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Democracy Notes · Aug 21, 2026

This week's Democracy Notes

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Gabriel Lerner · Democracy Notes

It looks like I’m (slightly) in the minority with my non-fiction reading habits…

Thank you all for the fiction reading recs you sent my way!!

A separate question…

We’re thinking up ways to be useful to folks by job function!

Last but not least, we have an ask from a reader! The reader would love to connect with anyone thinking about these questions:

  • What does the future of federalism look like when the federal government is antidemocratic?

  • How much latitude do states and localities have to maintain and build a thriving democracy within their jurisdictions?

  • How do they respond to retaliatory federal actions, including withholding of federal funds?

Send me a note at Gabe@Democracy-Notes.org if those Qs are up your alley!

($$$)

  • PA, NJ, and DE-based organizations! Apply for People’s Media Fund’s Community Voices Open Call which supports “Media for Movement-Building.”

    • Grants range from $10K to $30K ($600K pool total).

    • Applications are due September 16th.

  • Community foundations! Apply for the Council on Foundations’ Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator.

    • Selected community foundation applicants will receive:

      • A $20K planning grant (potential for $45K in follow-on funding for early implementation),

      • Coaching and a structured learning agenda, and

      • A space for peer learning…

    • …all to design and implement strategies tailored to working across differences in local communities.

  • Creatives!! Have an illustration, short video, graphic, or something else that tells a compelling story about democracy?

    • Apply to the Democracy Stories Lab for a chance to win $1K! (9/14 deadline.)

      • This effort is supported by People Powered and the Democracy Narratives Alliance.

  • The Nathan Cummings Foundation accepts letters of inquiry on a rolling basis for grants ranging from $100K-$250K+.

    • Democracy organizations may be a fit for their Racial Justice focus area.

      • Check out the third-to-last section of their FAQ page, “What kind of work does the Foundation support to advance racial justice?”

        • They write: “In 2026, we are particularly interested in hyper-local civic engagement work in the U.S. South in the areas of school board reform, preemption, and voter suppression.”

      • Areas of interest also include work that:

        • “Decreases regressive policies aimed at disenfranchising BIPOC communities and limiting civic participation,”

        • “Fosters leadership development for public servants including advocates and elected officials,” and

        • “Encourages innovative policy interventions around democratic values.”

  • Board updates and philanthropy job transitions!

    • The Knight Foundation is establishing a new Strategy & Learning department which will be led by Kyla Elhelo, with Jon Belgrad as Director, Strategy Execution!

    • The Pew Charitable Trusts added three directors to its board: Natalie Gochnour, Alisa Miller, and Deborah Winshel.

    • The American Journalism Project (AJP) added two new board members:

      • Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’s “Firing Line,” and Andrea Mitchell, NBC News chief Washington and foreign affairs correspondent.

(The big news)

  • If you read one thing this week, read Alexandria J. Maloney’s piece about the disconnect between how Black leaders talk about civil rights and the conversation around authoritarianism.

  • Rebrand alert(s)!

  • From Mike Gavin, President and CEO of the Alliance for Higher Education, “How to Fight Authoritarian Attacks on Higher Education.”

    • One great passage: “In the face of authoritarianism, a pragmatic but forceful approach that illustrates the negative outcomes of restricting free speech on a state in both economic and democratic terms is necessary.”

  • Polling! All in one place! Check out States United Democracy Center’s newly launched hub for polling on elections and the rule of law.

  • Check out this nifty new report from New America, “A Renewed Role for Community Colleges as Pillars of American Democracy.”

  • Want to better understand wonky democracy reform things like “Condorcet voting”?

    • Here’s a high-quality explainer series, courtesy of the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Government and Policy!

(Events, podcasts, and more)

  • 9/11 from 8:30am-2:30pm ET — the Harvard Project on Indigenous Governance and Development is hosting the “Conference on Democracy in Indian Country: Voting Rights and Freedom of the Press” in Cambridge, MA.

    • Register and learn more here!

  • DC folks! 9/26 from 12-4pm ET — join Rising Organizers for the DC Community Organizing Festival!

    • Reserve a free (!) spot here.

  • 3/11-3/12, 2027 — iCivics and the Knight Foundation are seeking presenters for next year’s Civic Learning Week National Forum in Charlotte, NC. The theme is Civic Education in the Digital Age.

    • Submit proposals here by 9/18!

  • 9/22 at 2pm ET — the Council on Foundations is hosting a webinar, “Measuring Belonging,” as part of its Learning Across Differences Idea Forum.

(Jobs, jobs, jobs!)

^ These orgs really want to reach great candidates in the Democracy Notes community! If you’d like to promote a role with us, our options are here!

Want to see a role you’re hiring for in the newsletter? Fill out this Google Form!

(Where the movers are moving and the shakers are shaking)

  • Jon Temin has joined Rethink Priorities as Research Lead for Democratic Resilience!

  • Melissa Hooper is now Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Democracy at UC Law SF!

  • UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy has welcomed their 2026-27 cohort of Democracy Policy Fellows! Congrats!

  • Vanessa Mbonu has joined the ACLU as Director of Editorial Strategy and Storytelling!

  • Daniel Weiner is now Senior Director of the Brennan Center for Justice Elections and Government team!

  • Stacey Coleman is now Senior Partnerships Manager at Unify America!

  • New faces at the Rx Foundation:

    • Kevin Collins has joined as Program Officer!

    • Allisonn Church has joined as Administration & Finance Associate!

Submit your job transitions (or promotions!) here.

See you soon,

Gabe

Read the original on democracynotes.substack.com ↗

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