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Grants
A Proven Track Record
 The Grants Program is the heart of the
Endowment’s work. Since 1984, NED has
made thousands of grants to nongovernmental
groups in more than a hundred countries. NED
is proud that it has supported activists involved
in nearly every democratic transition of the
past two decades. NED grantees played critical
roles in the transitions to democracy in Poland,
Chile and South Africa more than a decade
ago, and more recently NED grantees were
influential actors in breakthrough elections in
Nigeria, the Balkans and Mexico, to name but a
few examples.
A Flexible Approach:
NED’s flexible and
efficient grants program assists democratic
activists in diverse situations:
In closed societies:
Just as NED was able
to provide critical support to dissidents in
Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union before
the collapse of communism, today it supports
those working for human rights and democratic
goals in such countries as Burma,
China, Cuba, Iraq and North Korea. NED
works with both indigenous groups and
organizations in exile to create both internal
and external pressures for liberalization.
NED’s long-term, flexible approach takes
advantage of any realistic opportunity to
advance democratic ideals, defend human
rights, and encourage the development of
civil society.
In semi-authoritarian countries:
NED remains engaged in countries like Russia,
Ukraine, Kenya, Venezuela and Egypt where
democratic progress has stalled or been
reversed. Using its multisectoral approach,
NED can address comprehensively the many
and diverse shortcomings of democratic
development in semi-authoritarian states.
These include the need for electoral reform,
market reform, the rule of law, political party
development, independent media, free trade
unions, the general development of civil society,
and the defense of human rights.
In new democracies:
In many countries
where democratic institutions have been
established only recently and are still very
weak, there is broad support within and outside
the government in favor of deepening
democratic consolidation. In such emerging
democracies as Thailand, Mexico, Bulgaria,
Ghana and Bangladesh, democracy cannot be
taken for granted and back-sliding is an everpresent
possibility. NED programs focus on
making governments more accountable and
transparent; supporting innovative solutions
to problems of consolidation; increasing
broad-based participation in the political
process; and strengthening the capacity and
transparency of political parties.
In war-torn or failed states:
NED continues
to emphasize programs that build a culture
of peace as a necessary foundation for
democratic development in countries like
Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of
Congo, and Afghanistan that lack virtually any
institutions of governance, and where society
remains deeply divided, often along ethnic or
religious lines. NED provides critically needed
support to defend human rights, educate
about democracy and provide training in conflict
resolution. The objective of these programs
is to support enclaves of democratic
values that can become centers of grassroots
pressure for peace and reconciliation.
The Grant-Making Process
The Endowment is governed by an independent,
bipartisan board of directors. With
an annual congressional appropriation, it
makes hundreds of grants each year to support
prodemocracy groups in six regions:
Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe,
Latin America, the Middle East and the New
Independent States of the former Soviet
Union. The Endowment supports projects
that promote political and economic freedom
and participation, a strong civil society,
independent media, human rights, and the
rule of law.
 Programs in the areas of labor, business, and
political party development are funded
through the four core grantees (described in the Overview).
Programs in other areas of work are
funded largely through grants to hundreds of
indigenous grassroots organizations.
Funding decisions are made on a quarterly
basis by the NED Board. In addition to evaluating
how a program fits within the Endowment’s
overall priorities, the Board considers factors
such as the urgency of a program, its relevance
to specific needs and conditions in a particular
country, and the democratic commitment and
experience of the applicant.
In addition to setting long-term strategic goals,
the Board develops an annual program plan and
oversees evaluations that provide valuable lessons
to guide NED’s future work.
For more information about applying for a
grant, visit the NED Web site at www.ned.org.
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