In unusual push, funders band together to get out grants around election work ‘early’

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press

Some 170 foundations, donors and advisors have signed on to a pledge started by the nonprofit Democracy Fund to make their grants earlier this Election Year. A small portion of the billions spent around the November election will go to nonprofits working to boost voter participation and access to voting. Usually, those funds come in right before Election Day. This year, the coalition of funders hopes to give organizations more time to plan. Joe Goldman is the president of Democracy Fund. He says they wanted to change the culture in philanthropy so “that being an effective and responsible philanthropist means not waiting to make grants in an election year.”