Whistleblowers–employees of conscience who expose corruption—are vital defenders of our representative democracy. Our Democracy Protection Initiative is here to support them. Learn more at whistleblower.org/democracy-pr... 🇺🇸

Our Democracy Protection Initiative safeguards employees who expose abuses of power intended to threaten elections, free speech, and peaceful transitions of power. We provide legal representation, offer Know Your Rights trainings, and advocate for stronger whistleblower protections.

⚖️ In a true democracy, no one is above the law, human rights are afforded to all, and the government is fully accountable to its people.

Happy International Democracy Day! As our president @joegoldman.bsky.social recently reminded us, "The dream of a just, inclusive multiracial democracy — rooted in racial justice — is as important as ever." Today we're reflecting on the vision and mission that guides our work.

Political violence has become all too common in America. It must be condemned absolutely and in no uncertain terms wherever it occurs. (1/2)

Last January we made a pledge: to be courageous, hopeful, humble, and resilient in the face of great trauma and change. Yesterday, Democracy Fund president @joegoldman.bsky.social shared the latest updates on what that looks like. democracyfund.org/idea/how-dem...

Looking for a new opportunity? If you want to work in the pro-democracy field, our network #jobs board has 52 openings, from entry-level to C-suite positions. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/jobs

Democracy Fund president @joegoldman.bsky.social explains our process to adapt to the needs of the moment and to better optimize the resources we provide to the pro-democracy field. democracyfund.org/idea/how-dem...

Military deployment first to L.A. and now D.C. are moves straight from the authoritarian playbook. Funders and grantees must resist the weaponization of law enforcement, bad-faith congressional investigations, and attacks on our partners’ ability to serve their communities. (1/3)

We’re thrilled to launch Building Bridges: An Immigrant Media Training Program, a new project-based opportunity for newsrooms. 💡 Build products with immigrant communities 📅 Jan–May 2026 💰 $10K stipend Applications are now open. Learn more: documentedny.com/education/

A recent report by Democracy Fund grantees @protectdemocracy.org and @newamerica.org explains how proportional representation is an electoral reform that "delivers a more inclusive and responsive political system for all."

Young voters are often left on the margins of U.S. politics. Could winner-take-all elections be part of the reason? @oscarp.bsky.social and @dustinwahl.bsky.social examine the system’s impact in a new @protectdemocracy.org report. protectdemocracy.org/work/age-div...

Women have more opportunities to run & win in ranked choice elections, like the historic 2021 election of 31 women to the New York City Council. As New Yorkers vote today, they are benefiting from increased collaboration between campaigns, better candidates & more options to make their voices heard!

How does BIPOC-led philanthropy view the relationship between racial inequality and democracy? Democracy Fund’s Lauren Hill unveils a new analysis of funders for Candid, explaining how “BIPOC-led philanthropy is stepping up."

Looking for a new opportunity? Check out the 59 current openings on our partner network jobs board. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/jobs #job #jobs

Democracy Fund grantee @representwomen.bsky.social's 2025 Gender Parity Index shows: 📊 Women are still running, winning, and breaking barriers. ❌ Less than 1/3 of Congress are women 🌍 U.S. ranks 78th globally for women in parliament Progress is real, but too slow. ➡️ bit.ly/4mqLz6a #RepresentWomen

In the wake of the decision to end federal funding for public media, we’re revisiting @jcstearns.bsky.social‬ compelling case for supporting local news. democracyfund.org/idea/why-fun...

How is BIPOC-led philanthropy doing things differently? Democracy Fund’s Lauren Hill unveils a new analysis of funders for Candid, explaining how “BIPOC-led philanthropy is stepping up."

Democracy needs you! Check out the latest opportunities to work for democracy on our partner network. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/companies/am... #jobs

Opinion: At a time of escalating threats on journalists, grant makers should bolster the security of nonprofit media outlets but also can’t ignore the risks they face, writes Carroll Bogert, former president of the Marshall Project. Read the full essay at: https://phlnthrp.com/4mlWr5q

There’s a lot of problems with the Trump administration taking over the D.C. police force and planning to send the National Guard into the city. This article points out a big one: the powerful and unnecessary new surveillance powers the government will have over the city’s citizens.

Want to make sure communities throughout the US have access to vital information? Fund local radio stations. Alicia Bell of The Racial Equity in Journalism Fund & alvin starks of @borealisphil.bsky.social share how, and Democracy Fund's Lea Trusty weighs in. www.philanthropy.com/article/5-st...

This week, we are revisiting this piece from June: democracyfund.org/idea/authori...

Democracy needs you. Organizations in our network are currently hiring for over 50 open positions. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/companies #jobs

Limiting access to information is one of the first steps in the authoritarian playbook. Radio is a vital local news source, especially for rural & tribal communities — but federal funding cuts will silence stations throughout the country unless philanthropy steps up.

