This week's Democracy Notes

Happy Thursday, y’all!

It’s been a LONG time since we opened with a meme. (See: 8/22/24 edition “coverage” of brat and demure.)

Library fans, I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

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We did something new this week over at Democracy Notes Perspectives: video!

Rashawn Davis, former Executive Director of the Andrew Goodman Foundation wrote a great piece: “What I've noticed as a Black, male, non-profit leader in the democracy space.”

We asked him to share ~why~ he wrote it. Here’s what he said:

Democracy Notes 5/22

What’s happening in philanthropy:

($$$)

• Have foundations who released statements standing up for their values faced backlash? Nope!

• Lil update! A month ago, we shared that the “meet the moment” pledge had 78 funder signatories. They’re now up to 147!

• A coalition of funders launched The Courage Project which honors “everyday acts of civic bravery.”

  • Honorees (organizations and individuals) will receive $10K-$50K.

    • Organizations will receive funds directly and individuals may recommend donations to values-aligned American non-profit organizations.

  • The national coalition supporting this effort includes:

    • United Way Worldwide, the Freedom Together Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and CFLeads.

• Ken Griffin, Citadel CEO and major Republican Party donor, has given a $15M to the National Constitution Center, the organization’s largest-ever donation.

• The American Journalism Project (AJP) and JPMorgan Chase expanded their collab, now supporting 10 newsrooms!

  • The three additional newsrooms are: the L.A. Local News Initiative, the Salt Lake Tribune, and the Nebraska Journalism Trust.

  • Separately, the AJP recently received a $5M investment from the Quadrivium Foundation (led by Kathryn Murdoch).

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What to read:

(The big news)

• Okay, faaaascinating: Joe Manchin, RCV fan.

• More courage, let’s goooo!!!

  • “When Trump took office, the administration set up a tip line for [EPA] employees to identify and assist in slashing programs focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Not one of the EPA’s more than 15,000 employees used it.” (ProPublica)

  • Keep Our Republic has organized retired federal judges into the “Article III Coalition.” Their statement here.

• The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins has a new class of Visiting Fellows!! They’re all pretty darn cool.

• Another opportunity for me to nerd out about UX design, courtesy of Keseb:

  • Check out The Outlook, a digital global magazine “for and by democracy champions.” It’s awesome (and has a gorgeous website).

• Young people (ages 13-25) in Appalachia! Write for Generation Zeitgeist, a 100 Days in Appalachia initiative. (And get paid to do it!)

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What to watch/listen to/attend:

(Events, podcasts, and more)

• 5/27 deadline for 18-22 year olds to apply for The Allstate Foundation National Youth Service Summit!

• Back to (citizens’ assembly) school! Co-hosted by FIDE North America and Unify America in Akron, Ohio 6/12-13.

• The 92NY’s Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact and Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute are co-hosting Share Our America: The Summit on 6/11!

• Funders! Register for Neighborhood Funders Group’s 2025 National Convening! July 15-17 in Nashville.

• Trust and safety professionals! TrustCon 2025 is July 21-23 in SF!

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Where to work:

(Jobs, jobs, jobs!)

• Democracy Forward has 10 (!!!) open roles!

• Democracy 2076 Program Director, Political Coalitions — remote, $120K-$160K

• Moonshot Interim Chief Growth Officer (14 month maternity cover) — DC, Denver, or Atlanta, $180K-$220K

• SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University Research Program Coordinator — Baltimore, $17-$30/hr (full time role)

• Press Forward Development and Partnerships Manager — remote, $150K-$180K

• Signal Ohio Community Journalism Director — Columbus, $75K-$95K

• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law:

  • Staff Writer — DC, $60K-$85K

  • Senior Media Coordinator — DC, $60K-$85K

  • Digital Communications Coordinator — DC, $60K-$80K

• Brennan Center for Justice Special Assistant, Election and Government Program — NY, $56K-$70K

• League of Women Voters Director, Major Gifts — $125K-$135K (location not listed)

• Team Democracy Intern: Media Monitoring & Program Support — remote, $100/week, 10 hours per week

• Omidyar Network Senior Corporate Counsel — DC, $225K-$282K

• Catena Foundation Special Projects Associate — Greenbrae (CA), $70K-$95K

• The Aspen Institute, Weave: The Social Fabric Project Director of Communications and Partnerships — DC, $160K-$180K

• Common Cause:

  • Senior Director, Organizing — DC, $125K-$140K

  • Senior Policy Director, Anticorruption & Accountability — remote, $125K-$140K

• The Tepper Foundation:

  • Portfolio Manager, Family Philanthropy — NY, $180K-$250K

  • Portfolio Manager — NY, $180K-$220K

  • Head of Operations, Tepper Philanthropies — NY, $220K-$270K

• New_ Public Staff UX Researcher, Local Lab — remote, $130K-$150K

• Voting Rights Lab Senior Director of Development West Coast Major Gifts — SF, $140K-$170K

• Freedom Together Foundation:

  • Special Assistant to the President — NYC, $170K-$215K

  • Program Coordinator, Program and Strategy Management team — NYC, $125K-$140K

• The Intercept Development Officer — remote, $80K-$110K

• Work with Amb. Mike McFaul at Stanford!

  • Communications and Research Assistant to FSI Senior Fellow Michael McFaul — Stanford, $81K-$95K

• The Campaign Legal Center Director, Finance — DC, $137K-$205K

• Center for Collaborative Democracy: Grand Bargain Project Administrative Assistant for Engagement and Programs — remote, $56K+

• innoFaith Part-time Communications and Engagement Manager — remote, $40-$45/hr

• The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) Policy Analyst — Philadelphia or DC, $80K-$90K

• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Director - Elections and Redistricting Program — Denver, $127K

• Third Plateau Administrative Assistant — remote, $28.85-$33.66/hr

• News Literacy Project (all remote):

  • Head of Talent and Culture — $95K-$100K

  • Product Support Analyst — $60K-$65K

  • State Policy Manager (30 hrs/week) — $50K-$55K

  • HR Compliance Associate (part-time) — $28-$30/hr

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Transitions, transitions:

(Where the movers are moving and the shakers are shaking)

• This one we’re especially proud of.

  • Joseph Haverlock, who has been a consultant to Democracy Notes since our first weeks, is now Portfolio Associate, Place Matters at Blue Meridian Partners!

    • Joseph’s day job was previously Development and Partnerships Manager at Race Forward.

    • Huge congrats!!

• Kayla Goodson is the (first ever!) Policy Research and Communications Lead at the Center for News, Technology and Innovation.

  • She was previously a digital democracy specialist at USAID.

    • A former international person finding work in the US democracy space — we love to see it!

• Abbie Haug is now Program Manager for National Bridgebuilding Initiatives at Interfaith America, working with the Team Up Program. Congrats!

• Anita Banerji is now Interim Executive Director at the Funders' Committee For Civic Participation (FCCP)!

• Cristin Brawner is the new Executive Director of the National Issues Forums Institute. Congratulations!

Submit your job transitions (or promotions!) here.

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Welcome to the end. Not of our democracy, just of this week’s newsletter.

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See you next week,

Gabe