Election Funders Sound Alarm as 2026 Midterm Giving Falls Behind
March 31, 2026 · 2 min read
Granted Research Team · Editorial policy
With the 2026 midterm elections seven months away, philanthropic funding for election protection and voter education is moving dangerously slowly — and nonprofits on the front lines are feeling the squeeze.
"Money is moving extremely slow — slower than I have ever seen in an even-numbered year," Billy Wimsatt of Movement Voter Project told Inside Philanthropy. The warning comes as Democracy Fund research shows that 85 percent of funders surveyed in fall 2025 had no plan for their 2026 election-year giving.
The "All by April" Deadline Is Weeks Away
Democracy Fund is leading an "All by April" campaign — a nonpartisan push urging foundations to approve election-related 501(c)(3) grants before the end of April 2026. The initiative draws on lessons from 2024, when nearly 75 percent of organizations working on elections lacked necessary funding by April to plan effectively.
"Philanthropy needs to show grantees that we have their backs," said Joe Goldman, Democracy Fund president.
The MacArthur Foundation's recent $100 million commitment to democracy groups, including $10 million to the Campaign Legal Center, represents the largest public pledge. But beyond MacArthur, few major funders have announced specific dollar commitments with grantees attached.
Why Nonprofits Are Struggling
Delayed funding creates cascading problems for election-focused organizations: they cannot hire staff, plan operations, develop voter education materials, or build capacity for disinformation response. The Rural Democracy Initiative's Sarah Jaynes warned that civic engagement groups need "a big surge in giving this spring" after significant funding declines in 2025.
The gap is especially acute for grassroots organizations in rural and underserved areas that depend on foundation support to operate during election cycles.
What Grant Seekers Should Do
Nonprofits doing election-related work should apply to known democracy funders immediately and frame proposals around the April urgency. Organizations can track foundation giving patterns and open opportunities on grantedai.com.
For deeper analysis of philanthropic funding trends, visit the Granted blog.