A funders guide to repairing democracy
Here's a roundup of advice from grant makers and nonprofit leaders on what it will take to bolster America's democratic institutions.
September 4, 2026 | Read Time: 1 minute
Spending on programs to strengthen the nation’s democracy reached $6.7 billion last year, according to the U.S. Democracy Hub. While the field has grown sharply since Donald Trump’s first election in 2016, many funders now question whether all those dollars are having the intended effect.
“It’s time for democracy funders to take stock of both our accomplishments and shortcomings,” says Rachel Pritzker, chair of the Democracy Funders Network.
When the field first took off a decade ago, the focus was on ensuring fair elections, protecting voting rights, and supporting advocacy and policy efforts to repair those systems. Now some wonder whether those approaches — often perceived as partisan — backfired and further fueled polarization and anti-democratic practices.
In this roundup, foundation leaders reflect on the unintended consequences of primarily supporting programs that matched their ideological leanings. They offer their perspectives on what to do differently now, including why progressive funders should support conservative groups.
To defend democracy, funders must give beyond their comfort zones
Backing leaders whose policy views differ from your own may feel risky, but failing to do so is riskier.
A Democracy Funder’s Confession: We May Be Making Things Worse
Philanthropy has spent a decade defending democracy — while the conditions it aims to improve continue to deteriorate. Here's what needs to change.
What Funding Everyday Acts of Courage Taught Us About America
Trust in government and institutions has collapsed. But in communities across the country, ordinary people are quietly rebuilding the relationships that hold democracy together.
Why Progressive Funders Are Now Backing Conservative Groups
Institutional donors gave nearly $1 billion to bridge-building efforts last year, a 36 percent jump. Behind the numbers: a reckoning over whether progressive philanthropy fueled…
Ask the CEO: A Conversation with Ali Noorani, Head of the Barr Foundation
Listen in on a conversation with Ali Noorani, who became president of the Barr Foundation in December 2025. In a discussion with Stacy Palmer, the…
A Religious Group Is Reclaiming America’s 250th From the Political Sideshow
As the 250th anniversary nears, a fast-growing network of clergy is treating the Declaration of Independence as a sacred text — and using it to…
4 Ways Philanthropy Can Repair Civic Education
As the nation's 250th anniversary approaches, funders can draw on a proven Illinois model to help schools prepare the next generation of engaged citizens.
Why the Ford Foundation Has Committed $60M in New Funding to Protect Elections
Ford leader Heather Gerken, a constitutional law scholar, outlines a grant-making strategy designed to battle polarization’s gale-force winds.
Who Can Rescue Democracy? Local Funders Have the Edge
National philanthropy cannot pull democracy out of the ditch. Renewal — with community foundations leading the way — must come from the ground up.
Why Philanthropy’s Democracy Talk Turns People Off
Here are the words that leave average Americans cold — and the language that could connect them to the billion-dollar fight to strengthen the country.
