Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: Truman National Security Project
Amount: Updated to $895,000 in 2023
What is the Truman National Security Project?
Truman National Security Project is a nationwide membership of diverse leaders inspired to serve in the aftermath of 9/11 and committed to shaping and advocating for tough, smart national security solutions. They bring their members together with their partners and advisors to deliver concrete solutions to pressing global challenges for leaders at the local, state, and national levels, and coordinate their action nationwide to shape the debate, fight for policy change, and support rising leaders who share their values.
Why do we think this project is important?
For the U.S. to restore its leadership abroad, it must repair the national security workforce at home. The long-term goal of this project is to engage in and lead robust efforts to further this rebuilding. Truman National Security Project’s vision for rebuilding the national security workforce prioritizes attracting and retaining diverse, world-class talent in reformed structures that are welcoming homes for creative problem-solvers dedicated to the American project. However, these efforts will require a sustained effort over multiple years to rebuild the structures that have been allowed to disintegrate over the course of decades.
To accomplish this, Truman National Security Project created and maintained a sophisticated database of eligible members by function, agency, and clearance level to serve as a resource in 2021. A taskforce of Truman members was also built to support diversity efforts. They focused on implementation efforts and policy recommendations, the construction of a long-term strategy to support continued repair and growth, and on structured plans that support diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Effective policymaking relies on a diplomatic and national security corps that can both provide accurate information quickly and implement policies successfully. The quality of governance in our democracy depends on this resource, and it deserves the attention and resources required to reach its maximum potential.
How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the Truman National Security Project?
In 2023 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $305,000, for a total of $895,000.
In 2022 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $230,000, for a total of $590,000 with an extension of the grant period through October 2023.
In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice approved a grant of $180,000 to the Truman National Security Project, and approved an amendment to the grant in 2021 to increase the amount by $180,000 for a total of $360,000.