Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)

What Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) does

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 2000 that convenes private philanthropies — foundations, donor collaboratives, and family funds — around civic engagement, democracy, and related social-cohesion issues. Its member roster is anchored by high-profile funders including Carnegie Corporation of New York, Bezos Family Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Stand Together, Jack Miller Foundation, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, and California and Oregon humanities councils, among roughly 60 participating funders in flagship programs. The organization is lean, with approximately 5 employees, and operates primarily on recurring membership dues.

PACE's product surface is a curated portfolio of programs and convenings rather than technology. Flagship offerings include the 18-month Democracy Futures Project cohort, the Civic Language Perceptions Project research stream, Civic Philanthropy Incubator, Future Fellows cohort, Peer Learning Labs, Action Coalitions, and primers/field guides, plus emerging lines on Faith and Democracy and Social Cohesion Philanthropy. Delivery is in-person and virtual convening, peer learning, and published research. Partnerships with academic and humanities institutions (notably the University of Virginia Batten School and state humanities councils) support research outputs and convenings.

The business model is a recurring membership model: funders pay dues to participate in coordinated grantmaking programs, peer learning, and curated programming. PACE monetizes access to the community, shared research, and the convening infrastructure — not a discrete software product. A 2025 Year in Review and a forward 2026–2030 strategic plan indicate active expansion of programs, issues, and member base, although specific revenue, dues bands, and headcount trendlines are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)

Legal name

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)

Website

https://pacefunders.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PACE is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 2000 that convenes roughly 60 private philanthropies around civic engagement, democracy, and social-cohesion funding via dues-based membership programs, peer learning labs, and field research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Membership Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Civic engagement philanthropy
• Democracy funder network
• Philanthropic membership services
• Civic learning research
• Funder convenings

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and contributions: PACE operates as a community of funders who pay membership dues to participate in the organization. Revenue comes from member contributions which fund the coalition's operations and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PACE operates as a membership community of philanthropic funders (foundations, family foundations, corporate giving programs, and individual philanthropists) that equips and mobilizes members to strengthen American democracy through civic participation. It delivers peer learning labs, member convenings, Action Coalitions, research initiatives (e.g., Civic Language Perceptions Project, Democracy Futures Project), and educational primers on social cohesion, civic engagement, civic learning, and democracy.

Product overview

PACE operates as a network of funders rather than a technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs, research initiatives, and educational resources centered on strengthening democracy through civic engagement. Key offerings include the Democracy Futures Project (long-term strategic initiative for funders), the Civic Language Perceptions Project (research and learning), Faith and Democracy (specialized focus area), and Social Cohesion Philanthropy. The organization also provides Action Coalitions as collective platforms for funders, supported by programs like the Civic Philanthropy Incubator and Future Fellows. Educational resources include primers on social cohesion, civic engagement, civic learning, and democracy concepts. The ecosystem is designed for funders to collaborate, learn, and take coordinated action across differences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Democracy Futures Project: An 18-month program aiming to help 60 participating funders spot trends and think long-term about US democracy.
• Civic Language Perceptions Project
• Faith and Democracy
• Social Cohesion Philanthropy
• Democracy > Politics
• Action Coalitions
• Civic Philanthropy Incubator
• Future Fellows
• Peer Learning Labs

Products and services

• Democracy Futures Project An 18-month collective initiative designed to help participating funders spot trends and think long-term about US democracy, mobilizing action around democracy challenges.
• Civic Language Perceptions Project Evidence-based research initiative generating insights and practical resources to guide philanthropy's role in civic renewal by examining how civic language is perceived.
• Faith and Democracy Initiative exploring the intersection of faith and democratic engagement, including a funding guide for practitioners working at the faith and democracy intersection.
• Social Cohesion Philanthropy Program focused on building social cohesion through philanthropy and collaborative funder engagement, advancing understanding of how funders can support community connection.
• Democracy > Politics Program promoting democracy as larger than partisan politics, featuring salons and convenings designed for funders.
• Action Coalitions Collective platforms where funders pool resources and align strategies around specific democracy challenges, including sub-programs Civic Philanthropy Incubator and Future Fellows.
• PACE Primers Series of educational primers (Social Cohesion, Civic Engagement, Civic Learning, Democracy) providing foundational knowledge and shared vocabulary on key civic topics for funders.
• Membership Program Direct membership offering through which foundations and funders join PACE to access programs, research, peer learning labs, Action Coalitions, and collaborative platforms supporting democracy and civic engagement.
• Peer Learning Labs & Member Convenings Collaborative learning spaces and regular gatherings that bring PACE member funders together to learn, experiment, and collaborate on civic engagement topics.

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Venture Fund: Direct peer — a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor that incubates and manages philanthropic projects, including many democracy and civic engagement initiatives. Comparable intermediary role serving funders in the democracy space.
• Proteus Fund: Direct peer — a public foundation that provides fiscal sponsorship, pooled funds, and strategic support for civic and progressive grantmaking. Overlaps with PACE in funder coordination and grantmaking infrastructure.
• Funders' Committee on Civic Participation: Direct peer — a membership network of foundations focused on civic participation and voting rights. Highly comparable mission and membership model to PACE, though historically more progressive-leaning in orientation.
• Democracy Fund: Direct peer — an independent foundation working to strengthen American democracy, with programs in election integrity, governance, and civic participation. Operates as a funder in the same democracy space PACE convenes around.
• National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP): Direct peer — a nonprofit that mobilizes philanthropy to advance racial equity, democracy, and economic justice. Shares PACE's role as a funder convener and advocacy organization in the civic philanthropy space.
• NEO Philanthropy: Direct peer — a funder collaborative and intermediary that pools philanthropic resources for civic engagement, democracy, and social justice. Comparable pooled-funding model through coalitions, similar to PACE's Action Coalitions.

Emerging players

• The Whitman Institute: Emerging player — a private foundation supporting civic engagement and inclusive democracy. Comparable funder-side focus on civic renewal, though operates as a grantmaker rather than a funder network.
• Arabella Advisors: Emerging player — a consulting and philanthropic advising firm that helps foundations design and manage civic and social impact strategies. Serves overlapping funders but through a consulting model rather than membership convening.

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Broad incumbent — a major global foundation with significant US democracy and civic engagement programming. Operates in the same thematic space as PACE but at vastly larger scale and as a direct grantmaker rather than a funder convener.
• Council on Foundations: Broad incumbent — a large, established membership association for US foundations and corporate giving programs. Comparable membership-organization model but operates at much greater scale and serves all philanthropic areas, not just civic engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PACEfunders
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvnMfsJXECRsNZ7OvXpPvjA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philanthropy-for-active-civic-engagement

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 Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE)