Democracy Fund is a bipartisan foundation established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that the American people come first in our democracy.
Pierre Omidyar created Democracy Fund out of deep respect for the U.S. Constitution and our nation’s core democratic values. While no democracy is perfect, the American system has endured through times of severe stress and dramatic social change. This system has proven its value and continues to hold the promise of effective, representative governance. Today, technologies and innovations offer new opportunities for public engagement in a more vibrant democracy — even as serious challenges including hyper-partisanship, money in politics, and struggling media threaten the health of our political system.
We believe the best days of American democracy lie ahead. Bipartisan solutions can modernize our elections. Digital advances can help people engage in civic life. New incentives can encourage political leaders to find principled compromise and address our country’s greatest challenges.
Democracy Fund is a resource for those who want to strengthen our nation’s democracy. We invest in change makers whose ideas and energy can make a difference. We advocate for solutions that can bring lasting improvement to our political system. We build bridges that help people come together to serve the nation, moving us closer to the ideal of a government of, by, and for the people.
Institutional Representative: Elizabeth Ruedy, Director of Evaluation and Learning
Elizabeth Ruedy is the Director of Evaluation and Learning at the Democracy Fund, a bipartisan foundation working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people. As part of the Strategy, Impact, and Learning team, she oversees the organization’s ongoing efforts to design and implement evaluations that capture Democracy Fund’s impact, as well as provide greater insights into the political and civic systems in which the Democracy Fund works.
Prior to joining the Democracy Fund in 2017, Liz was the director of the Office of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at the International Republican Institute, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that advances democracy and human rights worldwide. At IRI, Liz oversaw an evaluation practice that emphasized the use of evidence to both assess and inform programs to support responsive political and government institutions, engaged citizens, and inclusive political and civic processes, with a focus on complexity-aware approaches and participatory methods. She has more than 15 years’ experience in democracy assistance in both program management and evaluation.
Liz has taught a graduate-level course on monitoring and evaluation for foreign assistance programs at the George Washington University since 2011. She holds a master’s degree in European and Eurasian Studies from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary.
Democracy Fund is a bipartisan foundation established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that the American people come first in our democracy. Pierre Omidyar created Democracy Fund out of deep respect for the U.S. Constitution and our nation’s core democratic values. While no democracy is perfect, the American system has endured through times of severe stress and dramatic social change. This system has proven its value and continues to hold the promise of effective, representative governance. Today, technologies and innovations offer new opportunities for public engagement in a more vibrant democracy — even as serious challenges…