Democracies are safer, more stable, and stronger allies. That’s why the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) matters—not only to those risking everything for freedom abroad, but to the security and values of the United States.
NED is a strategic, nonpartisan, and cost-effective pillar of American leadership. Founded with congressional support in 1983, it provides critical assistance to frontline partners advancing freedom in more than 90 countries—often in places where authoritarian regimes threaten U.S. interests and democratic values. NED helps reinforce democratic institutions, promote rule of law and economic freedom, and combat corruption. It operates independently, with strict oversight and a singular mission: to support freedom abroad.
In its Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recommends discontinuing funding for NED based on three claims. Below, we provide a factual response to each of these assertions.
Claim #1 (as stated in the FY26 budget proposal):
“Under the Biden Administration and at the start of the Russia/Ukraine war, the NED blocked public access to its grant details after having never provided disclosure in the manner required by Federal Law”
Reality: This claim is inaccurate. NED has fully complied with federal law and maintains robust transparency practices—while taking necessary precautions to protect grantees in high-risk environments.
- NED has remained compliant with all requirements at all times. NED has consistently adhered to its legal obligations by providing required disclosures to Congressional oversight bodies and the U.S. Department of State, and by including the required grant listings in its annual IRS 990 submission, in addition to responding promptly to Congressional oversight requests. NED routinely provides details related to its work to Congress. Allegations that NED violated federal disclosure laws are unfounded.
- In April 2025, NED updated its public grant listings through a newly enhanced disclosure framework. After a temporary pause to reassess risks, NED published a complete list of all active grants for Fiscal Year 2024 on its website. These listings reflect a strong commitment to transparency while incorporating best practices to protect grantee privacy and safety in dangerous environments. We do not publish personal identifying details for grantees’ protection.
- NED consistently demonstrates transparency through regular public disclosures. Each year, NED publishes a comprehensive annual report detailing its grantmaking, impact, and audited financial statements. In addition, NED maintains an active and accessible website where it shares timely information about its programs, events, publications, and grantee stories.
- This approach reflects a responsible commitment to transparency. NED briefs Members of Congress and staff regularly, facilitates grantee visits to Capitol Hill, and enables congressional delegations to meet local partners in the field. NED submits to Congress an extensive planning document each year and provides an annual report detailing how funds are spent. NED responds rapidly and comprehensively to Congressional investigative and oversight requests. Its leadership, staff experts, and grantees frequently brief Members of Congress and testify before Congressional committees. These efforts ensure that oversight remains strong.
- Transparency and accountability are foundational to NED’s mission. Established by Congress with a mandate to openly support democracy abroad, NED operates on the principle that such support should be both principled and visible. Where it could endanger lives, NED upholds a Duty of Care policy to protect the individuals and organizations that U.S. democracy assistance is intended to support.
- NED employs rigorous grant monitoring and compliance, financial accountability, and public transparency measures, including compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Claim #2 (as stated in the FY26 budget proposal):
“In March 2025, it was discovered that NED funded the Ukraine disinformation organization that doxed U.S. journalists called for prosecutions of allies of the President, and attacked the Vice President, Joe Kent, and others as ‘foreign propagandists of the Russian Federation.’”
Reality: This claim is false. NED has not funded such activities. The organization that appears to be indirectly referenced in this claim, Molfar, is not a NED partner.
Facts:
- Molfar is a private Ukrainian firm and has never received funding from NED.
- NED’s grantmaking in Ukraine advances democratic reform. In Ukraine, NED funds independent media to support freedom of expression and ensure access to credible information for citizens; organizations that promote democratic reforms, government accountability, and anti-corruption efforts; and human rights programs that document war crimes and other gross human rights abuses, including against children. NED supports groups in Ukraine working to promote democracy in their country, address urgent needs during wartime, and lay the groundwork for post-war recovery.
- NED supports brave individuals and organizations fighting for freedom in some of the world’s toughest places. Our grants uphold core democratic values—free speech, religious liberty, open government, and the rule of law. Whether exposing forced labor in China, helping women push back against Taliban repression, or supporting Ukrainians tracking wartime legislation, NED partners are on the frontlines of democracy. Active in over 90 countries, they shine a light on abuses, strengthen civic space, and advance efforts that align with American values and interests.
Claim #3 (as stated in the FY26 budget proposal):
“NED also funded the now-infamous Disinformation Index Foundation that targeted and blacklisted conservative media outlets like Federalist, Newsmax, TAC, the Blaze, NYP, etc.”
Reality: This claim is inaccurate and misleading. NED has never funded, supported, or authorized any work by the Disinformation Index Foundation or its UK-based affiliate, the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), that involved the United States or was directed at U.S. media outlets.
While NED did provide funding to GDI, that support was narrowly scoped and strictly limited to work analyzing foreign digital media ecosystems. At no point did NED fund or support the Disinformation Index Foundation.
As a matter of policy and mandate, NED funds only globally focused work and does not support any projects involving U.S. domestic media, politics, or speech. NED’s grants to GDI were narrowly scoped and strictly limited to analyzing foreign digital media ecosystems, including the impact of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) narratives.
