The Election Integrity Fund

Contact Us

The Election Integrity Fund is a 501(c)(3) fund housed at Amalgamated Bank and managed day-to-day by the Democracy Funders Network. All overhead is being paid for by the WhyNot Initiative so that 100% of funds contributed will go directly to organizations doing election integrity work. To reach scale, the EIF is seeking two lead gifts from major donors of $5 million.  The minimum contribution this fund can accept is $25,000. For questions, or donation instructions, please email Mike Berkowitz at mike@thirdplateau.com.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

The Election Integrity Fund is a 501c3 nonpartisan rapid response fund focused on ensuring a free and fair election in the U.S. The Fund’s objective is to guarantee that every eligible American is able to cast their vote, and have it counted, without fear of intimidation, violence, or partisan suppression.

There are four periods of concern for the integrity of the election:

• Between now and Election Day, the date that the American people cast their final in-person votes;
• Between Election Day and December 14, the date that presidential electors gather in state house across the country to cast their votes for president;
• Between December 14 and January 6, the date that Congress will count the electoral votes and—absent a tie or dispute—declare the winner of the presidential election; and
• Between January 6 and January 20, the date of the presidential inauguration.

Each period offers risks for partisan meddling, anti-democratic behavior, and political violence. Various possible election scenarios and obstacles to a safe and secure election create rapidly changing needs, making it difficult for funders to stay on top of the most effective use of philanthropic dollars. This pooled fund allows major donors to rely on the expertise of an advisory board that sets strategic objectives and an experienced team to implement funding options.

Fund Priorities

The fund’s priorities are:

• Providing reliable, up-to-date information to the public about how to vote
• Legal actions to ensure the counting of all legally cast ballots
• Preparation of the public for a prolonged absentee vote count
• Prevention of violence and intimidation before, on, and after Election Day
• Elevating trusted bipartisan messengers and countering of voting-related disinformation
• Supporting elected officials to uphold their democratic duties

The first $15 million distributed by the Election Integrity Fund will support election integrity and voter protection efforts by organizations such as those below. The balance of funds will be reserved for emergent needs.

• Election SOS: Election SOS supports journalists in responding to critical election information needs by offering journalists training and connecting them to best practices, resources, and support around election coverage.
• Frontline Election Defenders: Frontline Election Defenders organizes thousands of volunteers with voters to overcome suppression, turn out safely on Election Day, and organize effectively beyond Election Day to ensure every vote is counted.
• Issue One: Issue One is a leading cross-partisan political reform group. Through paid and earned media, a public pledge, and a cross-partisan National Council for Election Integrity, its Count Every Vote campaign seeks to defend the legitimacy of our elections and call for patience from the American electorate while every vote is counted.
• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law leads the Election Protection program, the nation’s largest and longest-running voter protection coalition.
• Leadership Conference Education Fund: The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for laws and policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of every person in the U.S. Its All Voting Is Local project works to dismantle and prevent barriers to the ballot so that every voter can cast a ballot that counts.
• RepresentUs: RepresentUs is a cross-partisan organization passing statewide laws that fix our broken elections and stop political corruption. Its Count Every Hero multimedia/PR campaign is targeted at reporters and military voters with the message that rejecting mail-in ballots means rejecting the U.S. military and that every service member’s ballot must be counted before a winner is declared.
• State Infrastructure Fund: The State Infrastructure Fund invests in nonpartisan organizations that mobilize voters and promote voting rights. It is a core funder of Election Protection activities across the country.
• Voter Engagement Fund: The Voter Engagement Fund supports nonpartisan nonprofit efforts to increase voter engagement and participation among underrepresented citizens. It is invested in a number of efforts to ensure the integrity of the election.
• The Voter Project Fund: The Voter Project Fund was founded help implement Pennsylvania’s new election law and to ensure every voter is able to cast a ballot in a safe, secure, and convenient way. Its Secure Election Taskforce is staffed with lawyers, communications, community outreach, and research professionals to combat any efforts to spread misinformation, impede access to voting, or delegitimize the results of the election.
• Voting Rights Lab: The Voting Rights Lab brings state advocacy, policy, and legislative expertise to the fight for voting rights. It is building state-specific programs that help ensure votes are fully counted this election cycle.

Advisory Board

Other Resources

Here is a partial list of other pooled funds and funder networks that are working to uphold the integrity of the election:

• Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation: The Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation is a funder network that shares an underlying conviction that all people deserve a voice in our democratic process.
• Leadership Now Project: Leadership Now Project is a membership organization of business and thought leaders taking action to fix American democracy.
• Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement: Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement is a philanthropic laboratory for funders seeking to maximize their impact on democracy and civic life in America.
• State Infrastructure Fund: The State Infrastructure Fund invests in nonpartisan organizations that mobilize voters and promote voting rights.
• Unite America Fund: The Unite America Fund is a non-partisan donor community that aims to accelerate and scale the democracy reform movement.
• Voter Engagement Fund: The Voter Engagement Fund supports nonpartisan nonprofit efforts to increase voter engagement and participation among underrepresented citizens.

Note: The Crisis Charitable Commitment has no affiliation–and is not involved in their respective grant making decisions– with the pooled funds above, including the Election Integrity Fund.