. The special counsel’s investigation must be allowed to continue unimpeded.

We stand together in our commitment to the protection of our democracy and its freedoms, for which generations of Americans have fought and given their lives.

Signed,

Greg Segal
Board Member, AL Mailman Family Foundation
White Plains, NY

Eileen Coogan
President and Chief Executive Officer, Allegany Franciscan Ministries
Palm Harbor, FL

David Goodman
President, Andrew Goodman Foundation
New York, NY

Adam Simon
Executive Director, Aviv Foundation
Bethesda, MD

Gary D. Bass
Executive Director, Bauman Foundation
Washington, DC

Sara Kay
Chief Executive Officer, The Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
New York, NY

Martha A. Toll
Executive Director, Butler Family Fund
Washington, DC

Kathleen D. Edwards, Ph.D.
President, Cedarmere Foundation
Seattle, WA

Elaine Nonneman
Trustee, Channel Foundation
Seattle, WA

Stacy Schusterman
Chair, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
Tulsa, OK

Andrea Panaritis
Executive Director, The Christopher Reynolds Foundation
Boston, MA

Ellen Friedman
Executive Director, Compton Foundation
San Francisco, CA

Joe Goldman
President, Democracy Fund
Washington, DC

Melissa Beck
Executive Director, The Educational Foundation of America
Fairfield, CT

Darren Walker
President, Ford Foundation
New York, NY

Gabrielle Mertz
Director, Foundation for Arts and Humanities
New York, NY

Geoffrey Gund
President, The George Gund Foundation
Cleveland, OH

Deanna Gomby
President & Chief Executive Officer, Heising-Simons Foundation
Los Altos, CA

Bill Hopwood
Co-Trustee, J.M.Hopwood Charitable Trust
Elkins, NH

Terry Fulmer
President, The John A Hartford Foundation
New York, NY

Kim Philbrick McCabe
Executive Director, The Klarman Family Foundation
Boston, MA

Dr. Keith Leaphart
Chairman, The Lenfest Foundation
Philadelphia, PA

Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, Chair and Aaron Dorfman, President
Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah
Akron, OH

Wendy Lewis
Executive Director, McCune Charitable Foundation
Santa Fe, NM

Jenny Russell
Executive Director, Merck Family Fund
Milton Village, MA

Jay Beckner
President, Mertz Gilmore Foundation
New York, NY

Aaron Dorfman
President & Chief Executive Officer, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Washington, DC

Sharon Alpert
President, Nathan Cummings Foundation
New York, NY

Michele Lord
President, NEO Philanthropy
New York, NY

Maria Mottola
Executive Director, New York Foundation
New York, NY

Pamela Shifman
Executive Director, NoVo Foundation
Brooklyn, NY

Patrick Gaspard
President, Open Society Foundations
New York, NY

Rachel Pritzker
President & Founder, Pritzker Innovation Fund
San Francisco, CA

Kathryn Murdoch
Co-Founder & President, Quadrivium Foundation
New York, NY

Stephen B Heintz
President, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
New York, NY

Ruth Salzman
Chief Executive Officer, The Russell Berrie Foundation
Teaneck, NJ

Mike Pratt
President, Scherman Foundation
New York, NY

Tom Bennigson
President, Tikva Grassroots Empowerment Fund

Ellen Dorsey
Executive Director, Wallace Global Fund
Washington, DC

JoAnn Intili & Ed Kissam
Senior Advisers, Werner Kohnstamm Family Fund
Oakland, CA

John Esterle
Co-Executive Director, The Whitman Institute
San Francisco, CA

Alan S. Davis
Director, The WhyNot Initiative
San Francisco, CA

Diane Cornman-Levy
Executive Director, Women’s Way
Philadelphia, PA

Daniel Solomon
President, Woodbury Fund
Bethesda, MD

Merryl Snow Zegar
Trustee & Executive Director, Zegar Family Foundation
New York, NY

Add your name

If you represent a philanthropic institution interested in signing onto this statement, please email Nathaniel Turner, program associate on our Governance program here.

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Statement

Statement on the Resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Democracy Fund

November 8, 2018

Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman issued the following statement in response to the forced resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions:

In America, no one is above the law — not even the president. The forced resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions sets us on a path toward a genuine crisis for our nation. The appointment of an Acting Attorney General whose prior statements reflect hostility toward the special counsel investigation opens the door to political interference into the investigation. Our system of government relies on an impartial adherence to the rule of law. Everyone who cares about a responsive, healthy democracy must make our voices heard: The special counsel investigation must continue unimpeded.

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Statement

Democracy Fund Statement on Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity

Democracy Fund

January 4, 2018

Democracy Fund Senior Advisor Tammy Patrick issued the following statement in response to the dissolution of the Pence-Kobach Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity:

“From nearly the moment it was created, the Commission was the source of bipartisan concern. Its unprecedented demands for voter information were rebuffed by Secretaries of State and other election administration officials from both parties in dozens of states across the country. These officials deserve credit for standing up for the privacy of voters in their states in the face of the Commission’s dramatic overreach and minimal transparency.

“Our democracy depends on citizens voting and on every ballot being counted accurately. Voters should know that states are working hard to ensure we have a secure election system. But we must remain vigilant in keeping it that way.

“We hope that any future presidential commissions in this area return to the successful, bipartisan model employed by the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and similar past efforts. These efforts were guided by research and the facts, not personal agendas.”

