Initial funding of the Campaign is made possible through the generous support of Carnegie Corporation of New York, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Annenberg Foundation.

Carnegie Corporation of New York

Carnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.”  Strengthening U.S. Democracy is one of the Corporation’s principal objectives, with the overarching goal of increasing civic participation in the United States.  It does this by addressing both the structural and attitudinal barriers to full civic/electoral participation in the United States and by helping to renew the nonprofit sector, which is vital to the social, economic and political welfare of the nation.  The Strengthening U.S. Democracy program focuses particularly on two segments of the population whose civic participation is crucial to the future of our democracy but who are not generally engaged: young people and immigrants.

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation was established in 1950 as a private foundation independent of the Knight brothers' newspaper enterprises.  It is dedicated to furthering their ideals of service to community, to the highest standards of journalistic excellence and to the defense of a free press.  Through its Community Partners Program, the Knight Foundation supports education and civic engagement initiatives in 26 U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.   These two program foci intertwine to help community members gain the knowledge and skills necessary to participate effectively in the democratic process, form ties to local institutions, and strengthen relationships with one another.

Annenberg Foundation

The Annenberg Foundation is the successor corporation to the Annenberg School at Radnor, Pennsylvania established in 1958 by Walter H. Annenberg. It exists to advance the public well-being through improved communication. As the principal means of achieving its goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. The Foundation focuses on education, particularly public school restructuring and reform in the United States. Examples of the Foundation's support range from the endowment of professorships at institutions of higher education as well as a 500 million dollar public school challenge.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill and Melinda Gates believe every life has equal value. In 2000, they created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help reduce inequities in four primary areas, including education. The Education program seeks to ensure that all students in the United States graduate from high school ready for college, work, and citizenship. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by co-chairs Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and William H. Gates Sr., and by CEO Patty Stonesifer.