About Media Democracy Fund

The Media Democracy Fund (MDF) is a collaborative grantmaking initiative that supports advocacy groups working to create a just media environment and democratic media policy. Founded on the belief that freedom of expression and access to information are basic human rights, the Fund grew out of research conducted by the Ford Foundation, the Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust and the Albert A. List Foundation on how to increase philanthropic investment in the area of media policy and reform. Initial seed money was provided by the Albert List Foundation. Other initiating foundations included the Arca Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, HKH Foundation, Open Society Institute, Otto Haas Charitable Trusts, Park Foundation, Quixote Foundation and individual donor Peter Kent. 

Since its launch in September, 2006, MDF has supported organizations working in the areas of digital inclusion, internet policy, media ownership diversification, protecting intellectual property and personal privacy, and preserving and promoting journalism and community media. Most MDF grantees work in many of these issue areas. Grants emphasize the importance of engaging a broad range of constituencies in shaping the communication policies that affect their lives, including Native Americans, Latinos, rural populations, immigrants, low income people, youth, and people of color and faith communities.

MDF offers funding partners and grantees a range of resources beyond the annual grantmaking pool. The Fund works closely with its grantees, making connections within the field and with other movements, providing technical assistance when necessary or appropriate and supporting a rapid response grantmaking function to respond to unanticipated opportunities or threats. MDF funding partners work together to develop strategy and themselves benefit from field tracking, an annual survey of philanthropic investment in the media field, and newly developed online resources to support their own direct grantmaking. 
 
MDF is an active member of Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media which offers a range of excellent resources for donors and grantees.