Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: The Congressional Institute
Amount: Updated to $400,000 in 2022
What is the Congressional Institute?
Founded in 1987, the Congressional Institute is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to helping Members of Congress better serve their constituents and helping their constituents better understand the operations of the national legislature.
The Congressional Institute’s latest project, the Congressional Reform Project, provides educational information about Congress to the general public and informs Members of Congress and staff about efforts to improve the function and management of the institution.
Why do we think this project is important?
The Congressional Institute has long been a trusted partner of Congress, providing Members and staff with conferences, training, resources, and strategic planning support. As turnover rates skyrocket across the institution, the Congressional Reform Project is a critical source of institutional and procedural knowledge and has published extensive reports about congressional reform issues. The project represents an important opportunity to restore public confidence in our governance process and support Congress in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities as the first branch of government..
How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting The Congressional Institute project?
In 2022 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $100,000 for a total of $400,000, with an extension of the grant period through February 2023. Originally, a grant was approved in 2019 for $300,000 over two years.
Democracy Fund Voice previously approved a two-year grant to the Congressional Institute in the amount of $339,000 in 2015 to support efforts to develop recommendations on the organization of Congress, its processes and procedures, and the behavioral patterns that currently drive congressional action.