The Voting Rights Act turns 60 today. See how — against all odds — the transformative law came to be: bit.ly/4fpZYN5

🎉 The Power & Influence Top 50 leaders from The Nonprofit Times were chosen for their success resisting recent actions targeting nonprofits. We're thrilled to see our president @joegoldman.bsky.social recognized for his work supporting the nonprofit sector! thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles...

"What can we change as funders to make everything just a little bit easier for our grantee partners and ourselves?" Democracy Fund's Kalpana Simhan and Dan Gurmankin explain how we’re striving to be “assets and not roadblocks”: nonprofitquarterly.org/burnout-rate...

We need more journalism that shares stories and histories too often untold for centuries. Check out Democracy Fund grantee @prismreports.org's report on Negro Election Day and Black leadership: prismreports.org/2025/07/15/n...

Want to work for democracy? Check out our network job board for opportunities that range from entry-level to executive. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/jobs

"Whatever your first issue is, local news and journalism should be your second. Because if we don’t have a shared set of facts, we will not be able to get to rational policy solutions. And if we don’t have communities where people can talk across differences, we’re not going to have a democracy."

New on our Philanthropy Innovation Summit blog, @palfrey.org of @macfound.org and Karen Rundlet of @inn.org discuss their efforts to strengthen local news through the #PressForward coalition and call on fellow funders to join the movement to support quality independent #journalism.

Flexible, streamlined reporting. It's a win-win for grantees and funders. Here's why: nonprofitquarterly.org/burnout-rate...

Congratulations to DF grantee @eltimpano.bsky.social for winning the 2025 #JonesAward for their community-centered reporting. They provide creative in-person engagements, communicate with readers via text, and partner with public agencies to get critical information to hard-to-reach communities.

How can funders make reporting easier for grantee partners — especially when new crises demand attention and resources? For @npquarterly.bsky.social, our own Kalpana Simhan & Dan Gurmankin break down how we’re working to reduce the grant reporting burden. nonprofitquarterly.org/burnout-rate...

Are you looking for a new opportunity? Check out the 66 open positions on our partner network jobs board

A recent article by Inside Philanthropy highlights the efforts of Democracy Fund grantee States United Democracy Center to protect free and fair elections in every state. 🔒 www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/this-de...

🤝 This powerful collaboration will strengthen immigrant-centered journalism and build sustainable models for the future. Thanks to #PressForward and @democracyfund.bsky.social for the seed support to kick off this important initiative!

Press Forward is investing in the systems & services local newsrooms need most: legal protections, mental health support, revenue tools, and more. Learn more about their $22.7 million investment in 22 local news projects, through its Open Call on Infrastructure. pressforward.news/infrastructure25

Want to work for democracy? Our partner network is currently hiring for 62 position, across all career levels. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/companies

Interested in using the Index in your community? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected]

Download the data: We’ve also included a link to a public data sheet that you can easily download as an Excel or CSV file. Explore all these features live on the site now at civicinfoindex.org/the-index/

We are excited to announce a new and improved version of the Civic Information Index! Built in collaboration with @lpostcollective.bsky.social and with support from @democracyfund.bsky.social, this tool maps drivers of civic health across the U.S.—and now it comes with new features.

Congrats to the 22 local news projects receiving support from Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure. Each one is helping newsrooms address urgent challenges, including the need for legal protections, mental health support, and revenue tools. pressforward.news/infrastructure25

👏 What a line up! @chronphilanthropy.bsky.social shares stories about the fight for the social sector in their July edition. Dive in for bold, new ways of doing things, powerful stories, and inspiration: www.philanthropy.com/package/july...

What’s happening with funding for trans communities? Grantee @translash.org‬’s @imarajones.bsky.social hosts a must-listen pivotal episode on the double crisis facing trans-led and -serving organizations: rising needs and shrinking resources. Listen in: translash.org/podcasts/tra...

To our partners, our grantees, our colleagues, and our friends: Thank you. You push democracy forward — not just every four years, but every day. Thank you for 11 years of building power, trust, and community.

More than 50 job openings across 38 organizations all in one place! Check out our Democracy Fund partner job board for inspiring, impactful, and important career opportunities. network-jobs.democracyfund.org/companies

✅61% of BIPOC donors and BIPOC-led grantmakers are increasing flexible funding ✅53% are supporting scenario/contingency planning ✅56% are helping grantees respond to legal challenges and scrutiny ✅42% are helping improve grantee cybersecurity What does it mean ▶️▶️ blog.candid.org/post/how-bip...

Democracy Fund president @joegoldman.bsky.social shares how what has happened in L.A. isn’t a flash in a pan, it’s a page straight out of the authoritarian playbook. He explains why right now “philanthropy must not flinch.” democracyfund.org/idea/authori...