This week's Democracy Notes
Welcome back!
This is a biiiig week for Democracy Notes. Some fun news:
It’s our one-year anniversary! Our first edition was January 24th, 2024.
On Monday we hit a big subscriber milestone — 4,000! (We’re now at 4,106!)
Our second-ever event is next week! Thanks to CTCL, Issue One, EveryLibrary, iCivics, and Service Year Alliance for indulging my swear-word event title.
And…something exciting coming soon 👀
Are you looking to up your data game? (Data visualizations! Excel! APIs!) Fill out this Google Form if you’re interested.
Before we dive in, some resources for civil servants and folks impacted by USAID/foreign aid stop-work orders.
For former (or soon-to-be former) USAID folks — we need your skills at home!
Great spreadsheet of job seekers and job opportunities.
Incoming PACE CEO (and former head of USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance) Shannon Green shared a great resource list.
Work for America’s Civic Match program can help match you to a great role in state government.
For federal employees:
If you’re being targeted or attacked check out Democracy Forward’s Civil Service Strong resource page.
The Partnership for Public Service launched a webinar series to help you understand your rights, the recent executive orders, and more.
First webinar is tonight 6-7pm ET.
Democracy Notes 1/30
What’s happening in philanthropy:
($$$)
Here’s what funders can do keep money flowing in the face of Trump’s attacks, per Yelena V. Litvinov and Tatyana Margolin in The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
(They’re former Open Society Foundations folks and the co-founders of STROIKA, which supports and connects anti-authoritarian grassroots movements globally.)
Explore alternate legal structures — help grantees set up LLCs and be prepared to support orgs that do not have 501(c)(3) status.
Secure your finances — “unfounded accusations of financial malfeasance or money laundering can lead to an organization’s assets being frozen while investigations occur”
Hire accountants to get your books in order, establish agreements with other organizations that can make payments on your behalf if accounts are frozen.
Review data retention policies — don’t keep more info than necessary (big risk in case of a subpoena or digital security breach).
(P.S. help fund my Chronicle of Philanthropy and Inside Philanthropy subscriptions—$500+ total—with a donation!)
Humanity United’s President & Managing Partner, Srik Gopal, shared reflections on the Omidyar-backed global funder’s 2024 work and their plans for 2025:
Adding donors to the Collective Action Assistance Fund which supports the ecosystem of nonviolent collective action.
Supporting their Racial Justice and Equity partners as they respond to backlash and political targeting.
Advocating within philanthropy for localization — those with local experience leading the way.
What to read:
(The big news)
Norm Eisen and Jennifer Rubin launched a new “pro-democracy media outlet” — The Contrarian — right here on Substack. And they already have 370K+ subscribers!
Perhaps worth mentioning: to me, Democracy Notes fills a different gap in the pro-democracy media landscape.
There are many amazing publications that comprehensively cover the authoritarian playbook underway right now. (If You Can Keep It from Protect Democracy and Democracy Docket, to name two.)
Instead, Democracy Notes covers the pro-democracy sector, itself. Our audience is (relatively) niche — you all!
Our aim is to help people who work in pro-democracy philanthropy and nonprofits (or who are breaking into the space) stay up to speed.
Civil Resistance: How It Works — could be relevant these days! Dr. Erica Chenoweth shared the syllabus from the last time they taught this Harvard Kennedy School course.
My favorite thing I read this week? A blog post from Issue One’s COO and People and Culture Director on why they’re investing in a salary survey (just three years after their last one).
Shoutout to the HR professionals in the field keeping pay competitive and equitable!
The Our Common Purpose report has a new sibling! Check out the American Academy of Arts and Sciences new effort around economic connectedness.
If you haven’t already, meet their…cousin?…Habits of Heart and Mind: How to Fortify Civic Culture.
What to watch/listen to/attend:
(Events, podcasts, and more)
10/10 would recommend this PBS episode “American Coup: Wilmington 1898.”
It’s got it all: fusion voting made a multi-racial coalition possible, then white supremacists rioted and did a coup to undo it.
State voting rights acts are gonna be real important in the coming years. Check out today’s 2pm ET virtual event from CAP and LDF.
A whole heap of events were posed on the Slack’s events channel this week — most have already passed, but worth checking there for events/jobs/more!
Democracy podcasts are popping off this week!
From PACE:
Parks + democracy, with the Trust for Public Land’s Cary Simmons.
Interview with the Trust for Civic Life’s ED, Charlie Brown.
I also thoroughly enjoyed this episode of the Kettering Foundation’s The Context on oligarchy in democracy.
AI for digital democracy — neat! Check out this 2/18 virtual event from People Powered (and others).
Where to work:
(Jobs, jobs, jobs!)
Lumina Foundation Innovation & Discovery Intern (summer) — DC, $19-21/hr for undergrads, $22-24/hr for grad students
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation Vice President, Families & Communities — California, $380K-$400K
Campus Compact Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Project Coordinator (part time) — remote, $32/hour
American Promise Director of Congressional Affairs — DC, $110K-$140K
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Head of Development and Donor Relations — remote (Philadelphia prioritized), $160K-$180K
The Brennan Center Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow, Judiciary Program New York, $117K-$124K (Research Fellow) and $138K-$148K (Senior Research Fellow)
Open Campus Media Associate Editor — remote (US), $75K
The Kresge Foundation Program Officer, American Cities — Detroit, $140K+
DemocracyNext Communications Lead — remote, €500 / £425 per day up to a total maximum of €5,000 / £4,250 monthly
Next Generation Service Corps Center at ASU Program Specialist — Phoenix, AZ, $50K
League of Women Voters Southeast Regional Organizer — remote, $60K-$65K
Campaign Legal Center Development Assistant — DC, $50K-$68K
Urban Rural Action Douglas County Coordinator, Uniting for Action on Housing & Homelessness in Southern Oregon — Douglas County, $938/month
NGO Information Sharing and Analysis Center (NGO-ISAC) Membership Manager — remote (DC preferred), $65K-$75K
End Citizens United:
Legislative Director —remote (DMV area), $125K-$150K
Vice President of Policy — remote (DMV area), $175K-$200K
Press Assistant —remote, $52K-$60K
Press Secretary — remote , $70K-$90K
Vice President of Communications — remote, $165K-$200K
Assistant Director of People and Culture — remote, $80K-$90K
National Organizing Director — remote, $110K-$120K
Partnerships Manager — remote (DMV area), $70K-$90K
Vice President of Political — remote (DMV area), $175K-$200K
Transitions, transitions:
(Where the movers are moving and the shakers are shaking)
Purvi Patel, current Director of Civic & Campus Engagement Director at UChicago Institute of Politics, is joining North Carolina Asian Americans Together as Deputy Director of Programs. Congratulations!
Kevin Singer is Unite America’s new Director of Communications! He was previously Communications Director at Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE).
Emily Roseman is the Harvard Shorenstein Center on Media’s inaugural Research Community Lead! She was previously Research Director & Editor at the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Sarah Bryner is now Director at Public Agenda! She was previously Research Director for OpenSecrets (since 2013). Congrats!
Submit your job transitions here.
Can’t get enough of Democracy Notes? Join the Slack community!
Take care,
Gabe