The midterm election presents another perilous moment for our democracy, and funders have mobilized to help. Faced with a federal administration determined to limit voting and erode the rule of law, American philanthropy has rallied to support voters and the state officials working to keep the midterm elections free, fair, and secure.
One-time, short-term grants, even robust ones, won’t provide a counter to the anti-democracy movement that is very much in place for the long haul.
But funders who are understandably focused on the 2026 election, especially those who have recently expanded their portfolios to add democracy protection, may miss a critical point: Sustaining our democracy will require funding that goes beyond a single election cycle. Threats to the midterm election represent a crisis, to be sure. But simply surviving the crisis of the moment is not enough.
The efforts of President Trump and his allies to push conspiracy theories and undermine election integrity will not stop after November—or even after Trump’s term. The president is exploiting all the federal power he can while in office, but he and his supporters have built a movement that will outlast him. Election deniers hold public office, legions of allies have organized at the grassroots level, and there is an entire media apparatus dedicated to confusing and frightening voters.
One-time, short-term grants, even robust ones, won’t provide a counter to the anti-democracy movement that is very much in place for the long haul. Good public servants and dedicated nonprofit partners are already working toward a post-Trump democracy—one in which election results are respected, every voter is safe, and federal leaders honor the rule of law. Making that vision a reality will require funding that is substantial, flexible, and enduring.
If anything positive has come of the relentless assault on the democratic process, it may be a broader understanding that the work of shoring up our democracy starts in the states. The Constitution gives states, not the president, authority to run elections, which means state and local election officials are the first responders when democracy is in danger.
Asking them to put out fires every two years means they cannot focus on building a fireproof democracy for the next generation.
These officials combat election lies and supply voters with facts. They make sure every legal vote counts and defend accurate election results. They protect and strengthen election integrity, serving as a bulwark against democratic backsliding.
State and local election offices have been chronically underfunded for years. Recent cuts to state budgets and bans on donations for election security and infrastructure have only exacerbated the problem. The federal government, once a trusted partner for election funding and infrastructure support, has walked away from its responsibilities. Because state officials lack the resources they need, they count on philanthropists and nonprofits to have their backs.
Democracy funders clearly understand what’s at stake. Over the past decade, a growing network of investors has stepped up with billions of dollars of support for initiatives that advance nonpartisan voting rights, civic education, and independent journalism. These investors range from large institutions that have been doing this work for years to individual and family foundations that have more recently joined the effort. Our democracy is still standing because so many champions are doing their part to help.
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The problem is much of the new giving tends to focus on the short term, the next election. Public servants and their partners who keep our democracy going cannot do their work effectively with unpredictable budgets. Asking them to put out fires every two years means they cannot focus on building a fireproof democracy for the next generation.
The president and his allies have built a sprawling apparatus to undermine elections that will carry on long after the 2026 midterms and the 2028 election cycle. So the friends of democracy must take the long view and make an equally durable commitment. That requires sustained giving that looks beyond the next November, and the next, and the next.
None of that takes away from the hard work of protecting the midterms from federal interference. Keeping this election free and fair will require the vigilance of state and local election officials and their allies. With early voting underway, local election workers need the support that organizations like the Partnership for Local Elections Jurisdictions (PLEJ) provide. Nonpartisan nonprofit organizations need the support of democracy funders to register, educate, mobilize, and defend the rights of voters—especially low-propensity voters, rural voters, younger voters, and voters of color. Our information ecosystem needs attention, too. Organizations like Democracy Works are helping ensure social media platforms and search engines provide voters accurate information—an essential service with the rise of artificial intelligence. Now is the moment to accelerate, not take the foot off the gas.
No cause can succeed if our democracy lurches from one close call to the next.
If pro-democracy candidates ultimately succeed in November, donors with an interest in protecting democracy may feel relief on the morning of November 4. But it would be an error to mistake relief for long-term security.
Even if strong pro-democracy leadership is in place, democracies don’t snap back to health after years of erosion. Rebuilding public trust, strengthening institutions, and restoring basic principles like respecting election results will take time and commitment. To stabilize our democracy for the long run, funders should make democracy a permanent part of their portfolio of giving. They can do this by directing long-term, recurring support to the people and organizations working directly in states and localities to advance the technology, information accuracy, public safety, civic engagement, and public leadership on which resilient elections depend.
Those who have helped our democracy survive a decade of withering attacks may understandably be eager to declare victory and return to countless worthwhile causes: childhood development, eradicating disease, fighting climate change. But the success of all these causes depends, at least in part, on a strong and sustainable democracy. No cause can succeed if our democracy lurches from one close call to the next.
When fair elections and the rule of law came under attack, nonpartisan philanthropists answered the call. Now we need them to think bigger and look further into the future. Only a durable, well-funded democracy can give us the country we want.
