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Guardian of Rights Fund at a glance

· Public charity

Guardian of Rights Fund

The purposes for which the corporation is organized and operated are to engage exclusively in such social welfare and educational activities as may qualify it for exemption from federal income tax under section 501(c)(4) of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended (hereinafter the "code").

$10M
Granted FY2025still arriving
11
Grants FY2025still arriving
5
States reached
$5.6M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2023 to 2025.

Public Benefit$22MPhilanthropy$875kCivil Rights$800kEducation$250kSocial Science$125k
02FY2025 · 11 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$500,000
Median grant
5
States reached
$26M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
DEMOCRACY DEFENSE PROJECT INC$5,600,000
FUTURE NOW ACTION$1,000,000
CENTER FOR SECURE AND MODERN ELECTIONS$750,000
NEW VENTURE FUND$500,000
RIGHTCOUNT INC$500,000
AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY$500,000
WESTERN FUTURES FUND INC$500,000
KEEP COUNTRY FIRST POLICY ACTION INC$250,000
JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY$250,000
THIRD WAY$250,000
FUND FOR STATES$250,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY23–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 80% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%America Leads Inc: $350k → 10%A BETTER BIG SKY: $150k → 9%One for Democracy Action Fund: $250k → 17%Future Now Action: $1.2M → 14%Governing Majority Education Fund: $250k → 13%PROMOTE THE VOTE: $50k → 16%Center for Civic and Tech Life: $250k → 14%DEMOCRACY DEFENSE PROJECT INC: $5.6M → 16%Resolute Republic: $250k → 6%More Perfect Union Action: $250k → 7%RIGHTCOUNT INC: $500k → 9%Western Futures Fund Inc: $900k → 10%JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: $250k → 19%Conservation Leadership Network Inc: $150k → 10%FUTURE NOW ACTION: $1.0M → 14%CENTER FOR CIVIC AND TECH LIFE: $250k → 14%Democracy Defense Project Inc: $3.5M → 16%American Unity Fund Inc: $300k → 6%AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY: $500k → 7%RightCount Inc: $500k → 9%WESTERN FUTURES FUND INC: $500k → 10%EVERY ELIGIBLE AMERICAN: $500k → 14%Way Back PAC: $250k → 10%FUND FOR STATES: $250k → 14%FUTURE NOW ACTION: $200k → 14%Defending Democracy Together Institute: $1.0M → 14%CENTER FOR SECURE AND MODERN ELECTIONS: $1.1M → 14%CENTER FOR SECURE AND MODERN ELECTIONS: $750k → 14%NEW VENTURE FUND: $500k → 14%States United Action Inc: $400k → 14%New Venture Fund: $375k → 14%THIRD WAY: $250k → 14%UNITED TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY: $250k → 14%American Enterprise Institute: $125k → 14%United to Protect Democracy: $200k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

MT
IL
MI
NY
WY
NJ
VA
MD
DE
DC
FL
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

72%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$16M · 7 repeat orgs$6.0M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +39% since the first grant, against 0% for those funded once.

7 repeat relationships: 4 still active in FY2025, 3 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

7
15

Total granted

$16M
$4.5M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+39%
0%

Still filing today

86%
87%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 84% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $1.5M went to new ones.

50%100%’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’23’24’25
Civil RightsPublic BenefitEducationCommunity ImprovementPhilanthropySocial ScienceOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • FN
    FUTURE NOW ACTION
    3× · 2023–2025 · $2.4M · revenue +18%
  • CF
    CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND CIVIC LIFE
    2× · 2023–2024 · $500k · revenue +51%
  • PD
    PROTECT DEMOCRACY UNITED
    2× · 2023–2024 · $450k · revenue +39%

Funded once

  • DD
    DEFENDING DEMOCRACY TOGETHER INSTITUTE
    one grant, 2024 · $1.0M · revenue 0%
  • EE
    EVERY ELIGIBLE AMERICAN
    one grant, 2023 · $500k · revenue -98%
  • SU
    STATES UNITED ACTION
    one grant, 2024 · $400k · revenue 0%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
States United Democracy Center Inc

States united democracy center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. we connect state and local officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across america with the tools and expertise…

Civil Rights
2
Defend Democracy Now

Conduct research and expose abuse of authority and power by government authorities and the deleterious effect such actions have on american democracy.

—
3
Democracyfirst

Democracyfirst is a 501(c)4 dedicated to restoring public trust in the electoral system, protecting free and fair elections, and renewing the pro-democracy consensus in american politics.

—
4
Secure Election Project Inc

To preserve and protect the sanctity of our vote by promoting commonsense, nonpartisan election security reforms that prevent hacking and fraud without restricting eligible citizens from accessing the polls.

