NED General Grantmaking

Program Type: Discretionary grants to support democracy and freedom globally

The National Endowment for Democracy offers grants to support democracy and freedom around the world through strategic grantmaking. NED's approach to democratization is fundamentally linked to grantmaking, which prioritizes the ideas and needs of partners.

Core Philosophy:

• Empowering local actors to inform, organize, and mobilize constituencies for political reform
• Direct link to beneficiaries at country or regional level
• Prioritizing those on the frontline of democracy movements
• Context-specific approaches informed by history, geography, regime type, and strength of local actors

Scope:

• Geographic: More than 80 countries across all regions
• Portfolio Scale: Varied in scale and nature of partners
• FY2025: Record grantmaking approved for FY2025
• FY2021: $259 million approved, supporting 1,966 projects in 100 countries

Types of Partners Supported:

• Local organizations
• Independent media outlets
• Think tanks
• Networks
• Political party development
• Business development organizations
• Labor development organizations

Regional Grantmaking

NED's teams analyze democratic trends and work with Core Institutes and local partners to develop context-specific responses across all world regions.

Thematic Grantmaking

Initiatives transcending national boundaries addressing emergent global challenges:

• Building Democratic Resilience to Authoritarian Influence
• Advancing the Fight against Kleptocracy
• Challenging Authoritarian Censorship and Protecting Free Speech
• Addressing the Opportunities and Threats Posed by Technology
• Supporting Democracy Advocates at Risk

Special Funding Initiatives:

• Carl Gershman Fund for Democrats at Risk: Launched September 2021 to enable civic leaders, media professionals, and activists under severe threat to safely continue their work
• Emergency funding for rapid response to crises (e.g., Burma coup, Afghanistan, Belarus, Sudan)

Support Characteristics:

• In authoritarian environments, NED provides institutional support empowering organizations to devise and implement long-term strategies with operational flexibility
• Enhanced security support for at-risk partners
• Digital and physical security support
• Operational flexibility prioritized

Reporting and Transparency:

• Active Grant Listing updated twice yearly
• Duty of Care Policy protecting sensitive information of at-risk partners
• Detailed financial records and monitoring of all grants
• Compliance with federal grant regulations
• Congressional reporting and oversight

Contact:

• Phone: (202) 378-9700
• Email: INFO@NED.ORG
• Website: ned.org/apply-for-a-grant
• Address: 1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20004

Application Process

NED has an "Apply for a Grant" portal on their website. Specific application procedures are not detailed in the provided content, but applicants should:

1. Visit NED's Grantmaking Portal: Check ned.org/apply-for-a-grant
2. Review Regional and Thematic Priorities: Understand which focus areas align with your work
3. Contact NED: Reach out with initial inquiries
   • Phone: (202) 378-9700
   • Email: INFO@NED.ORG

General Eligibility Considerations:

• Organizations working on democracy and human rights advancement
• Groups operating in regions of democratic challenge
• Civil society organizations, independent media, think tanks, networks
• Organizations willing to operate transparently or under Duty of Care protections if in high-risk environments

Note: Detailed application materials, narrative questions, and specific requirements are not provided in the available website content. Prospective applicants should visit the application portal or contact NED directly.