The Foundation for Civic Leadership concentrates its giving on strengthening civic engagement, democratic participation, and public-policy discourse, primarily through grants to national civic organizations, university programs, and media/policy research groups. It favors organizations that run voter engagement, civic education, and public affairs initiatives, often funding both intermediaries and campus-focused projects. Grants are focused and programmatic rather than broad philanthropy, signaling an interest in practical efforts to increase civic knowledge and participation.
Foundation for Civic Leadership Inc’s largest recent grant went to Civic Nation, a $100,000 award for civic engagement activities. That single grant sits within a compact portfolio built around civic participation, voter engagement, and public discourse rather than broad general philanthropy. In the 2024 grants list, the foundation also supported Scholars Strategy Network Inc and American Associates of Colleges & Universities at $50,000 each, showing consistent support for organizations that connect research, education, and civic life. Smaller awards went to groups such as New Voters Org and Committee of Seventy, reinforcing a pattern of funding practical efforts that can reach eligible voters, students, and community members. The grant set is programmatic in tone: every listed award is tied to civic engagement activities, and several recipients are intermediaries, campus-based institutions, or public-affairs organizations. For a researcher, that points to a funder focused on enabling organized civic participation through institutions that can translate ideas into action.
Civic engagement is the central thread across the recent grants. The foundation gave $50,000 to Scholars Strategy Network Inc for civic engagement activities, indicating support for research-informed public participation work. It also awarded $50,000 to American Associates of Colleges & Universities for the same purpose, tying civic learning to higher education. In voter engagement, New Voters Org received $25,000, which fits the foundation’s interest in organizations working with eligible voters and the electorate. Committee of Seventy also received $25,000 for civic engagement activities, adding a local public-affairs and reform dimension to the portfolio. The foundation’s support for Washington Monthly Institute Inc and 5e LLC, each at $15,000, suggests interest in organizations that shape civic and policy discourse as part of participation work.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range: the p25 is $13,000, the median is $15,000, and the p75 is $31,250. The 2024 list is tightly focused, with every grant labeled for civic engagement activities. Recipients can appear more than once in the same year, as Civic Nation and Neo Philanthropy Inc each received multiple awards. The foundation is organized as a public charity and does not make program-related investments or grants to individuals. The pattern suggests project-based support rather than open-ended philanthropy.
$335K
$5M
$2.6M
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $13K and $31K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$31K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Relatively concentrated portfolio: a small number of mid-to-large grants dominate annual giving, with occasional repeat funding to select intermediaries. Mostly program-focused grants to national organizations and university programs rather than many small local grants.
Notable grantees: Civic Nation, Scholars Strategy Network, American Association of Colleges & Universities, New Voters Org, Committee of Seventy
The foundation gives nationally, and all listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, helped by awards to Temple University in New York, NY and Neo Philanthropy Inc in New York, NY. Washington, DC also appears multiple times through grants to American Associates of Colleges & Universities, Washington Monthly Institute Inc, and 5e LLC. Other recipient locations include Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; and Richmond, CA. Massachusetts accounts for 8% of grants.
It funds organizations working on civic engagement activities, including voter engagement groups, campus-based civic learning programs, policy research organizations, and public-affairs media or intermediary nonprofits. Recent recipients include civic organizations, university-linked programs, and groups supporting participation infrastructure.
Its grant sizes are relatively focused: the 25th percentile is $13,000, the median is $15,000, and the 75th percentile is $31,250. Recent awards range from smaller $6,900 and $8,889 grants to a $100,000 grant.
Yes. In the 2024 grant list, Civic Nation received two grants and Neo Philanthropy Inc also received two grants. That indicates repeat support can occur within the same year, not just one-off awards.
Its grants are national, but New York is the top state by grant count. The recent list also shows recipients in Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; Richmond, CA; and cities in Illinois and Pennsylvania.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and the available record shows institutional grantees only, including nonprofits, universities, and intermediary organizations.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIVIC NATION | CAROL STREAM, IL | $100,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| SCHOLARS STRATEGY NETWORK INC | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| NEW VOTERS ORG | BERWYN, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $25,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| WASHINGTON MONTHLY INSTITUTE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| TEMPLE UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| 5E LLC | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| NEO PHILANTHROPY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $14,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| SOCIAL GOOD FUND | RICHMOND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| NEO PHILANTHROPY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $8,889 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
| CIVIC NATION | CAROL STREAM, IL | $6,900 | 2024 | CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES |
CIVIC NATION
$100,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
SCHOLARS STRATEGY NETWORK INC
$50,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
$50,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
NEW VOTERS ORG
$25,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY
$25,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
WASHINGTON MONTHLY INSTITUTE INC
$15,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY
$15,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
5E LLC
$15,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
NEO PHILANTHROPY INC
$14,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL GOOD FUND
$10,000CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
NEO PHILANTHROPY INC
$8,889CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
CIVIC NATION
$6,900CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES