Today, the Ford Foundation announced an additional $60 million in grants to nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations protecting and advancing democracy and the rule of law in the United States. Issued in the first 100 days of President Heather Gerken’s tenure at the Ford Foundation, the grants strengthen the efforts of organizations nationwide to safeguard the systems essential to American democracy. In the last ten years alone, the foundation’s Civic Engagement and Government program has provided more than $1 billion in grants to nonpartisan organizations within the United States.

The grants include support for a broad range of nonpartisan organizations across the ideological spectrum pursuing vital work across all 50 states — from increasing civic participation to protecting the fundamental right to vote. Among the organizations receiving funding are Pillars of the Community, Veterans for all Voters, All Voting is Local, Campaign Legal Center, and We the Veterans Military Foundation.   

President Gerken has directed $60 million in immediate, critical resources from her presidential reserves to nonpartisan organizations working to bolster the systems that undergird our democratic process. This includes efforts to ensure the fair and safe administration of elections, advance voting rights for citizens across the country, and support veteran and military-family led efforts to increase public confidence in election administration and expand opportunities  for  community  leadership for those who have served.

This infusion of new grantmaking marks the Ford Foundation’s most recent commitment to decades of grantmaking to protect and defend democratic values, a core tenet of the organization’s mission, with democracy work additionally embedded throughout a wide variety of programs across the foundation.

“For 90 years, the Ford Foundation has been steadfast in its commitment to advancing the ideals and principles of democracy,” said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. “As we look ahead, it is an honor to deepen this commitment and support the remarkable work taking place around the United States to strengthen democracy and the rule of law at this urgent moment.”

One of the organizations leading the way is Pillars of the Community, a nonprofit organization led by co-chairs Ben Ginsberg and Bob Bauer, two prominent election lawyers who, despite spending decades as chief legal rivals, today have forged a bipartisan partnership to protect the integrity of the American electoral system. 

“While in the past we have represented opposing parties and candidates, today we are united in our belief that voters must have confidence in the systems and processes by which elections take place,” said Ben Ginsberg, co-chair of Pillars of the Community. 

“At Pillars of the Community, we are committed to supporting the election officials and administrators who are working tirelessly in a nonpartisan fashion to ensure Americans can cast their ballots this year and beyond,” added Bob Bauer, co-chair of Pillars of the Community.  

With 900 volunteers representing all 50 states, Veterans for All Voters pursues work with a diverse coalition of veterans — from constitutional conservatives to moderates to progressives — who are leading the charge to reduce polarization in government and protect voting rights. The organization elevates the leadership of veterans nationwide who have spent their careers putting country over party to uphold the rule of law and constitution, and engage veterans and military families as poll workers. 

Alberto Ramos, chief executive officer of Veterans for All Voters, said, “For centuries, America’s veterans and military families have risked everything to defend democracy and rule of law; we know firsthand the stakes when those values are threatened. We are thrilled to be able to bring this work to our local communities, to ensure that everyone has the opportunity for their voices to be heard and be a part of finding common sense solutions to the problems we face.”

Campaign Legal Center is another organization working to advance democracy through policy change at the federal, state, and local levels, fighting for the opportunity of every American to participate in the democratic process and have a responsive government. It was founded in 2002 by its current president, Trevor Potter, a former commissioner of the Federal Election Commission. 

Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, said,  “The ability to vote is one of the most fundamental rights we hold as Americans, it is the key feature of our democracy. We are working with diligence and speed to ensure voters are able to access the ballot box and know their vote is counted.”

Gerken, a nationally recognized expert on constitutional law and democracy, joined the Ford Foundation in November 2025, and immediately committed to providing substantial funding to organizations doing nonpartisan work to safeguard democracy and protect the rule of law.  In an op-ed published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy today, Gerken spoke about how those on the front lines doing the hard work of sustaining our democracy gives her tremendous hope for the future.