In this guest opinion, Beth Huang of Tides outlines why philanthropic funders should deploy both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) funding — and work at the nexus between them — as the election approaches.
Read MoreIn this guest opinion, Alexis Anderson-Reed and Karundi Williams call on donors to move money as early as possible this year, in the face of a significant retraction in democracy funding since the 2020 cycle.
Read MoreAs the 2024 election approaches, Craig Newmark is focusing his philanthropy on efforts to educate the public, strengthen cyber security and protect democracy — while cracking some jokes along the way.
Read MoreTo avoid the boom-and-bust cycle that plagues democracy philanthropy, guest authors Joe Goldman, Laleh Ispahani and Deepak Bhargava call on funders to give earlier this year — by April if possible.
Read MoreThe Heising-Simons Foundation’s CEO Fund allows the head of the foundation to choose a priority area to support. Sushma Raman reflects on why she chose to focus on AI, and on her first year as head of the foundation.
Read MorePublic Wise is working with organizations around the country to give a voice to overlooked voters, while building movement infrastructure. The group is also on the lookout for those who could undermine democracy.
Read MoreRhizome is a national, youth-led network seeking to build civic engagement among American young people. Here’s how it got the attention and support of the late Microsoft cofounder’s foundation.
Read MoreOSF plans to let go of 40% of staff as it reaches a new stage in its longtime bid to bring focus to its legendarily complex operations. Critics point to a consolidation of power amid low morale and a shrinking global footprint.
Read MoreFunders often struggle to back civic engagement and community power building. In this guest piece, three authors whose organizations collaboratively fund that work suggest some changes in approach.
Read MoreMuch of philanthropy frames civic engagement in a narrow way, with a focus on voting and elections. Guest contributor Louise Lief discusses what’s wrong with that, and what a better, broader approach looks like.
Read MoreMike Berkowitz is the co-founder and executive director of the Democracy Funders Network. We check in with him to discuss the network’s approach, trends in democracy giving, what’s keeping donors up at night, and more.
Read MoreWith U.S. democracy in crisis, guest contributors Mike Berkowitz and Rachel Kleinfeld argue that philanthropy cannot stick to its usual playbook. They outline five ways funders can update their approach.
Read MoreAs book bans in schools become a key front in the culture wars, organizations like PEN America are betting that Americans’ faith in free speech will prove stronger. Do funders have their backs?
Read MoreThe Crisis Charitable Commitment was created to hold funders to a higher standard. As in, give more. It recently debuted a slate of shovel-ready giving opportunities, including an advocacy push for higher taxes on the ultra-rich.
Read MoreGiving for civic engagement on campus is a small but increasingly important component of the higher ed funding ecosystem. Here’s a list of eight key grantmakers and how they approach that work.
Read MoreInstituto works through a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4) and a PAC to cultivate in-state funding. Here’s what it’s doing to support progressive power-building, and how it’s reckoning with the fact that demographics doesn’t always equal destiny.
Read MoreStaunchly 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.
Read MoreToday’s civic environment is a tinderbox for political violence that demands philanthropy’s attention. Guest authors Rachel Brown, Sadia Hameed and Heather Hurlburt diagnose the problem and offer next steps.
Read MoreDemocracy giving typically waxes and wanes with the presidential election cycle. But after a historic year, several fundraisers are hopeful that a new paradigm of higher, less restrictive giving may set in.
Read MoreTensions are still acute in the election’s wake and the future of American democracy remains uncertain. For funders who leaned into democracy work this year, this is a time for some celebration, and a sobering look at the path ahead.
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