Funding search · EIN 521344831 · Washington, DC

National Endowment for Democracy

Name: National Endowment for Democracy grants, 2021–2023
Creator: PaperOrbit
License: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-public-disclosure-and-availability-requirements

A grantmaking public charity (files IRS Form 990, Schedule I). Charities like this often run real grant programs with application cycles.

248
grants reported: $441.5M
total given: 2021–2023
filing years: $130,027
median grant

Based on grants this organization reported to the IRS for tax years 2021–2023. This is what they filed, not a complete record of their giving, and recent years may be incomplete because filings lag.

What they fund

communication culture education democratic governance parties political pluralism

Funder website ↗Full IRS filings ↗How this is built Report an error

Funding pattern

What this funder pays for, at what size, and how to position adjacent work. Read from their filings, with every number checked against the record.

Where the money goes

Core institute grants to IRI, NDI, Solidarity Center, CIPE
Independent media and investigative journalism in closed societies
Human rights documentation and advocacy: China, Cuba, Iran, Tibet
Labor rights, business accountability, and private enterprise reform abroad
Digital freedom tools, censorship circumvention, and content localization
Legal defense and support for jailed activists, scholars, journalists

Typical grant

Median grant is about $130,000 and the middle half runs $62,000 to $231,000. Four core institutes (IRI, NDI, Solidarity Center/American Center for International Labor Solidarity, CIPE) each take $24 million to $39 million a year and absorb the overwhelming majority of the $441 million on file. Everything outside those four is a project grant under $1.3 million, and the same names recur annually: China Digital Times, Scholars at Risk, Freedom House, Center for Victims of Torture, Cuban Democratic Directorate.

Their words

Phrases from their own grant descriptions, worth speaking back to them.

“DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE & POLITICAL PARTIES”
“PLURALISM”
“EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION, & CULTURE”
“human rights”
“free”

Positioning adjacent work

Map your work to one of three named buckets: Pluralism, Democratic Governance, or Education, Communication, and Culture.
Ask $100,000 to $250,000 for a project. Anything above $1.3 million goes to the four core institutes.
Anchor to a specific closed society they already fund: China, Cuba, Iran, Tibet, Myanmar, Afghanistan.
Emphasize in-country partners and practical outputs like reporting, documentation, or circumvention tools over academic analysis.

Worth knowing: This is a congressionally funded grantmaker, not a private endowment, and roughly 95 percent of the dollars pass through four affiliated core institutes in Washington. The remaining pool is heavily concentrated in DC, New York, and the Miami Cuba-focused cluster, and repeat grantees hold most of it, so a first grant here usually starts small and builds.

Top recipients

Repeat recipients are the strongest signal of whether a funder has an open door or quietly re-funds the same organizations.

International Republican Institute3 grants · $106.4M
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs3 grants · $100.3M
American Center for International Labor Solidarity3 grants · $69.9M
Center for International Private Enterprise2 grants · $37.4M
Center for International Private Enterprise1 grant · $33.4M
Solidarity Center1 grant · $28.7M
Center for International Private Enterprise (Cipe)1 grant · $24.0M
China Digital Times3 grants · $3.3M
Freedom House3 grants · $2.4M
Scholars at Risk3 grants · $1.6M

Giving over time

$134.6M

2021

$156.5M

2022

$150.3M

2023

Grant history

The 100 largest of 248 grants.

