Secure Democracy USA

Background

Previous iteration as Secure Democracy and Lawsuit

The previous iteration of Secure Democracy USA was Secure Democracy, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that donated grants to left-of-center organizations and other entities while advocating for election-related policy reforms such as expanded early voting, increased use of mail-in drop boxes, and reducing restrictions in absentee voting. ⁴ The group’s website also claimed that it was helping to restore “voter eligibility to the thousands of Americans who have returned home from prison but do not have a voice in their communities.” ⁴

In October 2022, Secure Democracy and New Venture Fund were part of a lawsuit filed by Sarah Walker, Secure Democracy’s former executive director, over damages due to alleged discrimination, civil rights violations, and wrongful termination. ^{5 1} According to the lawsuit, Secure Democracy “ According to the lawsuit, Secure Democracy “was established in 2018 . . . in order to work with Republicans on voting rights issues and to maintain a distance from the Democratic Party–affiliated work of VRL [Voting Rights Lab].” ¹ Walker claimed that Secure Democracy had long worked as the 501(c)(4) wing of the Voting Rights Lab, which was then a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund. As of 2026 VRL was listed as a project of the Secure Democracy Foundation. Walker also alleged that Secure Democracy and New Venture Fund had discriminated against female employees of color by “paying them less than their white counterparts, denying them equal opportunity for advancement, and denying them equal access to benefits.” ^{1 6}

According to the lawsuit, Secure Democracy and Voting Rights lab leadership “constantly reminded [Walker] of her racial identity,” and were obsessed with “race and racial dynamics.”¹

The lawsuit also alleged that Secure Democracy and the Voting Rights Lab, then as a project of New Venture Fund, had engaged in advocacy practices that “jeopardiz[ed] their tax exempt status” and practiced “intentional tax violations” by “unlawfully subsidizing” Secure Democracy’s 501(c)(4) operations with funds from the 501(c)(3) Voting Rights Lab and the New Venture Fund. After Walker brought these concerns, New Venture Fund and Secure Democracy allegedly retaliated against her by placing her on administrative leave until she was ultimately fired. In her lawsuit, Walker claimed that Secure Democracy and the Voting Rights Lab were “simply unconcerned about following the law.” ¹

Post-creation as Secure Democracy USA

Near the time of Walker’s suspension in 2021, Secure Democracy was dissolved as a legal entity and reformed under the name Secure Democracy USA with a new employer identification number and 501(c)(4) status. Public filings revealed that the newly formed Secure Democracy USA and the New Venture Fund had “entered into an agreement with [Secure Democracy] to acquire [Secure Democracy’s] assets and liabilities.”¹

Secure Democracy Foundation

The Secure Democracy Foundation is the sister 501(c)(3) sister organization to Secure Democracy USA. ^{1 7 3} The Foundation was founded in 2022 by Voting Rights Lab co-founder Megan Lewis. According to IRS tax exemption forms, the Foundation was started through a $4.8 million donation from the New Venture Fund in 2022. As of 2023, the Foundation is the parent organization of Voting Rights Lab. ⁷ The Foundation’s tax filings label the group as a “nonpartisan organization providing expert analysis and research on election-related law.” ⁸

Financials

According to its 2024 990 tax filings, Secure Democracy USA reported a revenue of $2,965,040, expenses of $2,656,681, and net assets of $1,433,845. ⁹

According to its 2023 990 tax filings, Secure Democracy USA reported a revenue of $4,053,961, expenses of $2,942,012, and net assets of $1,162,532. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Secure Democracy USA. 2023. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/873854090/202500929349301120/full[/note]

Funding

Between 2022 and 2024, Secure Democracy USA donated grants to several organizations including Unite Oregon Action, the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation, Community Change Action, the Coalition of Texans With Disabilities, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. ^{10 11 12}

Leadership

Megan Lewis is listed as the executive director for the Secure Democracy USA, according to its 2024 tax filings. ¹³ Lewis is also a co-founder and executive director of the Voting Rights Lab and was previously the executive vice president of Everytown for Gun Safety. ¹⁴