One for Democracy unlocks resources to build a healthy democracy by fostering meaningful relationships between philanthropists and the democracy leaders of our time.
One for Democracy is a community of philanthropists and organizational leaders working together to build an inclusive, resilient democracy.
Democracy philanthropy today is insufficient, often exclusively focused on elections and disconnected from the most promising solutions and innovations being driven by organizers, lawmakers, technologists, journalists, and advocates. To counterbalance these trends, we are shifting how the sector gives: deploying resources to meet the scale of the problem, funding beyond single election cycles, and working in collaboration with leaders. We identify exceptional leaders and connect them with values-aligned philanthropists through fee-free one-on-one advising and gathering with intention.
One for Democracy’s Board includes leaders across philanthropy, civil society, and policy. Our portfolio advisory groups bring together sector leaders and experienced philanthropists to identify organizations moving American democracy into the 21st century.
At the heart of our work, we connect visionary leaders and philanthropists whose collective efforts will power long-term improvements to our democratic processes and institutions. We accomplish this through:
Our advisory groups of donors and leaders curate portfolios of organizations that respond to immediate and long-term needs in our political system—and that sit at the intersection of high funding need and high potential impact.
We provide on-demand guidance to community members and host regular gatherings to make ambitious collective investments in timely, critical projects.
We work with leaders to ensure that we’re measuring metrics that matter—and translating those metrics into key learnings for our community. We use what we learn to adjust our strategy regularly.
Since our founding in 2020, we have inspired $185M from 250 donors for 350 civic engagement and democracy organizations. While One for Democracy started as a pledge for ultra high net worth individuals and funds, we now spur catalytic giving through our advising and gathering practices. Beyond the dollars, we’re proud of the impact we have on members of our community:
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One for Democracy is led by Taylor Holden, a seasoned organizer and strategist who has shepherded hundreds of millions of dollars to organizations impacting elections and public policy in all 50 states. She is a 2024 Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Fellow, looking at the current state of American democracy philanthropy and how to shift it to adequately address intersecting challenges facing communities, elected officials, and institutions.
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Micaela brings extensive expertise in project management and a commitment to good governance around the world. She led international development projects for the US Department of State and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe focused on democratic development in the Western Balkans and was a Fulbright Public Policy Fellow in Kosovo. She holds a BA from Seattle University in Political Science and an MA from George Mason University in International Commerce and Policy.
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Brooke has worked in Operations and Finance for over a decade, her expertise extending to both startups and nonprofits. She helped establish the operational framework for organizations like Upworthy, Accelerate Change, Physicians for a National Health Program, 1P Research Foundation, and Harness. She obtained her Master’s in Nonprofit Management & Leadership and her B.A. in Communications, both from the University of Wisconsin system, as well as certifications in both Grant Proposal Writing and Nonprofit Accounting.
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Caroline is a passionate events producer with experience in shaping events and campaigns to connect people to social justice issues. She is Scottish-born and New York–based, having previously lived and worked in India, South Africa, and the UK. Prior to One for Democracy, she worked for nonprofits such as Global Citizen, where she produced advocacy driven music festivals across the world, and most recently, Galaxy Gives where she led strategic events on criminal justice reform.
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McKenzie has extensive experience in philanthropy, portfolio and project management, strategic planning, non-profit management, and development with domestic and global constituents in the private and non-profit sectors. She has managed over $200 million in grants impacting over 100 million people globally. McKenzie received her B.A. in International Relations and French Studies from Dartmouth College and M.P.H. and certificate in Child, Youth, and Family Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
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Liz is an experienced nonprofit professional who is passionate about making positive social change by leveraging systems and technology. She has worked with organizations to advocate for issues such as retirement security, humanizing media portrayals of immigrants, universal single-payer healthcare, and including storytelling in schools and communities. Liz graduated from UCSD summa cum laude with BAs in Psychology and Theatre, and is a San Diego Continuing Ed certified website developer.
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Sheretta is a mission-driven change agent with extensive experience in program management, executive support, and operations success for leading organizations. Her experience as a K-12 educator and a higher education administrator add to the diversity of her skillset. Sheretta is deeply dedicated to improving the lives of underserved and underrepresented populations through community service. She earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Houston and an MA in Higher Education Administration from Sam Houston State University.
Thank you for your interest in One for Democracy. Contact us at hello@onefordemocracy.org.
(Please note that One for Democracy does not currently accept unsolicited funding requests.)