Supporting a Thriving
Democracy
The democratic system in the United States has long been considered entrenched – the pillar around which day-to-day life in America evolved through generations. The last few years have shown us that even something as unflappable as American democracy cannot be taken for granted. We believe that investments today are vital in re-strengthening this system so that it remains in place for generations to come.
Impact
Partners
Meet the incredible organizations that we are supporting. Each is creating a meaningful impact in its own way. We hope you will spend time learning more about the ones that speak to you.
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Protect Democracy is a nonpartisan non-profit organization formed in late 2016 with an urgent and explicit mission: to prevent American democracy from declining into a more authoritarian form of government.
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While Protect Democracy is a newer player in this space, we are incredibly impressed with Ian, Justin, and the team they’ve assembled – and their collective lived experience leading up to this pivotal work. Their team tackles both immediate and long-term interventions in a way that has a strong chance to really help protect our fragile democracy.
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They are a nonpartisan organization accelerating the movement for free and fair elections through expert analysis, research, and innovations. They track election-related legislation and current law in all 50 states and D.C. through their State Voting Rights Tracker.
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We really like their use of technology as a tool to track all legislation currently working its way through the state or federal system that impacts voting rights. This easy-to-use tool can help focus efforts to support or counter bills at strategic times with the ultimate goal of protecting the voting rights of all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.
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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. They research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.
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Rob and the team at FairVote have been working hard to build awareness of, and support for, an alternative approach to our elections for decades. With a greater understanding of the delicacy of our election systems, we believe the time has come for ideas like rank-choice voting to be seriously considered.
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VotingWorks’ mission is to make election technology everyone can trust through transparency, simplicity, and demonstrable security. They collaborate closely with election administrators in all their work and believe that trust is earned only by being publicly accountable for everything they do. VotingWorks is the only non-profit voting system vendor in the United States. Their source code is publicly available, and they actively work in the open with leading academics in the fields of voting security and usability.
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When identifying the organizations we want to support in each of our portfolios, we try to support an array of solutions and leaders with relevant experience, each tackling a different part of the problem. That’s what has drawn us to VotingWorks. They are working to bring transparency to the very systems every American engages with in order to cast their ballot: the voting machines themselves, and the audits that protect those votes. Ben Adida, the founder, is uniquely qualified having received his Ph.D. from MIT’s Cryptography and Information Security group, where he focused specifically on election security. Ben has led product and engineering teams for over 20 years and is passionate about making a difference in American democracy.
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The Team is a nonprofit organization that creates award-winning programming focused on integrating nonpartisan civic engagement and voter participation into college athletics. They offer pathways for every athlete, coach, and administrator to become more engaged citizens.
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A critical part of any flourishing democracy is the active participation of the electorate, at every age. We are particularly drawn to The Team’s focus on engaging the original campus influencers: coaches and athletes. By increasing their civic engagement and voter participation, The Team is tapping into a key population that can inspire their peers to also vote in November.
Explore Our Other Initiatives
Empowering Women & Children
Criminal Justice Innovation & Second Chance Employment
Bridging the Educational & Opportunity Gap
Protecting the Environment
Mental Health
Additional Impact Partners