To build an inclusive, multiracial democracy that is open, just, resilient, and trustworthy by supporting pro-democracy leaders, organizations, and systems change.
Democracy Fund Inc has made Trusted Elections Fund a repeated channel for its largest recent grants, including three $1.5 million awards to New Venture Fund in 2024 and 2025 for program support. That pattern sits alongside a broader portfolio aimed at building an inclusive, multiracial democracy by supporting pro-democracy leaders, organizations, and systems change. The foundation’s recent grants also show sizable support for journalism infrastructure, election administration, and accountability work. Among its larger awards, it gave $1 million to American Journalism Project for general support and $950,000 to The Project on Government Oversight Inc for general support in 2023, indicating a mix of institutional support and targeted program funding. The foundation’s core programs cover elections and voting, governance, and public square initiatives, with related work in digital democracy, misinformation, and local and equitable journalism. It also funds migration-related work through Just and Inclusive Society. Recent grantees include Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Free Press, Protect Democracy Project, and The Miami Foundation Inc, showing attention to both national advocacy groups and intermediary funds. Across these grants, Democracy Fund Inc appears to favor organizations that can support fieldwide capacity, policy work, and public-interest information systems.
In election administration, Democracy Fund Inc gave $1.5 million to New Venture Fund for the Trusted Elections Fund and $725,000 to the University of Southern California for the Voting Location Siting Tool. Those awards point to a focus on election infrastructure, trusted results, and practical tools for voting access. For journalism and the public square, it supported Borealis Philanthropy with $1,175,000 in 2024 and $1,020,000 in 2025 for the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund. It also gave $700,000 to Free Press in both 2024 and 2025 and $700,000 to The Miami Foundation Inc for NewsMatch Fund support in 2023. On governance and accountability, the foundation awarded $950,000 to The Project on Government Oversight Inc and $650,000 to Protect Democracy Project in 2024. Its migration-related giving included a $1.5 million grant to Solutions Project Inc for climate and migrant justice.
$37.7M
$15.8M
$64M
$61.6M
Most grants fall between $100K and $215K, with a median of $150K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$150K
75th Percentile
$215K
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Democracy Fund Inc’s typical grant size is large: the p25 is $100,000, the median is $150,000, and the p75 is $215,000. Recent awards show both one-time and recurring support. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including New Venture Fund, The Project on Government Oversight Inc, Free Press, Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and People’s Action Institute. The foundation is a regular funder and makes program-related investments false. Its recent grants include general support, program support, and collaborative fund vehicles, suggesting a mix of unrestricted and project-based funding.
Grantmaking is national and all listed recent grants go to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC appears most often among grantee locations, with many awards to organizations such as New Venture Fund, The Project on Government Oversight Inc, Free Press, and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Other recipient cities in the recent grants include Oakland, CA; Minneapolis, MN; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Los Angeles, CA; and New York, NY. The recipient-country distribution is 100% US.
Its core programs focus on elections and voting, governance, and the public square. The grantmaking also includes digital democracy, local and equitable journalism, misinformation, accountability, and migrant and refugee rights through Just and Inclusive Society.
The distribution is relatively large: p25 is $100,000, the median is $150,000, and p75 is $215,000. Recent awards also include several seven-figure grants, such as $1.5 million to New Venture Fund for the Trusted Elections Fund.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including New Venture Fund, The Project on Government Oversight Inc, Free Press, Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and People’s Action Institute. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards only.
