Public Wise conducts nonpartisan, nonprofit polling and research and provides grants and partnership support to organizations working on voting rights, democracy access, and civic engagement to advance an equitable democracy.
Public Wise Inc’s most distinctive pattern is its mix of unrestricted partnership funding and member-style support for organizations working on voting rights, democracy access, and civic engagement. The foundation’s recent grants include repeated support for National Redistricting Action Fund, America Votes, and Way to Win, alongside a broader set of partners advancing pro-democracy work. It also funds Public Wise Pac and has a Research & Education Fund that supports polling, research, and educational activities tied to public opinion and democratic participation. Across the recent grants list, the foundation shows a clear preference for operating support and partnership-based funding rather than narrow project-only awards. Grants appear in multiple years for the same organizations, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated transactions. Several recipients are tied to BIPOC community power-building, voter turnout and access, and opposition to voter suppression and election subversion. The foundation’s portfolio also reaches state-based advocacy groups in places such as Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, New York, and Washington, DC, while maintaining a national grantmaking footprint. Its leadership is listed as Christina Baal-Owens, and its latest 990 year on file is 2025.
In redistricting and democracy infrastructure work, Public Wise Inc gave $150,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 to National Redistricting Action Fund. It also supported America Votes with $100,975 in 2023, $100,000 in 2024, and $101,293 in 2025, pointing to steady backing for coordinated civic and electoral engagement. The foundation also funds membership and coalition support. Way to Win received $250,000 in 2023 and another $50,000 in 2024 as an anchor annual membership partner. Public Wise Pac was granted $400,000 in 2023 for financial support. State-based voter engagement organizations also appear in the portfolio. Public Wise Inc gave $115,000 to Progress North Carolina Action in 2025, $75,000 to MI Familia Vota in 2024 and 2025, and $75,000 to Black Male Voter Project in 2023.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $25,000, a median of $50,000, and a p75 of $56,250. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including annual support patterns and recurring financial support to several partners. Public Wise Inc is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grantmaking includes unrestricted operating support, special project support, and anchor annual membership funding, with some opportunities marked as open to unsolicited requests and others not. The foundation’s portfolio reflects ongoing partnership funding rather than isolated one-time awards.
$1.3M
$3.3M
$3.5M
$4.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $56K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$56K
CHRISTINA BAAL-OWENS
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Public Wise Inc gives nationally, with 100% of recent grants going to US recipients. The largest concentration of grants by count is in Georgia, even though the foundation is headquartered in New York, NY. Recent recipients include organizations in Washington, DC; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh and Greensboro, NC; Atlanta and Norcross, GA; and New York City-area locations such as Brooklyn, Millerton, and New York, NY. The recipient map also reaches Walnut, CA and San Francisco, CA.
It supports nonprofit organizations working on voting rights, democracy access, voter turnout and access, voter suppression, election subversion, pro-democracy advocacy, and civic engagement. The data also shows support for BIPOC community power-building, public opinion research, polling, and educational activities related to democratic participation.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $56,250 at the 75th percentile. Many recent awards sit in the $50,000 to $75,000 range, with larger partnership grants also appearing in the record.
Yes. The recent grants list shows multiple organizations receiving support in more than one year, including National Redistricting Action Fund across 2023, 2024, and 2025, America Votes across 2023 to 2025, and Way to Win in 2023 and 2024. That points to recurring partnership funding rather than one-off awards.
Some programs accept unsolicited requests and others do not. The Grant Opportunities and Research & Education Fund pages are marked as accepting unsolicited submissions, while other partnership and operational grant pages are not.
Its grantmaking is national, but several program pages identify priority states including Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and some materials also reference Michigan and Georgia. The recent grants list includes recipients in Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, New York, California, and Washington, DC.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Public Wise that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: We partner with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations engaged in voting rights and democracy access work. Priority states for grant funding are Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia (2022 page) and Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia (2024 page).
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL REDISTRICTING ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $150,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| PROGRESS NORTH CAROLINA ACTION | Raleigh, NC | $115,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICA VOTES | WASHINGTON, DC | $101,293 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| MI FAMILIA VOTA | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| RURAL ARIZONA ACTION | COOLIDGE, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| LIVING UNITED FOR CHANGE IN ARIZONA | Phoenix, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| VOTE REV ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SHERIFFS FOR TRUSTING COMMUNITIES | DURHAM, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ASIAN AMERICAN ADVOCACY FUND INC | NORCROSS, GA | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NCAAT in Action | RALEIGH, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| DOWN HOME NORTH CAROLINA INC | Greensboro, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ORGANIZE PENNSYLVANIA | PITTSBURGH, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTES INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| OUR VOICE OUR VOTE | PHOENIX, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SIEMBRA NC GREENSBORO | GREENSBORO, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WATERSHED CENTER INC BROOKLYN | MILLERTON, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| CARE IN ACTION INC | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SISTER DISTRICT ACTION NETWORK | Covina, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| AZ AANHPI Advocates | MILLERTON, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| COMMON DEFENSE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT INC | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| Americas Future Project Action Fund | Mesa, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| TIDES ADVOCACY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ENTERTAIN IMPACT ADVOCACY ALLIANCE INC | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| Instituto Power | Phoenix, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NEO Philanthropy Action Fund Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| Generation Vote Action | WOODSIDE, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| DEMOCRACY SENTRY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL REDISTRICTING ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $150,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICA VOTES | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| MI FAMILIA VOTA | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE AMHERST | AMHERST, MA | $75,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WORKING FAMILIES ORGANIZATION INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| TIDES ADVOCACY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| DEMOCRACY NORTH CAROLINA | MORRISVILLE, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| SHERIFFS FOR TRUSTING COMMUNITIES | DURHAM, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| DOWN HOME NORTH CAROLINA INC | Greensboro, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WATERSHED CENTER INC BROOKLYN | MILLERTON, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| OUR VOICE OUR VOTE | PHOENIX, AZ | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| RURAL ARIZONA ACTION | COOLIDGE, AZ | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTES INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WAY TO WIN | WALNUT, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | ANCHOR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP |
| COMMON DEFENSE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ONE PENNSYLVANIA INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| ENTERTAIN IMPACT ADVOCACY ALLIANCE INC | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| LINCOLN DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE SERVICE | PORTLAND, OR | $25,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| NEW AMERICAN LEADERS ACTION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| VOTE REV ACTION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| BLACK VOTERS MATTER FUND INC | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2024 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| PUBLIC WISE PAC | WASHINGTON, DC | $400,000 | 2023 | FINANCIAL SUPPORT |
| WAY TO WIN | WALNUT, CA | $250,000 | 2023 | ANCHOR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP |
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Americas Future Project Action Fund
$25,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
ENTERTAIN IMPACT ADVOCACY ALLIANCE INC
$25,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Generation Vote Action
$20,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
DEMOCRACY SENTRY
$10,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WAY TO WIN
$50,000ANCHOR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
ONE PENNSYLVANIA INC
$50,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
ENTERTAIN IMPACT ADVOCACY ALLIANCE INC
$25,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
LINCOLN DEMOCRACY INSTITUTE SERVICE
$25,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
NEW AMERICAN LEADERS ACTION
$25,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
BLACK VOTERS MATTER FUND INC
$15,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
PUBLIC WISE PAC
$400,000FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WAY TO WIN
$250,000ANCHOR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
