What We Do
Democracy Fund champions the leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open and just. We play many roles in service of the field of democracy reform, but first and foremost we are a funder, a philanthropic advisor, and an advocate.
Areas of Focus
Democracy Fund strengthens and defends democracy through four core programs.
Elections and Voting
Since its founding, the American voting system has intentionally made it difficult for marginalized communities to equitably participate. The Elections and Voting program works with community organizations and leaders to build a voting system that is fair, trustworthy, and inclusive, with racial justice at the center.
Governance
American democracy is under threat, and we must protect it, or the harm will be irreparable and generational. The Governance program aims to stop the spread of authoritarianism and government abuses by strengthening infrastructure at the local, state, and federal levels.
Just and Inclusive Society
Political and climate crises are forcing people to relocate, with communities of color disproportionately affected. The Just and Inclusive Society program works to ensure migrant and refugee communities in the United States have the resources to build and lead an intersectional social movement that protects their rights and addresses global threats.
Public Square
Reliable information is getting harder to find, leading to less informed voters and greater threats to democracy. To increase civic participation, the Public Square program invests in those who work to ensure communities have access to the information they need, online and offline.
Grantmaking
Democracy Fund supports a wide array of inspiring grantees. We identify grantees through ongoing research and network building, and regularly re-evaluate our grantmaking strategy based on what we learn from these partners. We do not accept unsolicited proposals.
Are you a Democracy Fund grantee? Log in to our Portal for valuable tools and information or find instructions for creating an account.
Resources for Funders
We can’t do this work alone. Democracy Fund is committed to partnering with a broad group of peer funders to develop strategy, create alignment, and dedicate pooled resources to support the field. We make our team of experts available to assist other foundations and philanthropists in learning about the issues facing democracy and in developing their funding strategies.
Find out how to take actionJoint Funds
Along with some of the nation’s largest grantmakers and philanthropists, Democracy Fund participates in a series of joint funds that leverage additional financial support, reduce the burden on grantees, and move resources to the field quickly and efficiently. When there’s a gap in the field, we partner with others to launch new funds.
Support our joint fundsOur Latest Ideas See all Ideas
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AnnouncementDemocracy Fund Invests $4 Million in Multi-Year Grants to Support Newsrooms that Center People of Color
Newsrooms that center people of color are at the forefront of reinventing journalism. Support for these newsrooms is a core piece of Democracy Fund’s Equitable… -
FeaturedHOW FUNDING LOCAL NEWS ECOSYSTEMS HELPS AMERICAN COMMUNITIES THRIVE
Reliable information fuels our lives. We need to know who is on the ballot, what’s happening in our schools, where to find rental assistance, and… -
Blog
Transforming Media through Press Forward: Democracy Fund’s Priorities
A national coalition of 20 funders announced an exciting new initiative on September 7th. Press Forward plans to invest more than $500 million into local…
Who We Are
Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan, private foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American democracy while defending against new threats. Since 2014, we have made grants of more than $275 million in support of those working to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and diverse public square, free and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society.