These 22 Leaders Aim to Stop a Repeat of 2020's Election Tumult

Inside efforts to boost trust in vote counts. Plus, why Gen Z and millennials are polarization-slayers [Philanthropy Today Logo]( This is a special weekly edition of Philanthropy Today featuring stories and content from [The Commons](. You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. If you no longer want to receive the Philanthropy Today newsletter, [unsubscribe](. Visit [The Commons]( for our latest content, sign up for [The Commons LinkedIn newsletter,]( and join the conversation in our [Commons LinkedIn group](. From The Commons ELECTIONS [Can Elections Ever Be Normal Again? These 22 Nonprofit Leaders Have a Plan.]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( After the tumult of 2020, a new set of organizations aims to reinforce how votes are tallied on November 5 as well as in 2026, 2028, and beyond. INTERVIEW [‘Young People Are Going to Fix Our Democracy’]( By Chronicle Staff [STORY IMAGE]( Future Caucus president Layla Zaidane talks about how Gen Z and millennial lawmakers cross the aisle to find solutions. Case in point: The removal of Confederate iconography from Mississippi’s flag. Upcoming Events in The Commons Next up in The Commons in Conversation interview series: - Hollywood screenwriter Erik Bork talks about the bridging themes and philanthropy behind his soon-to-be-released The Elephant in the Room, a red-blue romantic comedy. 2 at 12:30 p.m. ET. [Free registration required](. - Nealin Parker of [Common Ground USA]( will report on nonprofit efforts to head off political violence in advance of the November elections. October 16 at 12:30 p.m. ET. [Free registration required](. Of the Moment We typically bring you short news items in this section, but there’s something today worth lingering on for a bit. The [Democracy Funders Network]( this morning debuted a new data platform with a first-of-its-kind accounting of the funders and nonprofits focused on election reform, bridge-building, fostering belonging, and other work toward a healthy democracy. [Democracy Hub]( features data on more than 4,500 nonprofits and nearly 30,000 funders. It was built with Impala, a tech and data company for grant makers, nonprofits, and others in the social-impact world. Some tidbits from the data: - Foundations, fiscal sponsors, donor-advised funds, and other grant makers spent $9.7 billion on democracy efforts in 2022, nearly twice the total from 2018. - The Ford Foundation is the largest funder, having made grants totaling $1.2 billion from 2018 to 2022. - The average grant size over the five years was $133,000. The median size was $15,000. We’ll explore Democracy Hub in an upcoming story along with other new ventures to map the field of work that [The Commons]( covers. The platform is designed in part to replace and enhance Candid’s work to track the field, which was discontinued earlier this year. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Forums [September 24 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join the Chronicle’s Stacy Palmer for The Future of Race-Based Grant Making, a conversation with Roger Colinvaux of The Catholic University of America, Marc Philpart of the California Black Freedom Fund, Carmen Rojas of Marguerite Casey Foundation, Thomas Saenz of MALDEF, and Olivia Sedwick, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. They’ll discuss what comes next now that the Fearless Fund settled a court case that was widely watched as a barometer of what grant makers can do in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Editor's Picks FOUNDATION GIVING [Carnegie Returns to Its Roots With Millions in Grants to Public Libraries]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The Carnegie Corporation of New York, founded by steel magnate and library builder Andrew Carnegie, thinks the public institutions can mend today’s societal fractures. INTERVIEW [Philanthropist Laura Arnold on What It Takes to Reduce Polarization and Partisanship]( By Chronicle Staff [STORY IMAGE]( In the launch of a new interview series for The Commons, the Giving Pledge member and influential donor talks about the keys to bringing people together on tough issues. INNOVATION [Can 50 Nonprofits Really Build Something Together? A Hopeful Idea Begins to Spread]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Inside an effort dubbed “mutual aid on steroids” that’s getting a tryout in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Lexington, Ky. [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037