After learning of GDI’s involvement in U.S.-focused activities, NED swiftly initiated an internal review, terminated the relationship, and recovered unspent funds. Not a single dollar from NED went towards GDI’s U.S.-focused projects. NED provided full and thorough briefings to Congressional oversight bodies about the nature of our support and the results of our review and termination decision. NED also undertook an internal review to strengthen safeguards as part of our due diligence and oversight procedures.
- Improved Vetting Processes: NED conducted a full review of active grants and implemented stricter protocols to prevent any risk of indirect impact on U.S. First Amendment rights and to ensure public funds would not support organizations that engaged in domestic political or partisan work.
- Sharpened Strategy: NED led a review of all work related to information and expression to ensure NED’s focus was on protecting free speech, challenging authoritarian censorship, and supporting independent media as key elements of country-specific strategies to support democracy.
- Clear Boundaries: NED does not and will not support work that aims to censor free speech, influence media in free media environments, de-platform or moderate content, or favor any particular ideology within the broad scope of democratic discourse.
NED’s Commitment to Free Speech
NED was founded on the belief that freedom of expression is essential to human dignity and democracy. Around the world, from China to Cuba, authoritarian regimes are working to suppress independent voices, promote propaganda, and control public discourse. NED exists to push back against these efforts—not to regulate speech in free societies.
NED supports independent organizations that challenge censorship, defend open discourse, and expand access to credible information in the world’s most repressive environments. Our grantees include investigative journalists, media innovators, and civic technologists working to give citizens the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions and hold power to account.
This work is grounded in democratic values—and bounded by clear principles. Our focus is on strengthening pluralistic, independent media—especially where freedom is under threat.
What We Do
- Break through authoritarian censorship: We support partners using innovative tools and technologies to help people in closed societies access independent news and analysis.
- Expose propaganda and repression: We fund projects that identify and explain how authoritarian governments distort information at home and abroad.
- Promote pluralism in repressive environments: We support the production and distribution of news content that reflects a diversity of democratic voices—especially where authoritarian regimes attempt to silence independent media and control public discourse. By expanding access to trusted, balanced information, we empower citizens to make their own decisions despite efforts to restrict what they can hear, read, or believe.
- Build resilient, sustainable media: We help independent outlets develop business models and content strategies that can withstand censorship and remain relevant to their audiences.
What We Don’t Do
- We do not censor free speech. We do not fund any project that seeks to restrict or suppress lawful expression, including political views protected under the First Amendment.
- We do not moderate or remove content through our grantmaking. We do not support initiatives that deplatform voices or promote content removal.
- We do not promote ideological agendas. Our focus is on advancing democratic principles—not favoring one political perspective over another.
Why Our Work Matters Now
In an era of rising authoritarianism, NED is not just a champion of democratic values—it is a strategic, cost-effective bulwark against repression. Around the world, autocrats are coordinating efforts to silence dissent, manipulate information, export surveillance technology, and reshape global norms. In this contest of ideas and influence, NED is America’s Foundation for Freedom.
- We counter authoritarian threats. From Havana to Hong Kong, Tehran to Minsk, NED supports those risking everything to speak freely, demand justice, and build accountable institutions. Our partners expose war crimes, document corruption, fight censorship, and expand the space for civic participation.
- We protect open discourse—without moderating it. NED does not support content moderation, deplatforming, or censorship. Instead, we help independent voices break through authoritarian firewalls, share uncensored information, and defend free expression in places where it’s under attack—not in open societies where it already thrives.
- We help build more prosperous societies. By supporting transparency, the rule of law, and accountable governance, NED enables environments where businesses can thrive and people can pursue opportunity. Countries with strong, democratic institutions are better able to attract investment, drive innovation, and deliver economic growth that benefits their citizens.
- We are people-driven, not top-down. NED works from the ground up. Our grantees are local reformers, civic innovators, and democratic entrepreneurs. We don’t impose programs—we invest in homegrown ideas with the power to challenge authoritarian elites and reshape societies.
- We are nonpartisan, transparent, and accountable. Created with Congress’ support in 1983, NED is governed by a bipartisan board and subject to rigorous oversight. We report regularly to Congress, undergo annual audits, and are committed to the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
- We deliver extraordinary impact at low cost. For less than the cost of a single F-35 fighter jet, NED supports over 1,900 projects in more than 90 countries—helping democracies take root, survive, and ultimately thrive.
NED turns America’s commitment to freedom into a strategic advantage by empowering courageous partners on the frontlines of the struggle for democracy. Through our grantees’ efforts, allies are strengthened, authoritarianism is resisted, and emerging threats are held at bay—advancing deeply-held American values and interests.
As authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea coordinate to weaken democracy and reshape global norms, NED grantees provide a vital counterweight—amplifying democratic voices, defending free institutions, and building resilient societies from the ground up. By advancing the rule of law, exposing corruption, promoting free enterprise, NED grantees help prevent the chaos that fuels terrorism, mass migration, and economic collapse.
Supporting NED means standing with people who are taking enormous risks to speak freely, worship openly, demand accountability, and shape their own futures. These are not just democratic goals—they are profoundly human ones. By standing with them, we help our grantees build a world where freedom and dignity prevail.
Learn more about how NED supports those defending democracy on the frontlines.