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Democracy Fund Senior Adviser Tammy Patrick is available for further comment on the dissolution of the Pence-Kobach Commission. Please contact Josh Dorner at jdorner@skdknick.com to schedule.

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Statement

Democracy Fund Statement on Violence in Charlottesville

Democracy Fund

August 14, 2017

Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman issued the following statement in response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia:

“We stand with millions of Americans from all walks of life in strongly condemning the hateful events in Charlottesville over this past weekend. We mourn the loss of Heather Heyer, a young woman who took to the streets in Charlottesville to champion tolerance and equality in our society, as well as the two members of law enforcement who lost their lives working to keep their community safe. We hope for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.

Incidents of heinous racism and nativism have occurred throughout the history of America, and as we saw this past weekend, there is still a segment of our society that continues to embrace these hate-filled ideologies. Recognizing the persistence of these movements within our country is integral to combatting them. For the vast majority of us repulsed by the bigotry that descended upon Charlottesville, we must continue the hard work of ending such hatred and the forces that normalize it.

The Democracy Fund remains steadfast in our commitment to a resilient, diverse, democratic society that defends free speech but reviles racism and political violence. We will continue to support people and organizations working to protect the inherent dignity of each individual and to oppose racism, Islamophobia, and nativism.”

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Statement

Democracy Fund Statement on Shootings Today in Virginia and California

Democracy Fund

June 14, 2017

Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman issued the following statement in response to the shooting incidents today in Alexandria, VA, and San Francisco, CA:

“With Americans across the country, Democracy Fund is appalled at today’s two shooting incidents, first at a Republican Congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, VA, and then in San Francisco, CA. While the nation is still learning about both horrific events, we are praying for the speedy recovery of all victims, including Congressman Steve Scalise, current and former congressional staff, and the U.S. Capitol Police officers. These honorable Americans, public servants, and their friends and families on both sides of the country are foremost in our thoughts.

“For two years, Democracy Fund has sponsored the Congressional Baseball Game because we believe the American people are best served when the parties and our elected officials are able to negotiate and compromise. Just as in baseball, our politics should be competitive, but at the end of the day we are all Americans and we are all on the same team. There is no room for violence in our democracy. We stand with Americans from across the political spectrum in condemning these senseless acts.”

As planned, Democracy Fund will attend the Congressional Baseball Game and highlight grantees that work with Congress to ensure that our legislative branch is able to fulfill its obligations to the American people. Democracy Fund’s Governance Program has invested in organizations including the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Congressional Management Foundation, the Millennial Action Project, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, the Aspen Institute’s Congressional Program, and the Project on Government Oversight, among others.

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Statement

Facebook’s New Fact-Checking Partnership Is An Important Step Toward Fighting “Fake News”

Democracy Fund

December 15, 2016

WASHINGTON D.C. – In recent weeks, concerns about the rise and role of bogus information in public debate elevated the role of social media platforms as information intermediaries. In response to Facebook’s announcement of a new fact-checking partnership, Tom Glaisyer, Director of the Public Square Program at Democracy Fund, which has committed more than $3.5 million in fact-checking, released the following statement:

“Facebook’s new fact-checking partnership represents an important step toward addressing the risks posed by bogus information, or ‘fake news.’ It would be difficult to understate the critical role social platforms play in the media ecosystem today, and ensuring that media institutions are able to engage and inform the public is critical to the strength of our democracy.

“Citizens’ lack of trust in media and journalism is at the core of the current debate about bogus information, and we applaud Facebook’s commitment to build and experiment with new tools and functionality that give users independent, non-partisan information about the accuracy of articles and posts. In partnering with experienced and respected fact-checkers who are members of the International Fact-Checking Network – like the Associated Press, PolitiFact, Factcheck.org, SNOPES, and ABC News – Facebook is working with journalists already on the forefront of regaining the public’s trust in media.

“Democracy Fund is a long-time investor in innovations around fact-checking, and we look forward to seeing how Facebook’s new tool, and others like it, can actively support informed civic engagement.”

Democracy Fund is committed to fighting deception and disinformation that prevents voters from making informed decisions at the ballot box. Our investments in fact-checking have included PolitiFact and research into the efficacy of fact-checking carried out by The American Press Institute.

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Statement

Democracy Fund: This Election Is Not Rigged

Democracy Fund

October 20, 2016

In the last two weeks, fear mongering over potential election rigging has come to a fever pitch. In response, the Democracy Fund issued the following statement:

“The peaceful transfer of power is a cornerstone and tested principal of our democracy. Recent fear mongering over the Presidential election being ‘rigged’ does not reflect the security and checks built into our elections system. We’ve studied the election process and worked with administrators from both sides of the aisle — and our election process is secure and safe,” said Adam Ambrogi, Director of the Elections Program at the Democracy Fund.

“By design, our election system is highly decentralized and no one person ever has unlimited access to voting machines, making widespread hacking or rigging extremely difficult. Beyond technology, we have layers of physical security and protocols that prevent against bad actors. The system has checks and balances built in to ensure that before, during, and after our elections, we’ll know if something goes wrong — and we have steps to ensure Americans can have faith in the results of our elections, no matter who wins.”

See the Democracy Fund’s report on the progress made towards more secure and smooth elections since the Presidential Commission on Election Administration’s recommendations were released in 2014: http://bit.ly/PCEAProgress

###Democracy Fund experts on the topics of fear mongering around election rigging, voting, and election administration are available for interviews. To schedule, please contact Molly Haigh at molly@megaphonestrategies.com.