About National Endowment for Democracy
A private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world.
Focus Areas
human rightsrule of lawindependent mediacivil society strengtheningelection support and political processescivic educationdemocratic conflict resolutionanti-kleptocracytechnology and information integrityfellowships and capacity building
Who They Fund
political parties and civic organizationseducational and cultural institutionscivil society groups focused on pluralism and inclusion
About National Endowment for Democracy
National Endowment for Democracy centers its grantmaking on strengthening democratic institutions around the world, with its largest recent awards going to organizations that work on democratic governance and political parties. Two of its biggest grants in the recent file went to the International Republican Institute: $39,199,882 in 2024 and $35,410,575 in 2025. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs also appears repeatedly at a similar scale, including $34,064,979 in 2023, $33,422,549 in 2024, and $32,831,250 in 2025. That pattern shows a funder that makes large programmatic awards rather than small, isolated grants. The portfolio also includes substantial support for pluralism, independent media, civic education, and related public-interest work. Recent examples include $34,259,215 to the American Center for International Labor Solidarity in 2025 for pluralism, and $33,392,527 to the Center for International Private Enterprise in 2025 for pluralism. The foundation’s named focus areas also extend to human rights, rule of law, election support and political processes, democratic conflict resolution, anti-kleptocracy, technology and information integrity, fellowships, and capacity building.
What National Endowment for Democracy Funds
A major theme is democratic governance and political party development. The International Republican Institute received $39,199,882 in 2024 and $35,410,575 in 2025 for that purpose, while the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs received $33,422,549 in 2024 and $32,831,250 in 2025. Pluralism is another clear focus. The American Center for International Labor Solidarity received $34,259,215 in 2025 for pluralism, and the Center for International Private Enterprise received $33,392,527 in 2025 for pluralism. Education, communication, and culture also appear in the recent record. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs received $34,064,979 in 2023 for education, communication, and culture plus democratic governance and political parties, and Freedom House received $1,325,087 in 2023 for education, communication, and culture plus pluralism.
How National Endowment for Democracy Gives
Typical grant size sits at $62,184 at the 25th percentile, $130,027 at the median, and $231,290 at the 75th percentile, but the recent file also shows very large program awards at the top end. Grants appear to recur across multiple years: the International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, American Center for International Labor Solidarity, Center for International Private Enterprise, Freedom House, Scholars at Risk Inc, and Cuban Democratic Directorate all show up in more than one year. The funder is a regular grantmaker, not an individual-giving or program-related-investment vehicle. The pattern is programmatic and multi-year rather than one-off, with recurring support tied to named initiatives.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$150.3M
Total Assets
$106.5M
Total Revenue
$356.2M
Total Expenses
$355.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $62K and $231K, with a median of $130K.
25th Percentile
$62K
Median
$130K
75th Percentile
$231K
Geographic Reach
Regional21 states funded
About 41% of grants go to recipients in FL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DAMON WILSON
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