Power for Democracies was founded in 2023 by Markus N. Beeko (the former Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany) together with Stefan Shaw and Stephan Schwahlen, the founders of the philanthropy advisory legacies.now and co-founders of effektiv-spenden.org. Power for Democracies is funded by small family foundations and individuals from Germany and Switzerland who wish to make an effective contribution in support of liberal democracies worldwide.
And then, the Protect Democracy fund is listed simply with the other charity options at the Spenden (Giving) page, with only the small Beta label and this explanation under ‘more info’:
With our donation fund “Defend Democracy,” we support organizations that we consider particularly suitable to bolster the resilience of democracy. In doing so, we are initially focusing exclusively on Germany. Due to the less robust research in this area, the measures funded here are still associated with more uncertainty.
I understand why you want to start a democracy charity evaluator. I think it’s an interesting experiment in trying to create more leverage in other movements and create a large impact. I also understand the desire to use your platform to support this project.
However, I find the current situation inappropriate. Your role is to recommend independently-vetted highly effective projects. This is a large responsibility and requires outstanding integrity. You cannot use this reputation to support your own spin-off in this way without making a much clearer distinction between it and the other options.
I can see another situation working, where the Project Democracy fund is clearly separated from the other options (i.e. not in the same list) and where your conflicts of interest are clearly stated (e.g. in a disclaimer at the top).
I also wonder whether you have a conflict of interest policy. If not, I recommend developing one.
I want to share a concern that hasn’t been raised yet: this seems like a huge conflict of interest.
From the Power for Democracies website:
And then, the Protect Democracy fund is listed simply with the other charity options at the Spenden (Giving) page, with only the small Beta label and this explanation under ‘more info’:
I understand why you want to start a democracy charity evaluator. I think it’s an interesting experiment in trying to create more leverage in other movements and create a large impact. I also understand the desire to use your platform to support this project.
However, I find the current situation inappropriate. Your role is to recommend independently-vetted highly effective projects. This is a large responsibility and requires outstanding integrity. You cannot use this reputation to support your own spin-off in this way without making a much clearer distinction between it and the other options.
I can see another situation working, where the Project Democracy fund is clearly separated from the other options (i.e. not in the same list) and where your conflicts of interest are clearly stated (e.g. in a disclaimer at the top).
I also wonder whether you have a conflict of interest policy. If not, I recommend developing one.