Public Benefit
5
Democracy Forward Foundation

To protect the rights and institutions that make our nation's democracy strong by working through the legal system and administrative processes to preserve the rule of law and hold government accountable, and to educate the public about…

Crime & Legal
6
Advancing American Freedom Foundation Inc

Advancing american freedom foundation (aaff) educates the american people that freedom is the cornerstone of our republic, and that freedom must be fostered and protected against unjustified government encroachment. aaff informs the public…

Public Benefit
7
Independence Initiative Inc

Independence initiative is dedicated to advancing foundational american ideals such as democracy, individual rights, and equality under the law, and strives to empower individuals and organizations with innovative ideas and facilitate the…

Philanthropy
8
End Citizens United Let America Vote Action Fund

The mission is to end big money in politics and protect the right to vote. we will work to fix our rigged political system and elevate campaign finance and reform in the national conversation. we will work to overturn citizens united, end…

Civil Rights
9
Fair Democracy

Fair democracy works to ensure that the roots of american democracy are healthy with strong voting rights and access, an engaged and informed electorate, an open and accountable government and trusted messengers engaging americans in civil…

Civil Rights
10
Act for America

Advocacy concerning democratic values, national security and defense; lobbying of government officials in favor of policies that further the defense of the u.s. and its constitution; development of coalitions with other organizations to…

Civil Rights
11
Secure Democracy Usa

Secure Democracy USA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to build stronger elections, state by state.

Civil Rights
12
Advance Democracy Inc

Advance democracy, inc. is a non-partisan nonprofit that produces independent public-interest research and journalism to educate the public on important public matters. the organization conducts highly-technical, specialized research,…

International
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is States United Action; the most unlike its peers is Third Way. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

25 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 25 of the 28 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

2
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
25/25
Grantees still filing
9/25
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

DEMOCRACY DEFENSE PROJECT INC: $9,100,000 · OtherDEMOCRACY DEFENSE PROJECT INCRIGHTCOUNT ACTION INC: $1,000,000 · OtherRIGHTCOUNT ACTION INCKeep Country First Policy Action Inc: $750,000 · OtherKeep Country First Policy Action IncPROTECT DEMOCRACY UNITED: $450,000 · Other+8 more: $2,050,000 · Other+8 moreFUTURE NOW ACTION: $2,400,000 · Public BenefitFUTURE NOW ACTI…CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND CIVIC LIFE: $500,000 · Public BenefitCENTER FOR TECH…RUN FOR SOMETHING ACTION FUND: $250,000 · Public BenefitRUN FOR SOMETHI…FUND FOR STATES: $250,000 · Public BenefitFUND FOR STATESNEW VENTURE FUND: $2,750,000 · EnvironmentNEW VENTURE …EVERY ELIGIBLE AMERICAN: $500,000 · Civil RightsSTATES UNITED ACTION: $400,000 · Civil RightsKEEP COUNTRY FIRST POLICY ACTION INC: $250,000 · Civil RightsTHIRD WAY: $250,000 · Civil RightsPROMOTE THE VOTE FUND INC: $50,000 · Civil RightsWESTERN FUTURES FUND INC: $1,400,000 · PhilanthropyDEFENDING DEMOCRACY TOGETHER INSTITUTE: $1,000,000 · EducationJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: $250,000 · EducationAMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY: $500,000 · Community ImprovementA BETTER BIG SKY: $150,000 · Community ImprovementAMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH: $125,000 · Social Science
Other$13,350,000Public Benefit$3,400,000Environment$2,750,000Civil Rights$1,450,000Philanthropy$1,400,000Education$1,250,000Community Improvement$650,000Social Science$125,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetDEMOCRACY DEFENSE PROJECT INC: $9,100,000 over 2y, 99% of budgetNEW VENTURE FUND: $2,750,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetFUTURE NOW ACTION: $2,400,000 over 3y, 6.2% of budgetWESTERN FUTURES FUND INC: $1,400,000 over 2y, 10% of budgetRIGHTCOUNT ACTION INC: $1,000,000 over 2y, 46% of budgetDEFENDING DEMOCRACY TOGETHER INSTITUTE: $1,000,000 over 1y, 4.0% of budgetCENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND CIVIC LIFE: $500,000 over 2y, 2.4% of budgetEVERY ELIGIBLE AMERICAN: $500,000 over 1y, 5.3% of budgetPROTECT DEMOCRACY UNITED: $450,000 over 2y, 9.4% of budgetSTATES UNITED ACTION: $400,000 over 1y, 7.8% of budgetDOERS NETWORK INC: $350,000 over 1y, 4.3% of budgetAMERICAN UNITY FUND INC: $300,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetONE FOR DEMOCRACY ACTION FUND: $250,000 over 1y, 6.1% of budgetRUN FOR SOMETHING ACTION FUND: $250,000 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetJOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: $250,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGOVERNING MAJORITY EDUCATION FUND: $250,000 over 1y, 20% of budgetFUND FOR STATES: $250,000 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetA BETTER BIG SKY: $150,000 over 1y, 7.4% of budgetAMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH: $125,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPROMOTE THE VOTE FUND INC: $50,000 over 1y, 5.4% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Sixteen Thirty FundOur American Future A…Global Impact Social …Hopewell FundNorth FundNew Venture FundTides Foundation
Sixteen Thirty FundDC21.2× affinity8 shared granteesties to 6 of 6Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Sixteen Thirty Fund · Our American Future Action · Global Impact Social Welfare Fund · Hopewell Fund · North Fund · New Venture Fund · Tides Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Guardian of Rights Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Guardian of Rights Fund. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →median 12%
  • Johns Hopkins University: 12% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
2get no government money at all
1report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–20%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Guardian of Rights Fund?

Find your warmest path to Guardian of Rights Fund through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 28 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Guardian of Rights’ filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home