The report, On the Frontlines of Democracy: America’s Nonprofits Hold the Line on Civic Infrastructure, draws on new 2025 data from the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) and complementary research from Democracy Fund. It shows that 29 percent of nonprofits already engage in civic activities such as nonpartisan voter education, registration, and mobilization, even as service demand continues to rise.
These organizations are not primarily advocacy or election-focused groups. They are service nonprofits — food banks, housing providers, health clinics, disability service organizations, and community-based groups — working every day in communities that have historically been underrepresented in civic life.
At the same time, the data reveals growing strain. More than half of nonprofits engaged in voter participation expect service demand to increase again, while only 40 percent believe they will be able to meet those needs.
Taken together, the findings highlight a clear opportunity for strengthening our democracy. Civic participation is already happening inside trusted nonprofit institutions, but the scale of investment has not yet matched the scale of responsibility these organizations are carrying.
