November 10, 2022

Five Midterm Election Takeaways for Philanthropy

November 10, 2022/ Philip Rojc

The 2022 midterm elections turned out not to be the bloodbath that Democrats — and funders supporting progressive issues — feared it would be. What can philanthropy learn from our latest fraught election cycle?

September 20, 2022

Looking Beyond the Midterms, King Family Looks to Empower "Frontline Workers of Democracy”

September 20, 2022/ Mike Scutari

Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King launched the Drum Major Coalition, providing organizations with flexible support for power-building. We spoke with the Kings about how it came together and what’s next.

June 16, 2022

Supporting Democracy Dollars Is a Powerful Way Funders Can Protect Local Elections

June 16, 2022/ Raúl Macías and Tiffany Mendoza, Guest Contributors

Democracy in America is in a precarious state, and local elections are just as vulnerable to monied interests. Guest authors Raúl Macías and Tiffany Mendoza offer a creative solution that can help level the playing field.

April 25, 2022

Zuckerberg and Chan Closed the Door on Election Funding, But the Story Isn't Over

April 25, 2022/ Philip Rojc

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s unprecedented support for election infrastructure in 2020 has been among their most controversial giving. Though the Facebook royalty aren’t involved, that strand of philanthropy continues.

March 23, 2022

Way to Win Wants to Keep the Blue Wave Going This Year. Can It?

March 23, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

Staunchly progressive, Way to Win is an umbrella organization for both philanthropic and political funding. Its Sun Belt-focused strategy faces some headwinds as it seeks to galvanize voters ahead of the midterms.

January 06, 2022

This Community Foundation Raised $10 Million—and Counting—to Help Latinos Build Power

January 06, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

Based in California, the Latino Community Foundation’s Latino Power Fund exceeded its initial fundraising goal for the year and now seeks to raise $50 million as activists look toward the 2022 midterm elections and beyond.

April 20, 2021

Philanthropy’s Role in Efforts to Boost Claims of Voter Fraud

April 20, 2021/ Philip Rojc

The “big lie” didn’t come from nowhere. While politicians like Donald Trump have magnified false claims of widespread voter fraud, supposedly apolitical philanthropy has long played a role in their spread and legitimization.

January 08, 2021

Five Funders That Played a Role in the Georgia Senate Runoffs

January 08, 2021/ Philip Rojc

Philanthropy was less visible a force in the Georgia runoff elections than a torrent of over $800 million in political spending. But such funding did help build many of the movement organizing platforms that proved so crucial to the results.

November 05, 2020

Six Roles Philanthropy Has Played in an Election Like No Other

November 05, 2020/ Philip Rojc

One of the most consequential and unusual elections in U.S. history has brought with it a raft of challenges that funders have been scrambling to address. Here are six ways philanthropy shaped this year’s contest.

October 15, 2020

Crunch Time: Democracy Funders Confront a Perilous Election—and Its Aftermath

October 15, 2020/ Philip Rojc

Mere weeks remain until Election Day. As some argue that American democracy itself is on the line, here’s how philanthropic funders have been rising to the challenge, and some of the ways they may be falling short.

September 29, 2020

Our Democracy Is Under Attack and Philanthropy Needs to Act Now

September 29, 2020/ Dr. Carmen Rojas and Dimple Abichandani, Guest Contributors

American democracy is facing multiple attacks, from denial of voting rights to criminalization of protest. In this guest post from September, two foundation leaders urged the sector to take rapid action in support of those protecting democratic institutions.

July 06, 2020

How a Progressive Funder Collaborative Seeks to Ramp Up Voter Engagement

July 06, 2020/ Philip Rojc

Since 2016, progressive donors have been hard at work building up grassroots civic engagement capacity. Here’s how one collaborative wants to use 501(c)(3) funds to expand the electorate and counteract COVID-19 as November looms.

June 17, 2020

Unprecedented: Why a Modest Health and Equity Funder is Digging Deep for Democracy

June 17, 2020/ Philip Rojc

The Langeloth Foundation traces its origins back over a century. But this month, it made its largest commitment ever in an area it doesn’t even focus on. Here’s the story behind this low-profile funder’s $10 million democracy commitment.

April 01, 2020

Virus-Proofing the Vote: Democracy Funders Respond to COVID-19

April 01, 2020/ Philip Rojc

As with almost everything else, the pandemic has thrown a wrench into funders’ plans to protect the vote and boost turnout in November. Here’s how leading democracy funders are facing down the prospect of a socially distanced election.

March 03, 2020

Off the Sidelines: The Fund Propelling Women Into Office

March 03, 2020/ Julia Travers

Women make up more than half of the U.S. population, but hold less than 30% of elected seats. A Gates-backed fund aims to get more women elected to state offices. What’s its strategy and where are grants heading?

November 06, 2018

Heading into the Mid-terms, Who’s Paying Attention to Cybersecurity?

November 06, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly

The 2016 election demonstrated the vulnerability of American democracy to manipulation by outside actors. In this article first published in April, we looked at the funders working to bolster election security for the mid-terms.