This week's Democracy Notes
Greetings!
Something neat: the hilarious and irreverent Vu Le (pronounced "voo lay") — of Nonprofit AF and (with collaborators) Crappy Funding Practices — wrote a blog that talked about Democracy Notes 2025 Trends!
In his piece, “Nonpartisan work is necessary, but not sufficient, if we want to save democracy,” Le uses the report as a jumping off point to:
Talk about pluralism and “nonpartisanship” as manifestations of white moderation (a reference to MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” which Le writes about here, here, and elsewhere), and
Make the case for partisan work (via 501c4s and PACs) to fight fascism.
I highly recommend reading his piece in full. And, if you have thoughts on it, write a piece for Democracy Notes Perspectives! You can submit a pitch here.
Also neat: Tara Tuomaala (Vice President of Programs at the Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation) wrote a blog post on LinkedIn about the trends report!
Okay, last but not least…are you really proud of your organization or team’s norms, values, or operating principles? Send them my way! My email is Gabe@Democracy-Notes.org.
We’re working on defining ours and would love examples. (And, if you’re open to it, we’d love to share those examples back with the broader ecosystem!)
Democracy Notes 3/19
What’s happening in philanthropy:
($$$)
The MacArthur Foundation announced a $100M commitment to protect democracy in the U.S.
“Representative grants” include:
$10M - Campaign Legal Center
$3.25M - Defending Democracy Together Institute
$10M - Democracy Forward Foundation
$4M - Issue One
$5M - PolicyLink
$1M - The Heartland Fund’s Rural Democracy Initiative
$1M - State Infrastructure Fund
And…it sounds like there’ll be an open call in the future!
“We will share more later this year about an open call to apply for funding to support projects that help protect our democracy.”
Democracy Fund shared more on their new strategy in a blog post from Vice President Sanjiv Rao. They now have three programmatic areas:
Movements & Participation:
“Investing in community organizing and the supportive infrastructure it needs to be successful.”
Guardians and Guardrails:
This includes “litigation and anti-authoritarian organizing” and “protecting the leaders, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations necessary for this work, especially at the state and local levels.”
Reimagine & Rebuild:
Investing in “how we connect and collaborate in culture and community, how we share and receive news and information, and how our government serves and represents its people”
In his latest “President’s Letter,” “Immigration Was Supposed to Divide Us. Instead It’s Mobilizing America,” Freedom Together Foundation president Deepak Bhargava writes:
“It is a mistake to treat ‘controversial’ topics like immigration as a distraction from ‘core’ democracy issues like the right to vote or the rule of law.”
Yet also, “it would be a mistake to overread the public’s reaction to mass deportation. Economic concerns remain at the forefront of most Americans’ minds.”
The classifieds:
(Things you shared!)
The classifieds are back! If you’d like us to include something, our pricing is here.
Nifty conference alert!! Join the University of California’s National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement for their eighth-annual #SpeechMatters conference!
It’s on April 8th from 11:30am-3pm ET (virtual). The agenda is here!
This year’s gathering, “Preserving the Pillars of Free Expression,” will feature legal and academic experts, journalists, artists, and activists.
What to watch/listen to/attend:
(Events, podcasts, and more)
3/24 9-10:30am ET — join the Democracy Narratives Alliance for their first public event, “Democracy Narratives: What works—and what doesn’t.”
4/26 at 3pm ET — Curious about working in nonprofit local news?
Join the American Journalism Project for “Inside Nonprofit Local News: Careers, Pathways, and Possibilities.”
4/1 at 3pm ET — What’s the future of the Ford Foundation? Chronicle of Philanthropy CEO Stacy Palmer will be talking to Heather Gerken, the Ford Foundation’s new president.
Registration is here!
Where to work:
(Jobs, jobs, jobs!)
Future Caucus Request for Proposal - 2026 On the Rise Report (Mar.-Aug.) — remote, $15K
Protect Democracy Community Relations Coordinators (Contract) — multiple counties, $30-$50/hr
Counties include: Kenosha County, WI, Erie County, PA, Nash County, NC, Macon-Bibb County, GA, or Mecklenburg County, NC
Common Ground USA Grants and Fundraising Manager — remote, $72K-$90K
Issue One Director of Major Gifts — DC, $100K-$115K
Verified Voting Senior Policy Associate — remote, $85K-$90K
UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement Fellowship (non-residential) — $15K
Fellows (all backgrounds welcome) complete a project around expression and democratic participation on college campuses over 18 months.
Applications due 3/30! View past fellows’ projects here!
^ 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!
States United Democracy Center Legal Assistant — remote, $59K
Brennan Center for Justice Institutional Relations Officer — NYC, $110K-$125K
The Overbrook Foundation Human Rights Fellowship — NYC, $2K/month for three months, 20hrs/week
Park Foundation Program Officer, Civic Participation/Democracy — Ithaca, NY, $100K-$145K
Democracy Forward Legal Secretary — DC, $72K-$80K
Work for America Chief Operating Officer — NYC, $175K-$190K
Lawyers for Good Government General Counsel — remote, $185K
The Rockefeller Foundation Managing Director, Convenings and Networks — NYC, $228K-$259K
Citizens Union:
Chief of Staff — NYC, $85K-$110K
Director of Digital & Communications — NYC, $75K-$95K
Editor, Policy Journal (Part-Time Contract) — remote (NYC-based), $5K-$6K
Levi Strauss & Co. Foundation Liaison and Learning Manager — SF, $92K-$125K
Solutions Journalism Network Deputy Director, Solutions Insights Lab — remote, $100K-$120K
Harmony Labs Strategist — remote, $130K-$145K
Transitions, transitions:
(Where the movers are moving and the shakers are shaking)
Steven Montoya is now Program Director - A Constitution for 2076 at Democracy 2076!
Sailor Jones is now State Director at Common Cause North Carolina!
Margaret Huang is now Senior Advisor to the President on the Civil Rights Forward initiative at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights!
Arianna Conte is now Project Administrator and Communications Associate MIT Election Data and Science Lab!
Courtney Chandler is now the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer!
Submit your job transitions (or promotions!) here.
See you soon,
Gabe