What Kettering Foundation does

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation founded in 1927 by inventor Charles F. Kettering. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with a secondary office in Washington, D.C., the foundation conducts original research, hosts convenings, and runs a portfolio of fellowship programs aimed at advancing inclusive democracy in the United States and globally. The foundation shifted from grant-making to direct operations in the late 1960s and re-centered its mission entirely on democracy in the 1980s; under President and CEO Sharon L. Davies (since 2022), it has widened its aperture to address contemporary threats from authoritarianism, disinformation, and polarization.

Its core programmatic products include The Context podcast (hosted by Alex Lovit and distributed through The Democracy Group network), The Stakes video series, the From Many, We blog, and the weekly News & Notes newsletter. The foundation operates a multi-tier fellowship architecture: Dayton Democracy Fellows, Research Fellows, Senior Fellows, the Charles F. Kettering Global Fellowship, the Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy, the David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award, and the Ruth Yellowhawk Fellowship. Research output includes the Democracy for All Project, a landmark annual national survey of 20,000+ U.S. adults conducted in partnership with Gallup, and participation in the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which convenes participants from 90+ countries annually.

The foundation is funded by its endowment and does not generate commercial revenue; it does not sell products or services. It is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Sherry Magill, with an executive team led by Davies, EVP/COO John R. Dedrick, CFO James Martin, CSO Tayo Clyburn, and Chief External Affairs Officer Brad Rourke. Headcount is approximately 50 across program, communications, operations, and administration. There is no disclosed AI/technology stack beyond standard content publishing and survey infrastructure, and no public APIs or integrations.

Name

Kettering Foundation

Legal name

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation

Website

https://kettering.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan operating foundation, founded in 1927 and headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, that conducts research, runs fellowships, and convenes global leaders to advance inclusive democracy in the United States and worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Democracy Research Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)

Keywords

• Democracy research
• Nonprofit operating foundation
• Civic engagement programs
• Democracy fellowships
• Deliberative democracy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment and Charitable Work: The Charles F. Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation engaged in research for the improvement of society. Founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering, it operates primarily through its endowment and charitable activities rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation that conducts original research and programming to advance inclusive democracy. It produces research (notably the Democracy for All Project with Gallup), develops content (podcasts, videos, blogs), and runs multiple fellowship programs that support scholars, practitioners, journalists, and changemakers working on democratic renewal.

