What Democracy Forward does

Democracy Forward Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded in 2017 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization uses litigation, investigations, policy advocacy, and public education to challenge unlawful government actions and advance democratic institutions. Its core product is high-volume federal litigation: as of 2025, Democracy Forward had filed more than 150 lawsuits against the Trump-Vance administration, launched over 250 investigations, submitted more than 1,500 records requests, and secured nearly 100 positive court rulings. The organization is led by President and CEO Skye L. Perryman, JD, who was named to the 2025 TIME100 Most Influential People list.

The organization's service portfolio spans five core practice areas: Legal Actions (litigation against government overreach), Investigations (FOIA-driven research), Research & Reports (People's Guides, Impact Report), People & Communities (Dinners for Democracy, Together for Democracy conferences, Campus Ambassador Program), and Regulations & Advocacy. Specialized initiatives include the Federal Tort Claims Act Accountability Project, the Know Your Rights Hub, and the We Hold These Truths civic education campaign. Democracy Forward works through a coalition of over 400 partner organizations spanning civil rights groups, labor unions, immigration advocates, libraries, and public health associations, and maintains grassroots infrastructure with 2,000+ event hosts across all 50 states.

The business model is donation-driven: Democracy Forward Foundation accepts tax-deductible contributions via check, Donor-Advised Funds, Qualified Charitable Distributions, stocks/securities, cryptocurrency, and legacy giving, with a supplementary merchandise e-commerce storefront. All legal services are provided at no cost to clients. The technology stack is standard nonprofit operations tooling (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Paragon payments, AirTable, GCP, AWS); there is no proprietary AI/ML capability. Media outlets including The Atlantic, New York Times, HuffPost, and Politico have characterized the organization as the preeminent legal adversary to the current administration.

Name

Democracy Forward

Legal name

Democracy Forward Foundation

Website

https://democracyforward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Democracy Forward is a 501(c)(3) legal advocacy nonprofit that files high-volume federal litigation to challenge unlawful government actions, while providing free representation to a coalition of 400+ partner organizations and engaging donors across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Political Organizations (813940)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Legal advocacy services
• Civil rights litigation
• Government accountability
• FOIA investigations
• Democratic rights protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Democracy Forward Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Gifts are fully tax-deductible. Accepts donations via check, Donor-Advised Funds, Qualified Charitable Distributions, stocks/securities, cryptocurrency, and legacy giving through wills.
2. Merchandise Sales: Operates a webstore selling apparel (t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, socks, aprons), goods (mugs, stickers, yard signs, candles, flags, notebooks), books, and specialty items. Revenue supports organizational activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Democracy Forward is a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that uses litigation, investigations, policy research, public education, and community organizing to challenge unlawful government actions and protect democratic institutions. The organization files lawsuits in federal courts on behalf of nonprofits, civil rights groups, and labor unions; submits FOIA requests and investigations; publishes People's Guides and the annual Impact Report; runs the We Hold These Truths civic education campaign; and operates community programs including Together for Democracy conferences, Dinners for Democracy, and the Campus Ambassador Program.

