Wealthy Donors Boost Democracy Giving Since 2021

Rich donors gave $266.5 million to democracy programs from 2021 through 2025, a growing share of their total philanthropy.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy

Wealthy Donors Boost Democracy Giving Since 2021

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Do you think wealthy donors should be giving more to protect democracy?

Wealthy donors gave $266.5 million to democracy programs from 2021 through 2025, according to a tally by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The figure represents 72 percent of the $369.2 million such donors have given to democracy programs since 2006.

Why it matters

Democracy giving remains a small slice of overall philanthropy by wealthy donors, who favor education and health care. The recent surge shows growing interest in funding civic and democratic institutions.

Across 18 gifts since 2006, rich donors have directed $369.2 million to democracy programs, with the largest single gift being $59 million to the University of Southern California. Gifts from 2021 through 2025 alone totaled $266.5 million.

The players

Leonard Schaeffer

Founder of the Wellpoint health insurance company and former head of the Health Care Financing Administration in the late 1970s, he is a professor of public policy at the University of Southern California.

University of Southern California

A private research university in Los Angeles that received the largest democracy gift of $59 million.

The details

Leonard Schaeffer, founder of the Wellpoint health insurance company, made the $59 million gift to the University of Southern California, where he is a professor of public policy. Programs affiliated with universities received the majority of democracy gifts from 2021 through 2025, and three gifts went to the ACLU, Interfaith America and New York Historical.

2006: The Chronicle begins tallying rich donors' democracy gifts.
2021 through 2025: Gifts totaling $266.5 million are made to democracy programs.

Market Landscape

Democracy programs remain a small fraction of the philanthropy wealthy donors direct toward education and health care, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy's tally of gifts since 2006. The rise since 2021 to 72 percent of cumulative democracy giving signals a shift in how a narrow group of donors allocates its largest gifts.

Nonprofits focused on civic engagement and democracy programs may see changes in the funding available from major donors in the coming years. Donors and organizations tracking philanthropy can use the Chronicle's gift tallies to gauge where large contributions are flowing.

The takeaway

Democracy giving is growing as a share of wealthy donors' philanthropy, though education and health care still attract most of their largest gifts. Following the Chronicle's gift tallies offers a clear view of how that balance is shifting.