Not to be confused with Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund and Democracy Fund Voice

The Democracy Alliance Democracy Action Fund, commonly called the “Democracy Action Fund,” is a center-left voter registration and mobilization group created by the Democracy Alliance, a network of highly influential funders within the Democratic Party and the political Left. The Democracy Alliance itself generally coordinates funding strategies rather than engaging in grantmaking; consequently, the Democracy Action Fund itself is a project of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit funding and fiscal sponsorship provider. ¹

The Democracy Alliance Democracy Fund is the 501(c)(3) “sister” affiliate of the Democracy Action Fund, and a project of the New Venture Fund.

Political Activities

Both the Democracy Fund and the Democracy Action Fund focus on promoting policy changes to enact automatic voter registration and enfranchisement of felons (whose felony conviction does not allow them to vote in U.S. elections).

According to a 2016 report by the Democracy Alliance, the funds have focused on legislation implementing automatic voter registration and felon enfrachisement with support from state-based groups in the following states:

Oregon

• Motor Voter Coalition
• The Bus Project
• Oregon Voice
• Our Oregon

Virginia

• New Virginia Majority

Florida

• New Florida Majority
• Florida Rights Restoration Coalition

Arizona

• One Arizona

New Mexico

• Center for Civic Policy

Leadership

Both of the funds are led by an advisory board consisting of Patricia Bauman, president of the Bauman Family Foundation and former vice-chair of the Democracy Alliance; Matt Hollamby, program officer for the Wyss Foundation; and an unnamed “partner adviser representing a set of anonymous donors.” ²

In addition, Julie Kohler, senior vice president of investment strategy for the Democracy Alliance, is listed as a contact for the funds.

Funding

According to a 2016 Democracy Alliance report, the Democracy Action Fund raised approximately $80,000 and had no expenditures. The Democracy Fund reportedly raised $500,000 and spent $400,000. ³

1. “Democracy Alliance 2020 Investment Portfolio.” Democracy Alliance. Published Fall 2016. Accessed April 15, 2019. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/04/Democracy-Alliance-2020-Investment-Portfolio-Report.pdf
2. “Democracy Alliance 2020 Investment Portfolio.” Democracy Alliance. Published Fall 2016. Accessed April 15, 2019. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/04/Democracy-Alliance-2020-Investment-Portfolio-Report.pdf
3. “Democracy Alliance 2020 Investment Portfolio.” Democracy Alliance. Published Fall 2016. Accessed April 15, 2019. Available: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2019/04/Democracy-Alliance-2020-Investment-Portfolio-Report.pdf