Product overview

Democracy Forward is a legal advocacy organization that operates as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include litigation services (Legal Actions), investigations (Investigations), research publications (Research & Reports), community organizing (People & Communities), and regulatory advocacy (Regulations & Advocacy). Specialized initiatives include the Federal Tort Claims Act Accountability Project for federal misconduct litigation, the Know Your Rights Hub for public education, and the We Hold These Truths campaign for civic education. The organization also operates a merchandise webstore to support its mission. All programs work together to advance democracy and challenge unlawful government actions through legal, educational, and community-based approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Actions Democracy Forward's federal litigation practice that represents clients and partners in lawsuits against government overreach and unlawful executive actions. The organization files amicus briefs and represents stakeholders in federal courts across issues including immigration, voting rights, healthcare, education funding, civil service protections, and environmental policy.
• Investigations Research and investigative work to document and expose government activities, including Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and policy analysis. Submissions include 1,500+ detailed records demands across federal agencies.
• Research and Reports Publications including the annual Impact Report, People's Guides on topics such as the Supreme Court, Civil Service, and Project 2025, and policy research intended to educate the public and inform advocacy.
• Together for Democracy Conference Annual national conference bringing together advocates, scholars, policymakers, and community members to coordinate strategy, share research, and build collective power for democracy advocacy.
• Dinners for Democracy National community organizing program that equips supporters with toolkits to host local civic gatherings across all 50 states, building grassroots engagement and collective action.
• People and Communities Programs Community organizing portfolio including the Campus Ambassador Program, Coffees for Change small-group discussions, and the 250 Pledge campaign engaging supporters nationwide.
• Federal Tort Claims Act Accountability Project Coordinated initiative bringing together attorneys to pursue accountability against federal misconduct through FTCA claims, providing training, litigation guidance, and toolkit resources for participating lawyers.
• We Hold These Truths Civic education campaign and pledge initiative defending constitutional principles including personal freedoms, equality, democracy, rule of law, and separation of powers, anchored by the 250 Pledge campaign.
• Regulations and Advocacy Policy advocacy and regulatory engagement to influence government rulemaking and administrative processes through comments, petitions, and direct advocacy.
• Democracy Forward Webstore Online store selling branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, socks, aprons), goods (mugs, stickers, yard signs, candles, flags, notebooks), books, and specialty items, with revenue supporting the organization's work.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Common CausecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025Coalition partner in multiple lawsuits challenging government policies including the Anti-Weaponization Fund, representing millions of public employees and organizations affected by unlawful government actions.
• National Abortion FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025Partner in litigation challenging the Anti-Weaponization Fund and other government actions affecting reproductive rights organizations.
• Protect DemocracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led Civil Service Strong coalition opposing OPM's nondisclosure agreement proposal, working together on constitutional advocacy.
• AFSCMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in lawsuit challenging termination of public health grants, representing union members in affected states.
• Advocates for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClass action lawsuit on behalf of ICE detainees in Minnesota, representing detainees denied access to attorneys.
• National Parks Conservation AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaintiff in lawsuit challenging Interior Department removal of climate and history exhibits from national parks.
• American Association for State and Local HistoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in lawsuit over national park sign removals documenting climate threats and marginalized community history.
• American Library AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient in lawsuit protecting Institute of Museum and Library Services from dismantling, preserving funding for libraries nationwide.
• Al Otro LadocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in asylum rights litigation challenging Trump administration's metering policy at Supreme Court.
• American Immigration CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in immigration litigation including asylum rights and denaturalization challenges.
• Center for Constitutional RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in asylum and constitutional rights litigation.
• Center for Gender & Refugee StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in asylum rights litigation.
• Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Supreme Court litigation on asylum and constitutional rights.
• DC Preservation LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in litigation challenging toxic debris dumping and public course takeover at East Potomac Golf Links.
• American Federation of TeacherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in lawsuits protecting education funding and DEI programs in schools.
• Asylum Seeker Advocacy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Federal Tort Claims Act Accountability Project, collaborating on toolkit for attorneys.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in FTCA Accountability Project, collaborated on foundational family separation litigation.
• Civil Service StrongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition led by Democracy Forward with Protect Democracy opposing unlawful civil service policies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Protect Democracy: Nonpartisan legal advocacy organization challenging executive overreach; co-leads the Civil Service Strong coalition with Democracy Forward and pursues overlapping constitutional and civil-service cases.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Premier U.S. civil liberties legal organization running high-volume constitutional litigation; serves overlapping clients (e.g., voting rights cases with Democracy Forward) and competes for the same progressive donor base.
• Brennan Center for Justice: Nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU focused on democracy, voting rights, and rule of law—directly aligned with Democracy Forward's constitutional reform and voting docket.
• Center for Constitutional Rights: Progressive legal advocacy group pursuing impact litigation on civil liberties and immigration—named partner with Democracy Forward on asylum and constitutional rights cases.
• Public Citizen: Consumer and democracy advocacy organization with in-house litigation practice challenging executive and corporate overreach; closely comparable mission and federal court focus.
• Common Cause: Nonpartisan government accountability and voting rights organization; co-litigant with Democracy Forward on the Anti-Weaponization Fund lawsuit and other democracy-protection cases.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: National civil rights legal organization running voting rights and election protection litigation; partner with Democracy Forward on FTCA Accountability Project and adjacent civil rights matters.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large civil rights legal and advocacy organization combining impact litigation with public education—comparable scope, donor model, and litigation intensity.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Pioneering civil rights legal organization pursuing constitutional and voting rights litigation in federal courts—overlapping client base, donor pool, and Supreme Court practice with Democracy Forward.

Emerging players

• Earthjustice: Public interest environmental law organization running high-volume federal litigation against agency actions—similar operational model to Democracy Forward but focused on environmental statutes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DemocracyFwd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@democracyforward
• Facebookfacebook.com/DemocracyFwd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/democracyfwd
• Instagraminstagram.com/democracyforward
• TikToktiktok.com/@democracyfwd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Democracy Forward