Product overview

The Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit operating foundation focused on democracy research. The foundation offers a portfolio of programs including The Context (a podcast) and The Stakes (video series), along with multiple fellowship programs: Dayton Democracy Fellowship, Research Fellows, Senior Fellows, Charles F. Kettering Global Fellowship, Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy, David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award, and Ruth Yellowhawk Fellowship. The foundation also awards the Kettering Democracy Prize. Research initiatives include the Democracy for All Project conducted with Gallup. The foundation's work is organized around five focus areas: Defending Inclusive Democracy, Information for a Democratic Society, Democracy and Community, Democracy and the Arts, and Democracy around the Globe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Context A podcast about how to get democracy to work for everyone and why that is so hard to do. Hosted by Alex Lovit, featuring conversations with democracy scholars and practitioners.
• The Stakes A video series featuring conversations with democracy thinkers and practitioners on the threats and opportunities facing democracy.
• From Many, We Blog Series A blog series featuring insights from thought leaders dedicated to inclusive democracy.
• Dayton Democracy Fellowship A program supporting innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in the wider world.
• Research Fellows Program Engages leading scholars, practitioners, and public intellectuals who produce timely, high-impact research that informs and advances inclusive democracy.
• Senior Fellows Program Engages distinguished senior fellows representing the nation's leading democracy thinkers and practitioners, drawn from parties, the academy, government, civil society, business, and journalism.
• Charles F. Kettering Global Fellowship A six-month program designed to promote leadership in global civil society and to nurture and support those working to build inclusive democracies around the world.
• Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy Awarded to journalists and scholars from around the world whose work furthers the lifelong commitment to journalism in service and democracy.
• David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award Named for David Mathews, president and CEO from 1981 to 2022; awarded to recognize past civic achievements that advanced the role of citizens in democracy.
• Ruth Yellowhawk Fellowship Named for Ruth Yellowhawk, a community-centered radio journalist and storyteller who worked with the foundation from 1997 to 2010.
• Kettering Democracy Prize Honors and elevates the work of an individual or group that has gone beyond the ordinary to champion and defend inclusive democracy.
• Democracy for All Project A landmark national survey and research initiative conducted in partnership with Gallup exploring how Americans perceive and experience democracy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual survey of 20,000+ Americans on civic engagement through Gallup partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup conduct the annual Democracy for All Project, a landmark national survey exploring how Americans perceive and experience democracy. The partnership conducts annual surveys of more than 20,000 adults on civic engagement and democratic participation.
• Alliance of Democracies FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance of Democracies Foundation organizes the annual Copenhagen Democracy Summit. Kettering Foundation participates as a key partner, with President Sharon L. Davies featured on panels and hosting roundtable discussions. The summit focused on 'Building an Alliance of Democracies in a New World (dis)Order' and called for a 'Democracy 7' alliance.
• Freedom HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKettering President Sharon L. Davies participated in a panel with Freedom House CEO Jamie Fly at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on the future of democracy support.
• Axel Springer Freedom FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKettering participated in panel discussion with Antje Schippmann, cofounder and managing director of the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation at Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
• Taiwan Foundation for DemocracycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKettering participated in panel discussion with Yeh-Chung Lu, vice president of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy at Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
• International Peace Museum (Dayton)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDayton Democracy Fellow Alice Young-Basora serves as executive director of Dayton's International Peace Museum, the only peace museum in America, which aligns with Kettering's democracy and peacebuilding focus.
• The Democracy GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Context podcast is part of The Democracy Group, a podcast network focused on democracy topics. The Context participates in the network's annual convening.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: One of the world's largest private foundations with major programming on democratic governance, human rights, and civil society. A broad incumbent in the same thematic space, but at multi-billion-dollar scale and with a primarily grantmaking orientation.
• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations, with major programs on democratic participation, civic engagement, and governance reform. A broad incumbent that funds many of the same ecosystems Kettering works in, but at multi-billion-dollar scale.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: A global policy research and convening organization focused on international peace, democracy, and governance. Comparable as a senior-fellow-driven research and convening institution, but broader in scope (global policy) and longer-established.
• Atlantic Council: A Washington-based international affairs think tank working on democracy, security, and economic policy. Comparable as a convening and research institution in the democracy and governance space, with a more international-security lens.

Direct peers

• National Endowment for Democracy: A U.S. quasi-governmental foundation that funds and supports democratic institutions and civil society worldwide, including through four core institutes. Closely comparable to Kettering in mission (advancing inclusive democracy globally) and operating model (research, convening, grants), though at significantly greater scale.
• National Democratic Institute: A core institute of the National Endowment for Democracy that works with local leaders worldwide to strengthen democratic institutions and practices. Comparable as a peer in the democracy-support ecosystem with significant program reach across countries.
• Alliance of Democracies Foundation: The Copenhagen-based foundation that organizes the Copenhagen Democracy Summit — a flagship event where Kettering participates as a key partner. Directly comparable as a democracy-focused operating foundation that prioritizes global convening.
• Freedom House: A U.S.-based nonprofit that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights, including the flagship Freedom in the World report. Directly comparable as a Kettering partner and a peer democracy-focused research and advocacy organization.
• The Democracy Fund: An independent, nonpartisan foundation focused on repairing American democracy through investments in elections, media, and local governance. Closely mirrors Kettering's domestic civic-engagement focus and operating-foundation structure.

Regional players

• Taiwan Foundation for Democracy: An Asia-based foundation that supports democracy and human rights research and programming in the region. Comparable as a peer organization (Kettering has participated alongside it at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit), but with a primarily Asia-Pacific geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KetteringFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KetteringFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ketteringfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kettering-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ketteringfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kettering Foundation