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American Democracy

The foundation seeks to advance and promote public understanding and appreciation for the United States of America and for animating the principles and values of American democracy. To encourage understanding of the unique nature of the American democracy, possible philanthropic engagement can include gifts to museums; educational programs for children; awards and scholarships to institutions and schools that have made significant contributions in American history, political science or cultural diplomacy; and underwriting the cost of convening thought leaders who shape policy. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. For more information about the foundation’s grant-making process, visit Grant Guidelines.

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  • 2017 American Democracy Grantees
  • 2016 American Democracy Grantees
  • 2015 American Democracy Grantees

2018 American Democracy Grantees

Martha's Table logo

For over 37 years, Martha’s Table has worked to support stronger children, stronger families, and stronger communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family supports. Every child deserves the opportunity for their brightest future, and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success.

Visit marthastable.org

Meridian International Center logo

Meridian International Center is a premier nonprofit, global leadership organization headquartered in Washington, DC.  Building on more than 55 years of experience, Meridian prepares U.S. and international leaders to meet global challenges and opportunities. Meridian’s programs delivers the approach and environment for leaders to understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions, and build valuable relationships.

Visit meridian.org

National Archives Foundation logo

The National Archives Foundation is an independent nonprofit that increases public awareness of the National Archives, inspires a deeper appreciation of our country’s heritage, and encourages citizen engagement in our democracy.

As the National Archives’ nonprofit partner, the Foundation generates financial and creative support for National Archives exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives, introducing America’s records to people around the U.S. and the world.

Visit the National Archives Foundation

national constitution center logo

The National Constitution Center is the first and only institution in America established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.” The Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life by hosting interactive exhibits and constitutional conversations and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition.

Visit National Constitution Center

Trust for the National Mall logo

The National Mall is one of the most iconic and meaningful places in the world and a reminder of America’s complex and storied history. The Trust for the National Mall stewards private support to design and deliver modern and resilient solutions that will transform the visitor experience and preserve the historic legacy of the National Mall.

Visit the Trust for the National Mall

2017 American Democracy Grantees

icivics

iCivics exists to engage students in meaningful civic learning. We provide civics teachers well-written, inventive, and free resources that enhance their practice and inspire their classrooms. Our mission is to ensure every student receives a high-quality civic education, and becomes engaged in – and beyond – the classroom.

Visit iCivics

Martha's Table logo

For over 37 years, Martha’s Table has worked to support stronger children, stronger families, and stronger communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family supports. Every child deserves the opportunity for their brightest future, and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success.

Visit marthastable.org

Meridian International Center logo

Meridian International Center is a premier nonprofit, global leadership organization headquartered in Washington, DC.  Building on more than 55 years of experience, Meridian prepares U.S. and international leaders to meet global challenges and opportunities. Meridian’s programs delivers the approach and environment for leaders to understand global issues and cultures, exchange ideas, collaborate on solutions, and build valuable relationships.

Visit meridian.org

national constitution center logo

The National Constitution Center is the first and only institution in America established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.” The Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life by hosting interactive exhibits and constitutional conversations and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition.

Visit National Constitution Center

Venture Philanthropy Partners

Venture Philanthropy Partners is a philanthropic organization based in the DC metro area that was founded in 2000 to invest in high-performing nonprofits in Greater Washington, D.C. Since then, it has made over $50 million in direct investments in nonprofits serving children and youth. VPP provides technical support along with its grants. It makes investments in three areas: Early Childhood, Education, and Youth Transitions. Since its inception, VPP has invested in organizations that have offered service to some 40,000 children and youth around the National Capital Region.

Visit Venture Philanthropy Partners

WAMU American University Radio logo

WAMU 88.5 is the leading public radio station for NPR news and information in the greater Washington D.C. area. WAMU is member-supported, professionally-staffed, and licensed to American University. Since 1961, WAMU 88.5 has provided programming to an audience of listeners that now totals almost 1 million listeners on-air, online, and on demand.

