JPB President’s Letter: Gratitude for Democracy’s Grassroots Defenders

Good morning,

This email is landing in your inbox on the eve of a profoundly consequential election for our country. Many of you are sitting with a mix of deep emotions. I am too, and one of the most powerful feelings is gratitude.

During most election seasons over the last three decades, I’ve spent time knocking on doors in low-income communities and communities of color — listening to the concerns and hopes of everyday people and making the connection to the importance of voting. This year was no different, as I spent time in working-class neighborhoods in greater Philadelphia over the weekend.

My experiences have engendered profound love and respect for the organizations and grassroots leaders who do the real work of democracy by having authentic conversations and engaging with neighbors face-to-face, often across lines of difference — both year-round and at election time. Organizing is less glamorous than rallies featuring candidates and celebrities, and receives far less funding than transactional tactics like paid advertising. But it is the work that matters and leads to lasting change.

I want to express my profound gratitude to our grantees and everyone who has stepped up for their hard work helping to make sure that everyone, especially those historically excluded, can have their voices heard. In times of heightened tension and attacks on democratic processes and norms, this work has sadly gotten much harder — but it is also more important than ever.

A colleague once remarked to me that it is often people with the least who take the greatest risks in the defense of fundamental rights, while many powerful people hide and duck out of fear of being targeted. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, challenged the timid in an important piece that calls on leaders of civil society to show courage. Too many have not yet taken up his challenge, but we can learn from the example of the many thousands who have.

To all the organizers and volunteer leaders on the frontlines: thank you from the bottom of my heart for your courage and your commitment to democracy and freedom. We honor you as the heroes you are.

At The JPB Foundation, we are working hard to support the groups and leaders who are doing this vital work. We’ve made close to $60 million in rapid response grants toward civic engagement and pro-democracy efforts, in addition to our already robust funding of democracy work. We are proud to support groups that are engaging people of color, low-income people, women, immigrants, young people, LGBTQ+ people, and other historically marginalized constituencies.

As my colleague Arianna Jimenez persuasively argued in Inside Philanthropylast week, our work is rooted in an understanding that democracy is not just about elections but, more broadly, requires building enduring power so that communities can advance their interests and protect their rights. We don’t know who will win the election — but we do know that, no matter what, we must stay in this work for the long term.

However the vote tallies turn out, the post-election period is likely to be volatile and may be dangerous. We can expect to see more mis- and dis-information, attempts to interfere with the counting of ballots and the certification of the election, and even political violence and attacks on civil society organizations, including grassroots groups on the frontlines. Our grantees and partners are working hard to identify and interrupt those threats to our democracy.

For our part, we commit to having their backs.

With deep gratitude,

Deepak Bhargava