The grantmaking is national, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. Washington, DC is the most frequent recipient location among the recent grants, followed by other U.S. cities such as Oakland, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $1,500,000 | 2025 | Program support for Trusted Elections Fund |
| Solutions Project Inc | Oakland, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | Program support to advance climate and migrant justice |
| Borealis Philanthropy | Minneapolis, MN | $1,020,000 | 2025 | Program support for the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund |
| JustFundUs | Oakland, CA | $934,000 | 2025 | Program support for Building Power Fund |
| Hopewell Fund | Washington, DC | $750,000 | 2025 | Program Support for Free Election Fund |
| The Project on Government Oversight Inc | Washington, DC | $750,000 | 2025 | General support |
| New Venture Fund | Washington, DC | $720,000 | 2025 | Program support for Future Currents |
| Free Press | Washington, DC | $700,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Democracy Forward Foundation | Washington, DC | $700,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | Washington, DC | $600,000 | 2025 | General support |
| People's Action Institute | Chicago, IL | $560,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Proteus Fund Inc | Waltham, MA | $550,000 | 2025 | Program support for Rise Together Fund |
| Partnership for Public Service Inc | Washington, DC | $525,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Global Impact | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | Program support for GovAct |
| Global Impact | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | Program support for Legal Accountability Center |
| State Leadership Project | Raleigh, NC | $500,000 | 2025 | Program support to bring new funding to nonpartisan civic engagement |
| The Miami Foundation Inc | Miami, FL | $500,000 | 2025 | Program Support for Press Forward |
| Center for Media Justice | Oakland, CA | $500,000 | 2025 | General support |
| American Journalism Project | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Way to Rise | Washington, DC | $500,000 | 2025 | Program support for Valiente Fund |
| Voter Registration Project | Washington, DC | $473,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Allied Media Projects Inc | Detroit, MI | $450,000 | 2025 | Program support for Detroit Community Tech Project |
| AccountableUS | Washington, DC | $415,000 | 2025 | General support |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $411,800 | 2025 | Program support for the Election Talent Study Group |
| Rural Digital Youth Resiliency Project Inc | Morgantown, WV | $400,000 | 2025 | General support |
| NEO Philanthropy Inc | New York, NY | $375,000 | 2025 | Program support for North Carolina Local News Lab Fund |
| Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association | Washington, DC | $360,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Tides Center | Los Angeles, CA | $350,000 | 2025 | Program support for 22nd Century Initiative |
| Santa Fe Community Foundation | Santa Fe, NM | $350,000 | 2025 | Program support for New Mexico Local News Fund |
| Free Press | Washington, DC | $350,000 | 2025 | Program support for Media 2070 |
| Kairos Fellowship Inc | New York, NY | $350,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Policy Impact | Berkeley, CA | $340,000 | 2025 | Program support for Hearken's Election SOS project |
| Protect Democracy Project | Washington, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Montclair State University Foundation Inc | Montclair, NJ | $300,000 | 2025 | Program support for Center for Cooperative Media |
| Fund for Constitutional Government | Washington, DC | $300,000 | 2025 | Program support for Keseb |
| Aspiration | San Francisco, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | Program support for The Revival Lab |
| The Miami Foundation Inc | Miami, FL | $300,000 | 2025 | Program support for NewsMatch |
| Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute | Chicago, IL | $300,000 | 2025 | General support |
| American Oversight Inc | Washington, DC | $275,000 | 2025 | General support |
| NEO Philanthropy Inc | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Program support for State Infrastructure Fund |
| Check My Ads Institute | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Grassroots Power Project | Berkeley, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Institute for Local Self Reliance Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Rose Community Foundation | Denver, CO | $250,000 | 2025 | Program support for Colorado Media Project |
| Children's Defense Fund | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism CUNY Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Program support for Center for Community Media |
| Faith in Action Network | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
| City Bureau NFP | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Program support for News Futures |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | $250,000 | 2025 | Program support for the Multiracial Democracy Project |
| Ayni Institute Inc | East Boston, MA | $250,000 | 2025 | General support |
Program support to advance climate and migrant justice
Program support for the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund
Free Press
$700,000General support
Program support to bring new funding to nonpartisan civic engagement
AccountableUS
$415,000General support
University of Maryland
$411,800Program support for the Election Talent Study Group
Rural Digital Youth Resiliency Project Inc
$400,000General support
Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association
$360,000General support
Tides Center
$350,000Program support for 22nd Century Initiative
Policy Impact
$340,000Program support for Hearken's Election SOS project
Program support for Center for Cooperative Media
Program support for Center for Community Media
Faith in Action Network
$250,000General support
George Washington University
$250,000Program support for the Multiracial Democracy Project