Visit WAMU

2016 American Democracy Grantees

icivics

iCivics exists to engage students in meaningful civic learning. We provide civics teachers well-written, inventive, and free resources that enhance their practice and inspire their classrooms. Our mission is to ensure every student receives a high-quality civic education, and becomes engaged in – and beyond – the classroom.

Visit iCivics

Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project logo

The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project is a nationally recognized law related education program that promotes democratic engagement, constitutional literacy, and legal advocacy by placing talented upper lever law students in high schools to teach yearlong courses in constitutional law and oral advocacy.

The Project supports law students in developing foundational lawyering and professionalism skills by giving them the tools they need to address the well-documented constitutional illiteracy and civic disengagement of America’s high school students. Fellows use inquiry-based educational methods to support their high school students in developing 21st Century skillsets if creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Visit The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project

Martha's Table logo

For over 37 years, Martha’s Table has worked to support stronger children, stronger families, and stronger communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family supports. Every child deserves the opportunity for their brightest future, and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success.

Visit marthastable.org

national constitution center logo

The National Constitution Center is the first and only institution in America established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a non-partisan basis in order to increase the awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.” The Constitution Center brings the United States Constitution to life by hosting interactive exhibits and constitutional conversations and inspires active citizenship by celebrating the American constitutional tradition.

Visit National Constitution Center

Sasha Bruce Youthwork logo

The mission of Sasha Bruce Youthwork is to improve the lives of runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected at-risk youth and their families in the Washington area. We achieve this by providing shelter, counseling, life skills training and positive youth development activities to approximately 1,500 youth and 5,000 family members each year.

Serving a community where systems are broken, and young people and their families are struggling to overcome obstacles, SBY uses proven youth development practices to help youth find new ways of surviving, thriving, and realizing success. Now with over 40 years of experience meeting the needs of DC’s youth and families, with innovative programming and dedicated staff, Sasha Bruce Youthwork is always willing to listen, and always ready to help.

Visit Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Trust for the National Mall logo

The Trust for the National Mall is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to improving, preserving, and restoring the National Mall. The Trust for the National Mall stewards private support to design and deliver modern and resilient solutions that will transform the visitor experience and preserve the historic legacy of the National Mall.

Visit The Trust for the National Mall

The Urban Alliance logo

Urban Alliance is a youth development organization that provides young people with the professional skills training and work experience needed to succeed in tomorrow’s labor market. By providing Urban Alliance youth with early, meaningful work, our DC business partners are helping to strengthen the school-to-work pipeline and prepare the next generation of leaders.

For the past 20 years, Urban Alliance has partnered with businesses throughout the District to connect more than 2,000 high school students to paid, professional internships, and provided career-readiness training to an additional 14,000 students through community workshops. Currently, the DC program works with over 90 businesses to serve students from 20 high schools throughout the city.

Visit Urban Alliance

2015 American Democracy Grantees

icivics

iCivics exists to engage students in meaningful civic learning. We provide civics teachers well-written, inventive, and free resources that enhance their practice and inspire their classrooms. Our mission is to ensure every student receives a high-quality civic education, and becomes engaged in – and beyond – the classroom.

Visit iCivics

Inner City Inner Child logo

For over two decades, Inner City-Inner Child, the arts education/literacy program of the historic Dumbarton Concerts, has provided quality arts integration and early childhood development programs to low-income, community-based early childhood centers throughout Washington, D.C.  Dumbarton Concerts began community outreach in 1987 with a program called Live Music Now!, an initiative to bring music out of the concert hall and into isolated neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. Through this work, we discovered that young children had the greatest unmet needs in our community.  In response, Inner City-Inner Child was created in 1994 to reach the District’s neediest children. ICIC programs work to create an environment that supports school readiness for the neediest preschool children in our Nation’s Capital by introducing teachers and children to the power of integrating the arts with academics.  By helping centers become accredited, and stay accredited by the National Association for the Accreditation Education of Young Children (NAEYC), ICIC improves the quality of early childhood education in DC.

