This week's Democracy Notes
Welcome back!
Greetings!!! Happy new year!
Already feeling anxious? Looking for an invitation to completely unplug?
Join Democracy Notes and the Center for Christianity and Public Life for a silent retreat! Interest form here. (People of all faiths or none are welcome!)
Okay, drumroll please…
Join us next Thursday at 1pm ET for the (official) release of the Democracy Notes 2025 Trends! Registration is here!
Through 65+ interviews, we captured a snapshot of the democracy space in a moment of transition. We can’t wait to share what we learned!
P.S. Does anyone know of an incredible virtual events person (or firm)? We’re looking for recs!
Democracy Notes 1/6
What’s happening in philanthropy:
($$$)
Carnegie Corporation of New York’s board approved 57 grants totaling ~$38M on December 11th. They include:
$1M (24 months) - Center for Tech and Civic Life
$1.2M (24 months) - News Literacy Project
$2M (24 months) - The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (Woo!! We love libraries!)
$500K (24 months) - Vot-ER
$600K (24 months) - National Association for Media Literacy Education (cross-curricular integration of media literacy)
Rural North Carolina orgs! Yesterday, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation opened applications for their Community Progress Fund.
The deadline is 2/2. Grant amounts range from $20K-$30K per year for one or two years.
Complicated!!! The National Endowment for the Humanities announced a $10M pool of funding for c3 organizations — “Endowments for Advancing the Humanities.”
The NEH is looking for “proposals for endowments to build the applicant organization’s capacity in research and teaching of Western civilization, American history and government, and civics.”
They expect to make five awards and suggest that applicants request between $1M and $5M.
Funds are “federal matching funds,” so organizations must raise money to unlock allotted funds.
Restricted activities include: promotion of gender ideology, support for DEI, environmental justice activities, and more. (!)
LOTS of philanthropy job transitions (and promotions)!
Liz Lebeaux Vantine is now Program Director at Lubetzky Family Foundation!
Joshua Elder is now Senior Vice President and Head of Grantmaking at Siegel Family Endowment!
Zaki Barzinji is now Program Director of the Building Bridges Program at the Doris Duke Foundation!
Erin Shields is now Senior Program Officer, Movements & Participation Program at Democracy Fund!
What to read:
(The big news)
“The local news contract is broken. Civic media can fix it,” writes Darryl Holliday in The Objective’s Civic Media Series (a collab with News Futures).
A new 25-year national survey of social connection in America? Neat!
The results from the 2025 Social Connection in America survey are out. They include:
Social isolation is widespread and no social participation is the norm.
Some groups are especially socially disconnected, including people who:
have less education, have lower income, have never married, identify as LGBTQ+, or belong to certain racial and ethnic groups.
72% report a sense of belonging in their local communities and neighborhoods.
NiemanLab’s Predictions for Journalism 2026 were AWESOME. Some of my faves:
By Terry Parris Jr., “Journalism establishes a physical presence.”
(Woo! Libraries!)
By Heather Chaplin, “The year journalism goes underground in America.”
By Akoto Ofori-Atta, “The year we all algorithm-proof our audiences.”
By Amy L. Kovac-Ashley, “Local news learns to love the arts again.”
What to watch/listen to/attend:
(Events, podcasts, and more)
Lessons from Hungary, Serbia, and Poland! Civil Society Resilience: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe, hosted by Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Institute.
1/13 from 10am-3pm ET, in-person and virtual.
Citizen assemblies! 1/15, 4-6pm ET, in person in DC — Wisdom of the Crowds.
Join New America’s Political Reform Program, FIDE - North America, and the National Civic League for a conversation on how governments can act on citizen assemblies’ recommendations.
Reporters! 1/16 — virtual info session for the Allbritton Journalism Institute’s ‘26-’28 reporting fellowship.
Deets on the fellowship program here (applications due 2/18).
Participatory democracy! March 2-5 in Nairobi — People Powered is hosting its global gathering on participatory democracy!
Early bird pricing until 1/15!
Where to work:
(Jobs, jobs, jobs!)
Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) Chief Operating Officer (listed as Deputy Director in Princeton system) — remote, $138K-$154K
Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) Director of Legal & Policy Strategy — remote, $180K-$200K
Future Caucus:
Director, Finance — DC, $88K-$102K
Coordinator, Policy Innovation Lab — DC, $59K-$62K
Johns Hopkins University School of Government and Policy Associate Dean, Admissions and Student Affairs — DC, $200K-$250K
^ These orgs really want to reach great candidates in the Democracy Notes community! If you’d like to promote a role with us, our options are here!
Fetzer Institute President and CEO — Kalamazoo, MI, $525K-$625K
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW):
Managing Counsel — DC, $175K-$195K
Policy Counsel/Policy Advisor for Democracy Reform — DC, $68K-$98K
The Overbrook Foundation Special Assistant to the President — NYC, $70K-$80K
Constructive Dialogue Institute Lead Full-Stack Engineer — remote, $160K-$180K
URL Media Partner Success Manager — remote, $75K
Powered by Faith (PbF) National Campaigns Manager — $11K-$13K/month for 12 months (potential for more)
William + Flora Hewlett Foundation Technology and Corporate Counsel — Menlo Park, CA, $210K-$230K
Lenfest Institute for Journalism Director of Individual Giving — Philly, $95K-$110K
Rockefeller Brothers Fund:
Communications Assistant — NYC, $57K
Outreach and Engagement Associate, The Pocantico Center — Tarrytown or NYC, $76,200
Open Campus:
Engagement Reporter — remote, $70K-$90K
Head of Sales — remote, $110K-$125K
Alliance for Justice Law Program Manager — remote, $78K-$86K
Nieman Foundation for Journalism Curator — Boston, $310K-$350K
Partners for Public Good:
Assistant Director, Strategic Communications — remote, $135K
Associate, Technology — remote, $100K
Committee for the First Amendment Director — Los Angeles, $150K-$180K
Alta Futures Democracy Director — Chicago or DC, $170K-$200K
Pulitzer Center Manager of Individual Giving — remote, $65K-$80K
Montana Free Press Director of Revenue & Growth — Helena, MT, $80K-$90K
Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Director, Strategic Communications — Atlanta, no $ info
Transitions, transitions:
(Where the movers are moving and the shakers are shaking)
Promotion alert!!
Robyn Tomlin started as the American Press Institute’s new Executive Director!
Submit your job transitions (or promotions!) here.
Can’t get enough of Democracy Notes? Join the Slack community!
See you soon,
Gabe