Pooled funds represent a valuable means for funders to engage in the democracy space. Democracy Funders Network has developed a guide to help funders determine which pooled funds best align with their giving priorities and will be the best partners in advancing their goals.
The PACE Primer: Democracy is a resource designed to explore the question, “What is democracy?” and help funders assess their interest and understanding in democracy, and ultimately, help them along their journey toward integrating or prioritizing it in their work.
Candid (formerly Foundation Center and Guidestar) manages a free data visualization platform featuring tens of thousands of grants regarding philanthropy's role in U.S. democracy.
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy published a toolkit for funders interested on strengthening democracy, which is focused on two primary strategies: increasing civic engagement and reinvigorating local media.
Healthy local journalism is imperative to a healthy democracy, but as a funder who has not given in the space before, it can be challenging to know where to begin. This guide is designed to help funders gather the information they need to fund local news and information in their communities.
Suzette Brooks Masters challenges philanthropy to put democracy first by elevating the importance of democracy issues to achieving foundation missions, exceeding the standard 5% payout rate, and committing resources directly towards democracy issues.
The Hewlett Foundation announces its new U.S. Democracy Program, deepening the work it had previously invested in through its Madison Initiative, and investing in ideas, institutional developments, and reforms that will come to fruition over periods spanning multiple election cycles, and that garner the support of leaders and parties on both sides of the aisle.
In the midst of COVID-19 and the oncoming 2020 election, Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman urges philanthropy to invest in critical democratic priorities such as successfully implementing the census and the election, ensuring continuity of government, preserving access to objective journalism, and protecting civil liberties.
Daniel Stid at the Hewlett Foundation reflects on the Madison Initiative from its founding through 2019, and discusses how the foundation has been evaluating the program and what it has learned.
Stephen Heintz argues that foundations rely on a strong democracy to achieve their missions and that one of the reasons foundations are not achieving the impact they intend is less giving to pro-democracy causes such as advancing voting, promoting civic participation, strengthening government, and supporting the news media.
“Impact” is commonly thought of as creating positive change in a system that would remain static but for a given intervention. However, as Liz Ruedy explains, impact can manifest in a variety of different, valid ways depending the particular type of status quo and potential trajectory of change.
The Hewlett Foundation details its strategic approach to its democracy work: The Madison Initiative. It includes a description of how the foundation approached this work between 2016 and 2018, as well as future funding priorities.
