
Our democracy is a complex, imperfect system. It is a work in progress that requires the constant rebalancing of competing values and priorities. Our republic has proven itself to be resilient, but it nonetheless requires dedicated and ongoing attention — a fact that feels deeply relevant in our current political climate. In this moment, we believe we must be clear about what Democracy Fund stands for, why we do our work, and how we will stand up to the immediate and long-term threats facing some of our most fundamental democratic principles.
Through a rigorous, bipartisan, and participatory process, we have developed a framework to describe Democracy Fund’s convictions about what a healthy democracy should be. This framework includes our vision and core beliefs, which reflect Democracy Fund’s values, priorities, history, and culture. Our healthy democracy framework is not intended to be objective or irrefutable. We share it in the spirit of transparency and with a firm commitment to our mission of strengthening our nation’s democracy.
As Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman writes in his open letter, “While Democracy Fund’s core mission has not changed from its founding, the organization looks very different from our founding four years ago — and in the context of the events of the past two years. These changes have demanded that we clarify our core convictions and dramatically expand our commitment to strengthening American democracy and defending the United States Constitution.”