Visit Inner City-Inner Child

The Kojo Nnamdi Show logo

The Kojo Nnamdi Show airs Monday through Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. (ET) on WAMU 88.5, the NPR member-station in Washington, D.C. The live magazine program highlights news, political issues and social trends of the day and includes listener’s calls, emails and tweets.

A longtime D.C. resident, Kojo Nnamdi is a native of Guyana who brings a global perspective and vast knowledge of the region to front page headlines and explores emerging stories before they are news. “Maybe the best interviewer in town,” according to The Washington Post, Kojo has an inviting on-air style that encourages guests and callers to discover new points of view, embrace controversy and spark new ideas. Everyone has a chance to be part of the conversation, and listeners are invited to participate in the show.

Visit The Kojo Nnamdi Show

Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project logo

The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project is a nationally recognized law related education program that promotes democratic engagement, constitutional literacy, and legal advocacy by placing talented upper lever law students in high schools to teach yearlong courses in constitutional law and oral advocacy.

The Project supports law students in developing foundational lawyering and professionalism skills by giving them the tools they need to address the well-documented constitutional illiteracy and civic disengagement of America’s high school students. Fellows use inquiry-based educational methods to support their high school students in developing 21st Century skillsets if creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Visit The Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project

Martha's Table logo

For over 37 years, Martha’s Table has worked to support stronger children, stronger families, and stronger communities by increasing access to quality education programs, healthy food, and family supports. Every child deserves the opportunity for their brightest future, and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success.

Visit marthastable.org

Sasha Bruce Youthwork logo

The mission of Sasha Bruce Youthwork is to improve the lives of runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected at-risk youth and their families in the Washington area. We achieve this by providing shelter, counseling, life skills training and positive youth development activities to approximately 1,500 youth and 5,000 family members each year.

Serving a community where systems are broken, and young people and their families are struggling to overcome obstacles, SBY uses proven youth development practices to help youth find new ways of surviving, thriving, and realizing success. Now with over 40 years of experience meeting the needs of DC’s youth and families, with innovative programming and dedicated staff, Sasha Bruce Youthwork is always willing to listen, and always ready to help.

Visit Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Trust for the National Mall logo

The Trust for the National Mall is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service dedicated to improving, preserving, and restoring the National Mall. The Trust for the National Mall stewards private support to design and deliver modern and resilient solutions that will transform the visitor experience and preserve the historic legacy of the National Mall.

Visit The Trust for the National Mall

The Urban Alliance logo

Urban Alliance is a youth development organization that provides young people with the professional skills training and work experience needed to succeed in tomorrow’s labor market. By providing Urban Alliance youth with early, meaningful work, our DC business partners are helping to strengthen the school-to-work pipeline and prepare the next generation of leaders.

For the past 20 years, Urban Alliance has partnered with businesses throughout the District to connect more than 2,000 high school students to paid, professional internships, and provided career-readiness training to an additional 14,000 students through community workshops. Currently, the DC program works with over 90 businesses to serve students from 20 high schools throughout the city.

Visit Urban Alliance

WAMU American University Radio logo

WAMU 88.5 is the leading public radio station for NPR news and information in the greater Washington D.C. area. WAMU is member-supported, professionally-staffed, and licensed to American University. Since 1961, WAMU 88.5 has provided programming to an audience of listeners that now totals almost 1 million listeners on-air, online, and on demand.

Visit WAMU

About the Foundation

  • From the Executive Director
  • Mission Statement
  • Board of Directors
  • Guiding Principles
  • Our History

What We Fund

  • Grant Guidelines
  • American Democracy
  • Arts & Culture
  • Jewish Causes

Contact Us

Bernstein Family Foundation
3299 K Street, NW Suite 700
Washington, DC 20007
info@bffdc.org
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