Protect Democracy Project
Protect Democracy Project is a public charity based in Washington, DC. Its work includes public education about threats to democratic norms and institutions, as well as monitoring, investigation, advocacy, lobbying, public outreach, and litigation related to protecting democracy.
Protect Democracy Project at a glance
In short: Protect Democracy Project gave $7.2M across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $380K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,215,161
- +564.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +90.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $379,745
- +249.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $94,771,289
- +29.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (86% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Protect Democracy Project
- Contact
Mailing address: 2020 Pennsylvania Ave Nw 163, Washington, DC 20006-1811
Phone: (202) 695-6590
Website: https://protectdemocracy.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Protect Democracy Project funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Amalgamated Charitable Foundation ($5.5M). Together the top 10 received $7.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 41 (54%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization says it works across the country at the federal, state, and local levels. In its 2024 grants, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in DC, 7% to Indiana, 4% to California, and 1% each to Illinois and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Protect Democracy Project gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $20K (2021) to $7.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $7.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Washington, DC | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $5,475,000 |
| Rightcount Inc Indianapolis, IN | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $500,000 |
| Protect Democracy United Washington, DC | Lobbying Activities | $355,377 |
| Tides Foundation Sacramento, CA | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $257,784 |
| Global Impact Washington, DC | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $150,000 |
| Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism Washington, DC | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $95,000 |
| Interfaith America Chicago, IL | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $65,000 |
| Law Forward Madison, WI | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $50,000 |
| Public Democracy Inc Great Falls, VA | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $50,000 |
| The Trustees of Princeton University Princeton, NJ | To support program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the irs tax code. | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
In 2024, the organization reported 19 grants. It was formed in 2016.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $94,771,289 | $55,482,925 | $34,368,875 | $7,215,161 | 19 | $2,887,744 |
| 2023 | $73,235,783 | $33,111,628 | $22,051,673 | $1,085,650 | 10 | $1,549,639 |
| 2022 | $60,071,023 | $32,924,397 | $18,060,997 | $320,000 | 6 | $780,901 |
| 2021 | $49,196,682 | $34,042,265 | $13,784,396 | $20,000 | 2 | $336,393 |
| 2020 | $28,567,471 | $27,444,503 | $12,179,801 | $127,500 | 4 | $19,372 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Protect Democracy Project’s stated mission is to prevent democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. It says it works to strengthen checks and balances that hold the executive branch accountable to laws and longstanding practices. Its educational work addresses threats to democratic norms and institutions and how the American people can confront them.
The organization describes its work as including litigation, legislative advocacy and policy, research and analysis, strategic communications and coalition building, and technology supporting election transparency, security, and confidence. Its 2024 filing also describes monitoring, investigating, advocacy, lobbying, public outreach, and litigation as means of advancing its educational mission.
Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Amalgamated Charitable Foundation says it supports philanthropy and makes grants for charitable, educational, scientific, literary, and other 501(c)(3) activities. Protect Democracy United describes its mission as preventing democratic decline toward authoritarian government by strengthening checks and balances on the executive branch. Law Forward says it works to preserve democratic principles and promote clean and open government in Wisconsin through litigation, administrative processes, and public education. Interfaith America says it activates leaders to advance pluralistic values in influential American institutions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Protect Democracy Project reported 19 grants totaling $7,215,161. Grant amounts ranged from $6,500 to $5,475,000, with a median grant of $50,000.
The largest reported grants included $5,475,000 to Amalgamated Charitable Foundation, $500,000 to RightCount Inc, $355,377 to Protect Democracy United, $257,784 to Tides Foundation, and $150,000 to Global Impact. The filing lists the grant to Protect Democracy United as supporting lobbying activities; the other four were listed as supporting program activities under section 501(c)(3) of the tax code. Other listed recipients included the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism ($95,000), Interfaith America ($65,000), Law Forward ($50,000), Public Democracy Inc ($50,000), and the Trustees of Princeton University ($50,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing are Ian Bassin, president/executive director; Cecilia Muñoz, secretary and ombudsperson; Jeff Berman, treasurer; Kori Schake, director; Stephanie Llanes and Justin Florence, co-managing directors; Jessica Marsden and Deana El-Mallawany, impact directors; Anne Tindall, counsel; and Benjamin Berwick, impact director.
Protect Democracy Project is led by Ian Bassin, President & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 8 of 11 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ian Bassin
President & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
36.5 hrs/week
$263K (2020) → $377K (2024)
Justin Florence
Co-Managing Director
Legal Director → Co-Managing Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
37 hrs/week
$195K (2020) → $277K (2024)
Stephanie Llanes
Co-Managing Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$227K (2023) → $310K (2024)
Benjamin Berwick
Impact Director
Counsel → Impact Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$179K (2020) → $231K (2024)
Deana El-Mallawany
Impact Director
On filings since 2023
36.5 hrs/week
$198K (2023) → $207K (2024)
Jessica Marsden
Impact Director
New on the 2024 filing
37.8 hrs/week
$228K (2024)
Kori Schake
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne H. Tindall
Counsel
On filings since 2020
38 hrs/week
$176K (2020) → $201K (2024)
Genevieve Nadeau
Counsel
On filings since 2022
38.4 hrs/week
$209K (2022) → $216K (2024)
Cecilia Munoz
Secretary & Ombudsperson
Director → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Secretary & Ombudsperson, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Berman
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Jess Marsden (2023) — Impact Director
- Former: Kristy Parker (2020–2022) — Counsel
- Former: Victoria Canavor (2021–2022) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Ben Berwick (2021) — Counsel
- Former: Sam Royston (2021) — Developer
- Former: Emily Loeb (2020) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Laurence M. Schwartztol (2020) — Counsel
- Former: Ricki Seidman (2020) — Director
- Former: Sabeel Rahman (2020) — Director
- Former: Samuel Royston (2020) — Director of Engineering
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 $377K, to Ian Bassin (President/Executive Director). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Protect Democracy Project
How much does Protect Democracy Project give each year?
Protect Democracy Project gave $7.2M across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 10 grants.
What is Protect Democracy Project's typical grant size?
Protect Democracy Project's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $379,745, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Protect Democracy Project give grants?
Protect Democracy Project gives mostly in District of Columbia: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (10 grants) and Sacramento, CA (2 grants).
Does Protect Democracy Project give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Protect Democracy Project's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Protect Democracy Project's largest grantees?
Protect Democracy Project's largest 2024 grantees include Amalgamated Charitable Foundation ($5,475,000), Rightcount Inc ($500,000) and Protect Democracy United ($355,377), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Protect Democracy Project?
Protect Democracy Project reported $94.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $55.5M.
What does Protect Democracy Project fund?
Protect Democracy Project’s stated mission is to prevent democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government. It says it works to strengthen checks and balances that hold the executive branch accountable to laws and longstanding practices. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Protect Democracy Project?
Protect Democracy Project has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check protectdemocracy.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Protect Democracy Project's EIN?
Protect Democracy Project's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4777062. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Protect Democracy Project's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Protect Democracy Project funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/protect-democracy-project-morg_707eb41fcee3479ea909b63ed74f4a20
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814777062_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Protect Democracy Project funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/protect-democracy-project-morg_707eb41fcee3479ea909b63ed74f4a20},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Protect Democracy Project'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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