Democracy Fund Inc
Democracy Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, it supports pro-democracy movements and leaders working to build an inclusive, multiracial democracy in the United States.
Democracy Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Democracy Fund Inc gave $49.2M across 237 grants in 2024 (avg $207K), top state District of Columbia. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $49,167,017
- +1.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 237
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $207,456
- -1.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $165,000
- Total assets
- $15,845,796
- -38.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (38 of 193, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Democracy Fund Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
Democracy Fund does not accept unsolicited requests. It says it identifies prospective grantees through ongoing research and network building, and works proactively with organizations aligned with its strategic priorities.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1200 17Th St Nw Ste 300, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 420-7943
Website: https://democracyfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Democracy Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New Venture Fund ($3.1M across 9 grants). Together the top 10 received $13.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,260 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 674 grants of 1,260 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Washington, DC (39%), California (14%), New York (10%), Illinois (5%), and Massachusetts (4%). These figures describe the distribution of reported grant dollars, not an exclusive geographic focus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 237 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Democracy Fund Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 38 of 193 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $177K; repeat grants $274K. How we count
Medians: $129K first-time, $200K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2018 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $33.8M (2018) to $49.2M (2020). In 2024 it made 237 grants totaling $49.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Program support for Trusted Elections Fund | $1,500,000 |
| Solutions Project Inc Oakland, CA | Program support to advance climate and migrant justice | $1,500,000 |
| Borealis Philanthropy Minneapolis, MN | Program support for the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund | $1,020,000 |
| JustFundUs Oakland, CA | Program support for Building Power Fund | $934,000 |
| Hopewell Fund Washington, DC | Program Support for Free Election Fund | $750,000 |
| The Project on Government Oversight Inc Washington, DC | General support | $750,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Program support for Future Currents | $720,000 |
| Democracy Forward Foundation Washington, DC | General support | $700,000 |
| Free Press Washington, DC | General support | $700,000 |
| Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Washington, DC | General support | $600,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Democracy Fund Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,845,796 | $63,960,855 | $61,588,535 | $49,167,017 | 237 | $72,609,363 | $35,989,054 |
| 2023 | $25,641,140 | $2,515,339 | $100,001,045 | $48,355,600 | 230 | $71,704,851 | $2,514,617 |
| 2022 | $95,991,918 | $68,592,390 | $62,022,102 | $44,870,622 | 239 | $65,342,744 | $68,592,318 |
| 2021 | $93,636,268 | $59,747,292 | $59,595,833 | $40,105,920 | 250 | $57,883,092 | $59,746,941 |
| 2020 | $83,492,609 | $65,793,183 | $72,150,532 | $49,238,328 | 304 | — | $81,704,907 |
| 2018 | $78,786,166 | $73,959,277 | $55,621,199 | $33,812,735 | 169 | — | $73,956,270 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Democracy Fund’s stated vision is an inclusive, multiracial democracy that ensures freedom, dignity, justice, and well-being for everyone in the United States. Its 2024 program descriptions identify three areas:
- Free and Fair Elections: Supporting groups that empower communities and strengthen election infrastructure to develop a free, fair, and accessible election system.
- Vibrant and Diverse Public Square: Supporting organizations and leaders working to expand access to accurate and accessible information online and offline and increase civic participation.
- Representative and Accountable Governance: Defending against threats to democracy and advancing structural change so that government better represents and responds to people.
The foundation says it looks for nonpartisan nonprofit organizations aligned with its strategic direction, with a focus on building people power, addressing threats to democracy, and developing community-driven solutions. It also considers governance, including financial oversight, legal compliance, transparency, and work culture.
Examples of the kinds of organizations it supports include grantees with distinct missions: The Solutions Project says it funds and amplifies climate justice solutions created by frontline community organizations; Free Press says it works for equitable access to technology, diverse and independent media ownership, and journalism that holds leaders accountable; and Democracy Forward Foundation says it works through legal and administrative processes to preserve the rule of law and hold government accountable.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Democracy Fund reported 237 grants totaling $49,167,017. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $1,500,000, with a median of $165,000. The foundation says it prioritizes multi-year grants whenever possible and provides flexible funding and reporting methods.
Among its 2024 grants were $1,500,000 to New Venture Fund for program support for the Trusted Elections Fund and $1,500,000 to the Solutions Project for work to advance climate and migrant justice. Other grants included $1,020,000 to Borealis Philanthropy for the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund; $934,000 to JustFundUs for the Building Power Fund; and $750,000 to Hopewell Fund for the Free Election Fund. Democracy Fund also awarded $750,000 to The Project on Government Oversight for general support, $700,000 to Democracy Forward Foundation for general support, and $700,000 to Free Press for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Patricia Christen as Chairman; Joseph Goldman as President & CEO; Deepa Isac as General Counsel & Secretary; and Robin Thompson as Treasurer & Senior Director of Finance. Directors listed were Danielle Allen, Crystal Hayling, and Deepak Bhargava.
Democracy Fund Inc is led by Joseph Goldman, President & CEO on every filing since 2018; 4 of 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph Goldman
President & CEO
On filings since 2018
28 hrs/week
$350K (2018) → $521K (2024)
Patricia Christen
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2018
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robin Thompson
Treasurer & Senior Director of Finance
On filings since 2022
36 hrs/week
$204K (2022) → $241K (2024)
Danielle Allen
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
$20K (2023) → $20K (2024)
Crystal Hayling
Director
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deepak Bhargava
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deepa Isac
General Counsel & Secretary
On filings since 2021
36 hrs/week
$53K (2021) → $312K (2024)
Former officers (6)
- Former: Sarah Steven (2018–2023) — Director · Filing note: Through October
- Former: K Sabeel Rahman (2023) — Director · Filing note: As of March
- Former: Matthew Deakin (2018–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Pierre Omidyar (2018–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Isaiah Castilla (2018–2020) — Secretary & Senior Counsel
- Former: William Fitzpatrick (2018) — Former Secretary & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $521K, to Joseph Goldman (President & CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Democracy Fund Inc
How much does Democracy Fund Inc give each year?
Democracy Fund Inc gave $49.2M across 237 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $48.4M across 230 grants.
What is Democracy Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Democracy Fund Inc's median grant in 2024 was $165,000, and its average grant was $207,456, across 237 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Democracy Fund Inc that year got $177K on average.
Where does Democracy Fund Inc give grants?
Democracy Fund Inc's top state is District of Columbia, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (14%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (76 grants), New York, NY (26 grants), Chicago, IL (17 grants) and Oakland, CA (10 grants).
Does Democracy Fund Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 44% of Democracy Fund Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (105 of 237) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Democracy Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Democracy Fund Inc's largest 2024 grantees include New Venture Fund ($3,134,000 across 9 grants), NEO Philanthropy Inc ($1,665,000 across 9 grants) and Solutions Project Inc ($1,500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Democracy Fund Inc?
Democracy Fund Inc reported $15.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $64.0M.
What does Democracy Fund Inc fund?
Democracy Fund’s stated vision is an inclusive, multiracial democracy that ensures freedom, dignity, justice, and well-being for everyone in the United States. Its 2024 program descriptions identify three areas: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Democracy Fund Inc?
Democracy Fund does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Democracy Fund Inc's EIN?
Democracy Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3926408. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2024.
Does Democracy Fund Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS December 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2018–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Democracy Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Democracy Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/democracy-fund-inc-morg_e15f7e3c21c04dc3b81bebfcf1a03aa5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383926408_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Democracy Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/democracy-fund-inc-morg_e15f7e3c21c04dc3b81bebfcf1a03aa5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Democracy Fund Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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