Executive Summary Philanthropic support for promoting a healthy democracy has grown in recent years, marking a period of transformation for the field. Since 2016, an…
Ideas
Explore insights, lessons, and resources from our work
Democracy Fund staff — alongside grantees, researchers, and other field experts — regularly develops resources and shares lessons on strengthening democracy. Here you will find guides, reports, and insights from our team and network.
ABOUT DEMOCRACY FUND Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American…
Reliable information fuels our lives. We need to know who is on the ballot, what’s happening in our schools, where to find rental assistance, and…
Democracy Fund’s Digital Democracy Portfolio (DDP) and its grantees have been radically reimagining platform accountability and media policy through strategies at the intersection of reparation…
To inform Democracy Fund’s Public Square team strategy planning in 2022, we commissioned an evaluation of our program from 2016-2021. Our evaluation and learning partner,…
Democracy Fund’s Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) and its grantees have been radically reimagining platform accountability and media policy through strategies at the intersection of advocacy,…
Featured
What We Learned from Evaluating the Impact of Our Election Security and Confidence Investments
In the fall of 2021, Democracy Fund commissioned an evaluation of our Election Security and Confidence portfolio – the major focus of the Elections &…
From its inception, Democracy Fund has invested in organizations supporting election administration. We believe that well-functioning election operations are a core component of a healthy…
Report
Toward Ethical Technology
The health of our American democracy depends upon equitable and safe digital spaces. Toward Ethical Technology: Framing Human Rights in the Future of Digital Innovation…
Democracy Fund’s Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) and its grantees are radically reimagining what it looks like to make platforms accountable to the American public and…
The volatility of current events makes one thing clear: Our democracy is vulnerable to disruptions many haven’t even imagined. While we cannot predict the future,…
The new report "Healthy Local News & Information Ecosystems: A Diagnostic Framework,” presents a framework to help local news funders assess whether a community’s information…
The health of our American democracy requires strategic investment in community-led solutions that combat political violence and mitigate its cost to society. The Costs of…
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) play a crucial role in our elections. This report seeks to raise the level of recognition of the agency’s role…
Now researchers, reporters, and armchair pundits have immediate access to America’s diverse views on 40 top policy issues.
Research on international violence and peacebuilding reveals that much can be done to prevent violence and increase resilience — if leaders with influence and resources…
A step-by-step toolkit to help you gather the information you need to fund local news and information in your community.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to fostering robust American journalism that supports a healthy democracy. The failure of newsrooms to fully reflect their communities,…
Journalism has long fallen short of reflecting the diversity of the communities it purports to serve—something that is fundamental for supporting a healthy democracy. Last…
Local elections officials (LEOs) are the stewards of our democracy, but oftentimes they are left out of important conversations about the future of our elections…