Foundations gave $1.3 billion for U.S. democracy in 2024, about 1.3% of their grants, Candid finds
Candid's analysis of private and community foundation grants from 2016 to 2024 finds democracy funding peaked at $1.5 billion in 2020. The Ford Foundation gave the most over the nine years, about $1.17 billion.
Largest foundation funders of U.S. democracy, 2016 to 2024
New York. Private and community foundations gave $1.3 billion for democracy in the United States in 2024, about 1.3% of all their grants and less than the peak of $1.5 billion in 2020, according to an analysis Candid, the New York nonprofit that keeps a database of foundation grants, published on Oct. 8.
The post, by Candid's lead data analyst, David Wolcheck, covers fiscal years ending in 2016 through 2024, the latest complete year of data. It counts grants made or coded for democracy, for policy and administration, including civic participation, and for freedom of information and expression, including elections and voting. Mr. Wolcheck notes that other definitions would give other figures. Grants to other democracy funders are left out so no dollar is counted twice.
A jump in 2020
Unadjusted for inflation, the funding tripled between 2016 and 2020 and nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020 alone, outpacing all foundation grantmaking. It fell by nearly a third in 2021, a drop overall grantmaking did not show, then rose slightly. Adjusted for inflation, it more than doubled from 2016 to 2024. Between the midterm years it rose 55%, from $740 million in 2018 to about $1.2 billion in 2022.
Foundations making at least one democracy grant numbered 3,701 in 2016 and 4,580 in 2024, after a peak of 5,161 in 2019. Over the nine years 13,531 made at least one, many only now and then, and for them democracy was 1% to 3% of grantmaking each year.
A few large funders
Each of the top 10 funders gave in at least eight of the nine years. The Ford Foundation led with $1.17 billion in 1,926 grants, followed by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation with $759.6 million and the Foundation to Promote Open Society with $332.9 million. Next came the Freedom Together Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Mellon Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with $106.6 million.
Recipients in the District of Columbia received $2.6 billion. With New York at $1.5 billion and California at $1.2 billion, they received more than the other 48 states combined, though a recipient's work may be anywhere, the post notes.
Mr. Wolcheck writes that it is too early to say how 2025 and 2026 will look. Pressure on funders to pay for nonprofits' legal defense and to fill gaps left by federal cuts could mean more competition for limited funds, he writes, while market performance, past trends and a Democracy Fund survey suggest giving will at least exceed the 2022 level.
About this story
501c3.help wrote this story from the sources listed with it, not from material an organization sent. Our editors approved it on Oct. 10, 2026. Stories in The Nonprofit Herald are free, and nothing is asked in return. Editorial rules.
Found an error? Write to [email protected] and we will correct it.
For the organizations in this story: put the badge on your website
Put it on your About page or wherever you list press mentions, rather than in a footer that repeats on every page. It links to this story.
Linking is welcome and never required. Nothing about the story changes either way.