$39.2M
International Republican Institute · Washington, DC · 2022
Democratic governance & political parties
$35.4M
International Republican Institute · Washington, DC · 2023
Democratic governance & political parties
$34.3M
American Center for International Labor Solidarity · Washington, DC · 2023
Pluralism
$34.1M
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture + democratic governance & political parties
$33.4M
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs · Washington, DC · 2022
Democratic governance & political parties
$33.4M
Center for International Private Enterprise · Washington, DC · 2023
Pluralism
$32.8M
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs · Washington, DC · 2023
Democratic governance & political parties
$31.8M
International Republican Institute · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture + democratic governance & political parties
$28.7M
Solidarity Center · Washington, DC · 2022
Pluralism
$28.4M
American Center for International Labor Solidarity · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture + pluralism
$27.6M
Center for International Private Enterprise · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture + pluralism
$24.0M
Center for International Private Enterprise (Cipe) · Washington, DC · 2022
Pluralism
$9.7M
Center for International Private Enterprise · Washington, DC · 2022
Pluralism
$7.3M
American Center for International Labor Solidarity · Washington, DC · 2022
Pluralism
$1.3M
Freedom House · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture + pluralism
$1.2M
China Digital Times · Berkeley, CA · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$1.1M
China Digital Times · Berkeley, CA · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$1.0M
China Digital Times · Berkeley, CA · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$790,500
Emg · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$770,000
Eye Media Group Llc · Virginia Beach, VA · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$758,562
Center for Victims of Torture · St Paul, MN · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$650,004
Directorio Democratico Cubano · Miami, FL · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$650,000
Cuban Democratic Directorate · Miami, FL · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$650,000
Cuban Democratic Directorate · Miami, FL · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$641,502
Freedom House · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture / pluralism
$585,084
Scholars at Risk · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$577,547
Scholars at Risk · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$545,508
Netfreedom Pioneers · Marina Del Rey, CA · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$534,835
International Institute On Race Equality and Human Rights · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$488,260
Pen American Center · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$466,235
Scholars at Risk · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$465,719
Freedom House · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$448,246
Eurasianet · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$425,876
Pomed · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$417,492
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$414,882
International Institute On Race Equality and Human Rights · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$412,599
International Institute On Race Equality and Huma · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$393,332
International Labor Rights Forum · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$390,415
Pomed · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$384,548
Netfreedom Pioneers · Marina Del Rey, CA · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$358,845
International Labor Rights Forum · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$348,660
Center for Victims of Torture · St Paul, MN · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$333,333
Ideas Beyond Borders · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$332,500
Emg · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$327,097
Un Mundo Sin Mordaza · College Station, TX · 2023
Democratic governance & political parties
$316,938
International Center for Journalists · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$296,667
International Labor Rights Forum · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$289,084
Cubalex · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$279,996
Uyghur Human Rights Project · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$273,333
Uyghur Human Rights Project · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$265,035
International Center for Journalists · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$259,518
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$256,411
International Consortium for Investigative Journalists · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$253,052
Japan Center for International Exchange · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$251,212
Japan Center for International Exchange · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$250,814
Grupo Internacional Para La Responsabilidad Social · Miami, FL · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$245,772
Grupo Internacional Para La Responsabilidad Social Corporativa En Cuba · Miami, FL · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$244,776
Eurasianet · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$243,163
Freedom Now · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$239,063
International Center for Journalists · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$237,105
Ideas Beyond Borders · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$235,161
International Coalition of Sites of Conscience · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$230,000
Grupo Internacional Para La Responsabilidad Social · Miami, FL · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$229,612
Etilaatroz Llc · Silver Spring, MD · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$220,000
Students for a Free Tibet · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$220,000
Freedom Now · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$215,565
Localization Lab · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$212,804
Association of the Bar of the City of New York Fund Inc Dba the Vance C · New York, NY · 2023
Democratic governance & political parties
$212,580
Japan Center for International Exchange · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$211,173
Disinformation Index · San Antonio, TX · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$209,659
Pen American Center · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$209,575
Robert F Kennedy Human Rights · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$202,500
Cambodia Media Project · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$201,310
Pen American Center · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$200,004
People Powered Global Hub for Participatory Democracy · Brooklyn, NY · 2023
Democratic governance & political parties
$200,000
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · Stanford, CA · 2022
Pluralism
$200,000
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$200,000
Women'S Learning Partnership for Rights Development · Bethesda, MD · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$198,892
Localization Lab · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$195,000
International Tibet Network · Vienna, VA · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$190,000
Campaign for Uyghurs Incorporated · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$190,000
Campaign for Uyghurs Incorporated · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$189,996
Campaign for Uyghurs Incorporated · Washington, DC · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$186,506
Cubalex · Memphis, TN · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$183,330
Localization Lab · New York, NY · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$182,555
Project Expedite Justice · Kailua Kona, HI · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$179,379
The Trustees of Princeton University · Princeton, NJ · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$176,667
Students for a Free Tibet · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$176,314
Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation for the Promotion · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$175,000
Robert F Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rig · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$174,548
International Tibet Network · Berkeley, CA · 2023
Education, communication, & culture
$173,333
Uyghur Human Rights Project · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$171,852
Cubalex · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$168,750
Pen American Center · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$167,917
Students for a Free Tibet · New York, NY · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$166,667
International Consortium for Investigative Journalists · Washington, DC · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$166,667
People Powered Global Hub for Participatory Democ · Brooklyn, NY · 2022
Pluralism
$166,667
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors · New York, NY · 2022
Education, communication, & culture
$166,667
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture
$165,123
Freedom Now · Washington, DC · 2021
Education, communication, & culture

View all 248 grants →

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Source: IRS Form 990, Schedule I, as filed by this organization. These are grants already paid. Grants paid directly to individuals are reported to the IRS only as totals, so they do not appear as named lines here.