Democracy Matters Foundation (formerly Franklin Education Forum)

The group is closely tied to the political network surrounding Democratic strategist David Brock and operates as the nonprofit arm of Democracy Matters, a sister advocacy group focused on advancing Democratic electoral and media efforts. The foundation has supported or partnered with projects such as the 65 Project, a legal campaign that challenged President Donald Trump’s 2020 lawsuits disputing the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. ^{2  3  4}

The Democracy Matters Foundation receives and distributes grants to prominent left-of-center organizations, including the Brock-associated groups Media Matters for America (MMFA) and American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, and others aligned with left-of-center advocacy causes. As of 2026, Bradley Beychok was the Democracy Matters Foundation’s president and chairman, and Brock was a former chairman and influential figure within the broader network tied to the organization’s activities. ^{1  5  2}

Activities

According to the group’s tax returns, the Democracy Matters Foundation supports several initiatives and projects, including the 65 Project, a legal campaign with LawWorks that opposed lawsuits issued by President Donald Trump and his legal team that disputed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. The 65 Project has since transitioned into a legal watchdog group that claims to “deter abuse of [the] legal system” by those “seeking to overturn legitimate elections.” ^{2  6  3}

The Democracy Matters Foundation is also affiliated with the Bridge Together Foundation, the Rescue Project for Afghanistan, the American Accountability Project, and Latino Disinformation Defence. ²

Grantmaking

The Democracy Matters Foundation acts as the charitable grantmaking arm of its sister political advocacy social-welfare organization, Democracy Matters. It also makes grants to other left-of-center organizations and political advocacy groups. In 2024, the Democracy Matters Foundation issued $33,647,250 in grants, including $31,380,000 to Democracy Matters, $1,867,250 to Onyx Impact, and $400,000 to the Choose Chicago Foundation. ⁷

In 2023, the foundation issued $900,000 in grants, including $535,000 to Facts First USA and $365,000 to the American Rescue Project. ⁸

In 2022, the foundation issued $6,159,183 in grants, including $2,282,500 to the American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, $1,021,204 to the American Rescue Project, and $560,000 to the Alliance for Open Society International (Open Society Institute Baltimore), among others. ⁹

In 2021, the foundation issued $2,957,065 in grants, including $182,500 to the American Bridge 21st Century Foundation. ¹⁰

Democracy Matters

Democracy Matters is the sister 501(c)(4) political advocacy arm of the Democracy Matters Foundation. It was founded in 2024 as an outgrowth of American Bridge 21st Century (AB PAC) and the broader David Brock network. The group emerged following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and rebranded itself from a longstanding donor conference operation into a 501(c)(4) organization committed to electing Democratic candidates and bolstering Democratic coalitions. Democracy Matters has since operated as a major funding hub within the broader left-of-center grantmaking ecosystem. It has channeled millions of dollars to aligned political committees and media organizations tied to the Brock network, including AB PAC. ^{11  12  13  14}

Leadership

As of May 2026, Bradley Beychok was president and chairman of the Democracy Matters Foundation. ² At that time, he was also the president and chairman of Democracy Matters. Beychok has been a longtime associate of David Brock, serving as a co-founder and previous president of American Bridge 21st Century (AB PAC) and holding several leadership roles at Brock’s organizations. ^{15  11  16  17} Beychok previously worked as president of Media Matters for America (MMFA) until 2016. ¹⁸ Beychok is an active contributor to Democratic political campaigns in the state of Virginia, including to Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger’s (D) 2025 election campaign. ¹⁹

According to the group’s 2022 tax return, David Brock was formerly the chairman of the Democracy Matters Foundation (then known as Franklin Education Forum). ⁴ Brock is a co-founder of Democracy Matters, a political advocacy organization that grew out of the broader Brock network of AB PAC and its affiliated groups. ¹¹ Brock is a former conservative journalist who later became a liberal political consultant and strategist who worked with the Clinton family. In 2008, he helped orchestrate a $40 million media campaign with George Soros and Paul Begala against then-Republican presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). ²⁰

Brock has been labeled one of “the most influential operatives in the Democratic party,” as he has founded several prominent left-wing PACs and media organizations. ²¹ These include AB PAC, MMFA, and the American Democracy Legal Fund. He has been a chairman or board member of several left-wing groups, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Priorities USA Action, Media Matters Action Network (MMAN), and more. ^{22  23  24  25  4  14}

As of May 2026, Pilar Martinez was listed as the chief financial officer and a director at the Democracy Matters Foundation. ² She was also listed as a board member at Media Matters for America (MMFA) and has served as the chief financial officer for the Media Matters Action Network and MMFA. ^{26  1} Martinez has also worked for various other David Brock-affiliated groups, including the American Independent Foundation, CREW, AB PAC, and Correct the Record. ^{27  28}

Financials

In 2024, the Democracy Matters Foundation, in the first year of its rebrand from the Franklin Education Fund, reported $35,588,226 in total revenue, $34,712,758 in total expenses, and $2,236,075 in total assets. ² This marked a steep increase in funding from 2023, during which the group reported only $1,973,667 in total revenue, $1,331,935 in total expenses, and $1,149,061 in total assets. ¹ In 2022, the Democracy Matters Foundation reported $6,901,639 in total revenue, $8,236,212 in total expenses, and $752,777 in total assets. ⁴

The Democracy Matters Foundation receives funding from grants issued by major left-of-center organizations. Since 2013, the Democracy Matters Foundation has received $3,275,850 in total funding from Media Matters for America (MMFA), including individual grants of $452,000 in 2013; $930,000 in 2014; $89,850 in 2015; $105,000 in 2016; $229,000 in 2017; $220,000 in 2021; and $1,250,000 in 2024. ^{29  30  31  32  33  34  35}

From 2021 to 2024, the Democracy Matters Foundation received three grants from Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, totaling $1,191,000. ^{36  37  38} From 2021 to 2022, the Democracy Matters Foundation received $100,000 in grants from the Bessemer Giving Fund. ^{39  40}

In 2024, the Democracy Matters Foundation received a $10,100,00 grant from the American Independent Foundation (AIF) and a $375,000 grant from the Center For Voter Information (CVI). ^{41  42}

In 2022, the Democracy Matters Foundation received a $100,000 grant from the Jewish Communal Fund (JCF) and a $185,000 grant from the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. ^{43  44} That same year, the Democracy Matters Foundation received two grants from the Boston Foundation, totaling $1,875,000. One grant worth $1,810,000 was designated for “Immigrant and Refugee Support.” ⁴⁵

In 2020, the Democracy Matters Foundation received an $89,950 grant from the Tides Foundation. ⁴⁶