Philanthropy News for Democracy Funding
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With Democracy in Peril, Philanthropy Can Make a Difference on California’s Prop 50
Rebecca Hamburg of the California Donor Table shares why it’s vital that funders support nonpartisan civic engagement around the state’s upcoming Prop 50 special election.
A Dialogue on Identity, Strategy, and Philanthropy
Inside Philanthropy’s David Callahan and the Black Feminist Fund’s Tynesha McHarris continue their discussion of a crucial question: Should philanthropy center identity?
Democracy Donors Look to Legal Challenges to Slow Authoritarianism
We talked with Democracy Forward’s President and CEO Skye Perryman about using the courts to defend democracy.
Agreeing to Disagree: A $20 Million Donation to Northwestern to Combat Polarization
Alec Litowitz and Jennifer Leischner Litowitz are backing the Center for Enlightened Disagreement in hopes of teaching young people how to navigate differences.
Philanthropy’s Responsibility: Funding Faith in Democracy
As Americans lose faith in their civic agency, Emma Bloomberg writes that funders should be backing civic participation with as much urgency as they back direct services.
Trolls Are Coming for Nonprofits and Funders. Here’s What to Know and What to Do About It
Egged on by the government, threats against progressive funders and nonprofits have become more numerous and more virulent since the killing of Charlie Kirk.
The Philanthropy-Backed Think Tank Behind Trump’s Soros Investigation
The Capital Research Center has the ear of the administration, having released a report on OSF that attempts to link the progressive grantmaker to “pro-terror groups.”
Free Speech Is Under Attack. Here’s What Funders Are Doing — and What Else Is Needed
With civil liberties under increasing threat, it’s critical that philanthropy retains its voice and defends free speech, both to protect nonprofits and democracy writ large.
Anti-Hate Summit Highlights the Funding Struggle As Violence Escalates
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit was a reminder that securing funding remains a challenge for organizations confronting hate-based violence.
Targeting OSF, Trump Aims for a Chilling Effect on Liberal Funders
The Department of Justice’s apparent move to begin a criminal investigation of the Open Society Foundations has prompted some condemnation from funding leaders.
How Might the Trump Administration Target Ford, OSF or Other Nonprofits?
Here’s what two legal experts had to say about the administration’s potential strategy, what nonprofits can do, and what still stands in the way of broad repression of the civil sector.
Philanthropies and Nonprofits Speak Out Against Attacks on First Amendment
Three coalitions representing over 800 funders and nonprofits have taken a stand against the assault on their First Amendment rights.
Funders Push Back as the Trump Administration Targets Philanthropy
The administration wasted little time using Charlie Kirk’s assassination as an excuse to go after left-leaning funders. But grantmakers haven’t been entirely silent.
Backed by Conservative Funders, PragerU May Soon Offer Lessons at a School Near You
The nonprofit now boasts educational partnerships in 10 states — and has its sights on many more. Here’s a look at who’s backing it and the views it’s promulgating.
Voting Rights Are Under Attack. It’s Time for All Funders to Take Action
With Trump now taking aim at mail-in voting, philanthropy’s role in supporting the right to vote has become all the more critical, and it’s not just “democracy funders” who need to step up.
A Rapidly Growing Network for Democracy Funders
Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) has built a network for collaboration, information-sharing, research and relationship-building.
How 2 Efforts to Defend Nonprofits Tiptoe Around the Elephant in the Room
The National Council of Nonprofits and the Council on Foundations have launched campaigns to protect nonprofits against political attacks — without naming the attackers.
Rapid Response: Funders Pool Their Dollars to Protect Public Media
Big, public-facing rapid response initiatives from philanthropy have been notably rare so far amid Trump’s cuts. But here’s an exception: the newly launched Public Media Bridge Fund.
After a Hiatus, What’s New with Open Society Foundations’ Distinctive Fellowships?
OSF’s fellowship program is back, aiming to amplify and elevate voices from the Global South. The 2025-26 cohort includes 31 public intellectuals from seven cities.
Who’s Funding Public News Media?
With the imminent closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, philanthropic support for public news will be all the more critical. Here’s who’s funding public news, including PBS NewsHour and NPR.
The Elephant in the Room
Top foundations are protective of their reputation as nonpartisan pragmatists. Today, though, this stance requires staying silent about alarming shifts in U.S. politics.
A Small Foundation Backs an Innovative Effort to Get Young People to Vote
From horse rides to the polls to heavy metal, Protect the Sacred is working to animate the Native youth vote with backing from the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation.
Henry Luce Foundation Boosts Grantmaking to Address Threats to Civil Society
Interim President Sean Buffington explains why the foundation is increasing its grantmaking by up to $25 million over the next two years.
No Shortcuts: How Philanthropy Can Strengthen States in Tumultuous Times
Jeff Raikes draws on his foundation’s experience as well as developments in Minnesota, emphasizing the value of perseverance in pushing for change at the state and local level.
Four Funders Supporting the Right to Protest
With the right to assembly under attack in the U.S. despite its First Amendment protections, here are some grantmakers who’ve been pushing back.
This Democracy Defender Works at the State Level — With Foundation Support
States United Democracy Center’s success with philanthropic funders shows there’s hunger for state-level work to protect voting rights.
Beyond the Ballot Box: The Power and Possibility of a Continuous Civic Life
Emma Bloomberg draws on examples from her own work, calling on philanthropy to “focus less on the national news cycle” and fund community organizers, as well as the infrastructure to support them.
Is the Sector Really Expanding Payout? Or Is That a Dangerous Illusion?
Reports of increased payout are everywhere, but the same names predominate. To what extent is the sector actually increasing its funding in response to Trump’s cuts?
Over 700 Funders and Sector Groups Now Asserting Their Right to Give Freely
Funders holding collective net assets of nearly a quarter-trillion dollars have now signed onto the statement defending their First Amendment right to give.
8 Things to Know About the Ford Foundation’s Incoming President, Heather Gerken
Here are some key facts about the Yale Law School dean, expert on democracy, introvert, “intellectual guru,” podcaster and apparent fan of peer pressure (but not Justin Bieber).
