No at-scale pooled fund for democratic health

The UK Democracy Fund (JRRT-hosted pooled fund since 2019; contributors include Barrow Cadbury, JRCT, Blagrave, Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn, Porticus) proved the model (a KCL evaluation credits it with ~746,000 voter registrations before GE2024), but it disburses low single-digit millions. OSF's 2023-24 European retreat removed a major funder (openDemocracy nearly insolvent); Luminate narrowed. Charity-law caution around 'political' activity keeps most foundations out entirely.

Voter registration, electoral integrity, civic information and democratic reform work in the UK depends on a handful of family trusts. One funder's strategy review can collapse whole sub-fields, exactly when election-security and information-integrity pressures are rising.

A pooled UK democracy fund at £20m+/yr with 10-year commitments, structured with charitable and non-charitable arms (the JRRT template) so it can fund both neutral participation infrastructure and reform campaigning; anchor commitments from 3-4 large foundations plus tech philanthropy.

// Build now: First artefact: expanded JRRT-template pooled fund with charitable and non-charitable arms; foundation anchors are fundraising targets, not permission gates.

UK democracy work depends on a few family trusts vulnerable to single strategy reviews; the pooled-fund vehicle is proven and unowned, and integrity pressures are rising now.