Impact

Sustaining Democracy Beyond Election Day: The "Election Day to Every Day" Campaign

Laura M. Chambers, Chief Operating Officer, Democracy Fund / ABFE Member
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Earlier this year, nearly 200 donors and philanthropic organizations joined All by April, a campaign to move nonpartisan election-related grants earlier in the cycle to support free, fair, and representative elections. Together, All by April signatories moved more than $155 million in new grants and early payments before the April campaign deadline. This commitment to fully funding nonpartisan 2024 election-related work remains a top priority for our donor community. At the same time, we must step up to prepare for the future by supporting the pro-democracy field not only on Election Day but every day that follows.

Our grantees on the frontlines of the 2024 election are doing everything they can to ensure free, fair, and representative elections. But we know their work is not over on Election Day. The organizations working to defend our democracy and build long-term community power need to know that when the election is over, we have their backs. Anti-democracy forces don’t dismantle their infrastructure after every election cycle, forcing groups to downsize and lose momentum. We shouldn’t, either.

Many grantees face a financial cliff after November, which threatens their ability to resist the authoritarian playbook, fuel a governing agenda, and build durable power in service of creating a more inclusive, multiracial democracy. Leaders need to know that nonpartisan grants will be renewed in Q1 of next year or that they will be provided with bridge funding to help them plan and move forward. They need multi-year nonpartisan support that allows them to continue to build infrastructure in a non-election year and manage leadership transitions seamlessly. And during a period when frontline groups are exhausted and violent threats are only getting worse, they need help ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of their teams and communities.

That’s why Democracy Fund launched a new campaign called Election Day to Every Day. We’re inviting individual donors, foundations, donor advisors, and other philanthropic organizations to join us in supporting this critical, long-term work. Together, we will:

  • Start Planning Now: Confirm your 2025 democracy budget now. Don’t wait to develop a plan next year.
  • Provide a Bridge into Next Year: Offer bridge funding to grantees who are building long-term sustainable community power, move up payments to Q1, or let grantees know if you’ll be renewing support in the new year.
  • Commit to Multi-Year Support: Provide multi-year support, whenever possible, so that organizations can continue building toward a long-term vision of a more inclusive, multiracial democracy.
  • Support Safety & Security: Support the safety and security infrastructure that grantees need in the face of violent threats and the authoritarian playbook.

Philanthropy’s commitment to democracy must be consistent and enduring. We know that some philanthropies will not have the same amount of funding available next year as they did this year. We know some shifts in philanthropic priorities are inevitable. But philanthropy’s priorities cannot be achieved without a healthy democracy, and our democracy cannot be healthy without philanthropy’s sustained commitment.

You can join the call to action around these commitments by becoming an Election Day to Every Day signatory and by sending this message to others in your network! We call on our philanthropic peers to transform the way we give by ensuring our pro-democracy field is ready for any and all scenarios that lie ahead. We must keep our foot on the gas and let our field partners know that we have their backs. 

*The Democracy Fund is an ABFE Member. The foundation works to build an inclusive, multiracial democracy that is open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. Created by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, Democracy Fund and its partner organization Democracy Fund Voice have together committed almost $425 million in grants since 2014 to support those working to strengthen our democracy. Learn more here: https://democracyfund.org/who-we-are/