Focus for Democracy Fund
Focus for Democracy Fund is a Washington, DC-based public charity formed in 2023. It educates donors, raises funds, and makes grants to nonprofit organizations that promote civic engagement and strengthen democratic participation.
Focus for Democracy Fund at a glance
In short: Focus for Democracy Fund gave $4.7M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $292K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,672,743
- +316.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +220.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $292,046
- +30.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $12,369,757
- +9.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Focus for Democracy Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: 1200 G Street Nw 800, Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (312) 961-8541
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Focus for Democracy Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Accelerate Change Inc ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $4.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
21 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 8 grants of 21 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Massachusetts (33%), North Carolina (23%), Washington, DC (23%), New York (14%), and Missouri (4%). The listed grants also included recipients in Georgia. These figures describe the locations of grant recipients, not necessarily the locations served by their programs.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Focus for Democracy Fund gives
- 13% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). 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 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2024) to $4.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $4.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerate Change Inc Boston, MA | General Support | $1,300,000 |
| Southern Vision Alliance Durham, NC | Project Support | $1,081,507 |
| Courier Newsroom New York, NY | Content Support | $432,252 |
| Working America Education Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $389,345 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Project Bullhorn Support | $300,000 |
| Public Democracy America Washington, DC | General Support | $250,000 |
| The Justice Project Action Foxborough, MA | Project Support | $250,000 |
| Headcount Inc New York, NY | Good to Vote Support | $200,000 |
| People Not Politicians St. Louis, MO | Missouri Ballot Measure Support | $200,000 |
| Asian American Voices Media Peachtree Corners, GA | Content Support | $65,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,369,757 | $7,253,054 | $6,738,922 | $4,672,743 | 16 | $358,632 |
| 2024 | $11,266,622 | $24,568,049 | $13,413,314 | $1,120,719 | 5 | $1,300 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s stated mission is to educate donors, raise funds, and make grants to nonprofit organizations that promote civic engagement and strengthen democratic participation.
Its 2025 grants included general support, project support, and content support, as well as support identified for voter participation, ballot-measure work, and the Project Bullhorn initiative. Grantee missions illustrate the range of supported work: Accelerate Change Inc. says it develops and tests citizen-organizing models, particularly in communities of color; Southern Vision Alliance describes itself as a grassroots intermediary supporting frontline organizing and leadership projects led by directly impacted communities in the U.S. South; and HeadCount Inc. received support for its Good to Vote work. These are descriptions by the grantees, not the fund’s own stated mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund reported 16 grants totaling $4,672,743. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $1,300,000, with a median grant of $200,000.
Among its largest reported grants were $1,300,000 to Accelerate Change Inc. for general support; $1,081,507 to Southern Vision Alliance for project support; $432,252 to Courier Newsroom for content support; and $389,345 to Working America Education Fund for general support. Other grants included $300,000 to New Venture Fund for Project Bullhorn support, $250,000 each to Public Democracy America for general support and The Justice Project Action for project support, and $200,000 each to HeadCount Inc. and People Not Politicians.
The fund’s filing says it obtains signed agreements from grantees that grant funds will not be used for political purposes and receives detailed reports of program performance outcomes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Aaron Frank as president; Sanford Newman as secretary; David Orr as principal; Lisa Minsky-Primus as director; and Jennifer Antonow as treasurer and director of operations.
Focus for Democracy Fund is led by Aaron Frank, President on every filing since 2024; 3 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Aaron Frank
President
On filings since 2024
24 hrs/week
$91K (2025)
Jennifer Antonow
Treasurer & Director of Operations
New on the 2025 filing
24 hrs/week
$92K (2025)
Lisa Minsky-Primus
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Orr
Principal
Director → Principal, 2025
On filings since 2024
24 hrs/week
$76K (2025)
Sanford Newman
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2024–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $92K, to Jennifer Antonow (Treasurer, Director of Operations). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Focus for Democracy Fund
How much does Focus for Democracy Fund give each year?
Focus for Democracy Fund gave $4.7M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 5 grants.
What is Focus for Democracy Fund's typical grant size?
Focus for Democracy Fund's median grant in 2025 was $200,000, and its average grant was $292,046, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Focus for Democracy Fund give grants?
Focus for Democracy Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were North Carolina (23%) and District of Columbia (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Focus for Democracy Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of Focus for Democracy Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Project Support" (4 grants).
Who are Focus for Democracy Fund's largest grantees?
Focus for Democracy Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Accelerate Change Inc ($1,300,000), Southern Vision Alliance ($1,081,507) and Courier Newsroom ($432,252), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Focus for Democracy Fund?
Focus for Democracy Fund reported $12.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.3M.
What does Focus for Democracy Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to educate donors, raise funds, and make grants to nonprofit organizations that promote civic engagement and strengthen democratic participation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Focus for Democracy Fund?
Focus for Democracy Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Focus for Democracy Fund's EIN?
Focus for Democracy Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-3922232. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2024–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Focus for Democracy Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/focus-for-democracy-fund-morg_4d23a7b5168546638484e875357f15be
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_933922232_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Focus for Democracy Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/focus-for-democracy-fund-morg_4d23a7b5168546638484e875357f15be},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Focus for Democracy Fund'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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