About Us
Founded in 2000, The Democracy Council of California (DCC), a nonprofit (501c3 tax-exempt) international development organization, is dedicated to the belief that human rights, public participation, equal opportunity, rule of law, and the free exchange of information are fundamental elements of peaceful societies. A leading implementer for the U.S. Department of State, DCC has safely and successfully carried out over $130 million in grant-funded programming promoting rights, participatory governance, independent media, the rule of law, equal opportunity, peacebuilding, and combatting disinformation and extremism. DCC is known for its core competency of teaming with local activists to affect positive change, amplifying the voice of the repressed and helping to hold governments accountable, particularly inside closed and dynamic societies, such as Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Syria, Timor Leste, and WB/Gaza.
Donors
As a stream-lined nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, the Council relies on grants and charitable donations. Our sponsors include government offices and foundations such as*:
Alliance for Rights of All Minorities
Jewish Community Foundation
Arcus Foundation
Joseph and Helene Sherwood Trust
Balatarin
Lawyers without Borders
Bay & Paul Foundations
Middle East Partnership Initiative, U.S. Department of State
Bernstein Family Foundation
Monterey Fund
Bosana Foundation
Moxie Foundation
Brown Stone Charitable Foundation
Mustaqbal Foundation
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affair, U.S. Department of State
Palestine Investment Fund
Bureau of Near East Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Palestinian Monetary Authority
Canada Public Works
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Charles Engelhard Foundation
Primary Source
Community Visualization Counsel
Prince Family Trust
Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Canada
Proyecto Vos
Development Alternatives, Inc.
Psiphon
Fabrangen Cheder Tzedakah Committee
Riverside Church
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Russel Berrie Foundation
Global Affairs Canada
Salter Family Charitable Foundation
Global Engagement Center, U.S. Department of State
Small Media
Global Giving
Standard & Poor's
Hauptman Family Philanthropies
Syrian – American Counsel
Hertog Foundation
Tamil Refugee Organization of California
Husseini and Husseini
Tides Foundation
Idea Asylum Productions
U.S. Agency For International Development
International Business Accelerator
U.S. Department of Defense
Internews Network
United States Agency for International Development
Iran Wire
University of California at Los Angeles
Irmas Foundation
Vanguard Charitable
Irving Harris Foundation
Walid Foundation
Jesuit Community at LMU
Webster Book Iolta Trust
Jewish Communal Fund
Woven
* The Democracy Council respects the rights of many of our supporters to remain anonymous.
What We Do
Our approach is based on working hand in hand with local stakeholders to identify problematic systems and collaboratively implement practical solutions that have a positive, measurable impact on people’s lives. Our work is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the belief that a vibrant civil society and accountable public administration remain fundamental tenets of democratic societies. Democracy Council has a proven track record of safely implementing practical impact-driven programming based upon best practices defending and promoting the rights, liberties, and quality of life in the most demanding areas of the world.
