Not to be confused with the William J. Brennan Center for Justice project of the same name.
The Democracy Futures Project is a project targeting left-of-center democracy-focused funders that is operated by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 1
Democracy Futures Project is an 18-month-long project that aimed to equip groups and people it identified as “democracy funders” with tools, resources, and skills to expand the capacity of philanthropies to think longer-term about American democracy and the future of democracy-related philanthropy. 1
The project receives additional support from the Democracy Fund and the Skoll Foundation. 1
Background
The Democracy Futures Project was launched in the fall of 2024 and will run through the end of 2025. It has the support of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) CEO Kristen Campbell. 2
The Democracy Futures Project is a project led by PACE and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation that targets democracy-focused philanthropists to develop long-term strategies. 1
Democracy Futures Project aims to hold events including workshops and learning sessions and offer resource development. 3
Programming
Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement has said the Democracy Futures Project needs to envision a future for a “multi-racial, multi-ethnic, religiously pluralistic democracy that welcomes a wide diversity of viewpoints” and embrace realism and pragmatism to address the challenges it currently faces. 4
The Democracy Futures Project is an 18-month-long project that aims to equip whom it identifies as “democracy funders” with tools, resources, and skills to prepare for the future democracy-related philanthropy. The project seeks to build funders’ foresight capacity; understand trends and key issues and how they could affect the United States by 2050; and identify strategies and tactics to promote democracy in the coming decades. 1
Democracy Futures Project’s programming began in September 2024 and will continue until December 2025. The programming consists of three in-person workshops and one hybrid workshop on topics including capacity building, scenario development, preparation for uncertainty, stress-testing strategies, and action planning. The project’s programming includes public-facing virtual sessions at the conclusion of each workshop. 1
PACE designed the project to respond to concerns that it hears from funders in the democracy-related field. These concerns include authoritarian sentiments to disinformation and social isolation, societal changes including climate change and demographic change, gender and religious norms, artificial intelligence; and other changes. 3
The Democracy Funders Project also is designed to address the challenge of democracy-focused work appearing “too political” because the program has identified that “conflation of democracy with partisan politics inherently limits [its] ability to advance a shared and inclusive vision of a multi-racial, religiously pluralistic society that serves all.” 3
Funding
The Democracy Futures Project is led by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. It receives additional support from the Democracy Fund and the Skoll Foundation. 1
References
- “The Democracy Futures Project.” Democracy Futures Project. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AQ5IsI_N4NQRq3goPPJaIceCuiCWS9VK/view.
- “PACE’s New Project Aims to Sustain Democracy Philanthropy.” NCDD. July 19, 2024. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.ncdd.org/news/paces-new-project-aims-to-sustain-democracy-philanthropy.
- “Democracy Futures Project.” PACE Funders. Accessed November 1, 2024. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hYd0gFeRScaM8xki7X769l7LiGmf48V5_1Ss7Z4gGBo/edit?tab=t.0.
- “Home.” Democracy Futures Project. Accessed November 2, 2024. https://www.pacefunders.org/futures/.