ABOUT US

Democracy Fund invests in organizations working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. We work on things that make democracy work better.

At the heart of our vision for the future are three core commitments: fostering more effective governance in the United States, modernizing our election and campaign finance systems, and strengthening our media and the public square to help people understand and participate in the democratic process. To date, we have committed more than $100 million in support of a healthy democracy.

Out of deep respect for the U.S. Constitution and our nation’s core democratic values, eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar founded Democracy Fund.  Incubated in the Omidyar Network, the Democracy Fund launched as an independent foundation in 2014 and is based in Washington, D.C. 

Learn more about Democracy Fund and our sister 501(c)(4) organization Democracy Fund Voice by visiting www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org. 

POSITION SUMMARY

Democracy Fund’s Elections Program team supports people and organizations working to strengthen elections, improve integrity and public trust in the electoral system, and reduce the dependency of our leaders on special financial interests.

We are seeking a Program Associate to support projects that advance voting reform policy and build an innovative election administration community. The Program Associate’s responsibilities will include grantmaking, project management, and expanding the functionality and reach of  electionline.org – the nation’s only nonpartisan, non-advocacy clearinghouse for election administration news and information.

We are looking for applicants who possess an entrepreneurial spirit, an appreciation for systems thinking, and are passionate about making our democracy and elections work better. The ideal candidate will possess an understanding of elections administration and bring several years of experience related to election policy or administration, government, civic technology, or another field of public service. The successful candidate will also have strong writing and communication skills, with demonstrated success collaborating in a complex, fast-paced environment. As an organization that works with people, grantees and institutions across the political spectrum, the willingness and ability to work well across the aisle is essential.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

GRANTMAKING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Identify, develop, and evaluate grantmaking opportunities in two tracks of work: Pro-Voter Reform and Voter-Centric Election Administration. Ensure that grant investments are aligned with our strategy and budget.
• Manage operations and administrative processes associated with making grants, including communications with potential grantees, proposal materials, organizational documentation, grant agreements, and reporting requirements.
• Provide support to, and oversight of, grantees to help ensure their success, with a particular focus on relationship-building and capacity-building. Lead check-ins and support grantee meetings or convenings.
• Facilitate increased dialogue and collaboration in the field by working with Democracy Fund staff to convene grantees, election officials, academics, advocates, political leaders, and others. Manage relationships, communication, and logistics associated with events.
• Support the development and evolution of the Election Program strategy.
• Share our learning with the field and establish Democracy Fund brand through research, writing, and public speaking.
• Promote effective communications around goals, priorities and grantee efforts.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Assist the electionline.org site editor with producing original content, and work with the Elections Program team to identify information for the publication pipeline. Compile, categorize, and code resources for election officials and publish them on electionline.org.
• Manage electionline.org consultants to improve website functionality and design, particularly the collection of data, reports, and resources. Utilize data to conduct ongoing analysis of user engagement with an eye toward innovation.
• Educate the election official network, nonprofit leaders, and other relevant audiences on electionline.org’s resources, and help design strategies to engage election officials and increase the site’s audience.
• Assist with managing other Election Program special projects in the areas of voting rights, voter protection, and state advocacy capacity-building.

TEAM MEMBER

• Contribute to a team culture that values collaboration, positivity, and transparency and that drives impact through continuous improvement and learning.
• Partner with colleagues on supportive and complementary approaches that advance Democracy Fund’s overall mission and goals, and cultivate an organizational culture that is highly collaborative, positive, and productive.
• Work innovatively to not only solve problems for your individual projects but generate ideas to help advance the work of a small, highly collaborative team.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS 

• Deep passion for strengthening American democracy and supporting a voter-centric election system.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• 4-6 years of experience working in project management, communications, or public service with an emphasis on writing, preferably with a focus on elections.
• Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written) required.
• Familiarity with publishing on WordPress is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Previous grantmaking experience is valued but not necessary. Candidate should be able to analyze and assess organizations and their contributions to the elections field.
• Professional maturity with demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment.
• Exceptional time management and organization skills to meet competing deadlines, with an attention to detail to deliver high quality results.
• Success in developing and maintaining institutional, political, and personal relationships.
• Ability to travel periodically for project work.
• Flexibility and initiative to work both independently and as part of a team.
• This role is based in Washington, D.C.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume. No calls please.

Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking voices and expertise from people from across the political spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democracy Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.