Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Better Politics Fund?

The Better Politics Fund is a bold new initiative to reimagine how politics serves people—and who gets to shape it. The Fund backs political changemakers who are renewing how politics works. It is the first global fund focused on non-partisan political leadership innovation.

The Better Politics Fund builds on the pioneering work of the Multitudes Foundation, supporting changemakers who are building more representative, human, and hopeful politics across Europe. Since its launch in 2023, Multitudes has become a driving force of Europe’s political innovation ecosystem, offering funding, strategic advice, practical support, and a community of practice to accelerate the efforts of those reimagining what politics can be.

A joint venture with the Better Politics Foundation brings operational excellence, a truly global network, leadership acceleration, and the ecosystem-building expertise that the Better Politics Foundation, formerly the Apolitical Foundation, has built since 2020.

Now evolving into the Better Politics Fund, the mission and values remain the same. The vision expands globally, with the resources, people, and ideas to amplify impact and drive systemic change.
We are committed to non-partisan innovation and ecosystem building. Our focus is global, with Europe as a key region in 2025-2026, as we expand opportunities for political innovators worldwide.

What is the Better Politics Fund’s theory of change?

The Better Politics Fund is grounded in a core belief: democracy is built from the bottom up, but it erodes from the top down. Who leads, how they lead, and why they lead profoundly shapes the health of our political systems. Transforming political leadership, and the conditions that enable it, has the power to transform politics itself.

What types of initiatives does the Fund support?

We fund at every stage of the political innovation journey, from the spark of an idea to scaled solutions embedded in political systems. We invest in political changemakers who:

Cultivate – Open doors and build pipelines for change, particularly for leaders from underrepresented backgrounds.
Upskill – Equip both new talent and seasoned political leaders with the critical skills needed for our times.
Support – Reform and strengthen political systems so representative leaders and new ideas can thrive.
Connect – Make politics more impactful, connected, and responsive to the people it serves.

We particularly support those changemakers engaging underrepresented leaders and communities and working in under-resourced regions, therefore, we do not fund in the United States.

The Fund is non-partisan. We do not provide funding to, nor do we work directly with, political candidates, campaigns, or parties. We may collaborate with organizations that engage in political work, provided their approach is multi-partisan.

What do we mean when we say political leaders?

Political leaders include those who are currently elected or appointed to public positions; those who aspire to run for public office; leaders within political parties; political staffers and advisors; and former leaders.

Who manages the Fund?

The Better Politics Foundation serves the Fund by:

running the grantmaking process, scouting, and engaging with potential grantees;
managing all operations and communications;
administering grants;
convening and engaging with the Fund’s communities; and
fundraising.

Who makes grantmaking decisions?

Final funding decisions are made by the Better Politics Fund’s board. It is chaired by Gauri van Gulik and operates independently from the Better Politics Foundation’s board. The Fund board is informed by input from the Foundation and a global grantmaking council composed of experts and ecosystem leaders. This ensures independent governance and transparent accountability.

What type of funding does the Fund provide?

We will use different funding modalities ensuring both early-stage funding via open calls and larger grants.

Ideation Grants: We support new, bold ideas from early-stage organizations or individuals that address urgent political and democratic challenges. These grants provide time, space, and seed funding (up to €20,000).

Incubation Grants: We provide funding (up to €50,000) and expert support to those ready to build their vision into sustainable and efficient organisations. This grant mainly targets initiatives or organisations that, up to this point, heavily rely on voluntary work and investing private resources to operate. This grant can be understood as a stepping stone to reach the next level of developing a sustainable organisation.

Scaling Grants: For those ready to scale their efforts and build more power we provide funding and support up to €100,000. These grants are for organizations with a proven track record of sustained impact.

How does the Fund operate?

We have designed the Better Politics Fund to:

Be able to fund where others won't or can't: early-stage, bold bets.
Be participatory - we have an global Grantmaking Council who review short lists of applications and scout innovative ideas.
Operate with light-touch, high-trust grant making, ensuring low overheads and efficient operations.
Spotlight and support the many political innovators working in under-resourced regions through participatory grantmaking (therefore, we do not fund in the United States).
Support the field beyond our grantees: relevant organizations, regardless of whether they receive funding, are invited to join the global Political Leadership Entrepreneur Network and we share insights gained from our grantmaking process with the broader field.

How is the Fund resourced?

The Fund is supported by a growing coalition of philanthropic partners committed to renewing politics, including the Daniel Sachs Foundation, Luminate Foundation, the Robert Bosch Foundation, Fondation de France and Democratie en Media.

We welcome contributions from institutional donors, individuals, and aligned organizations who share our mission.

How will the Fund measure and track impact?

We take a learning-first, ecosystem-wide approach to impact. Instead of rigid metrics, we co-create goals with grantees based on their context and stage. Systems change can take time but things can also move quickly in politics. We track both project outcomes and bigger shifts, like new leadership pathways, stronger community engagement, and emerging political narratives. Light-touch reporting and regular feedback keep us accountable and flexible.

We're also developing impact tools to track progress across the field.

What support do grantees receive beyond funding?

Political changemakers often face isolation, burnout, and tough systems. That’s why we don’t just fund—we back people with connection, visibility, and strategic support.

Grantees join a community of peers, get hands-on help with storytelling, strategy and tracking impact, and gain exposure across our network—including the 100+ members of the Political Leadership Entrepreneur Network.

Depending on their goals, we also offer tailored support like capacity-building and key introductions. We share insights through research reports and events to strengthen the broader ecosystem. This isn’t just a grant—it’s a partnership to build better politics.

What distinguishes the Better Politics Fund from other democracy or civic engagement funds?

The Better Politics Fund is the first global fund focused on non-partisan political leadership innovation. Unlike funds that address civic space, participation or policy, we concentrate on who leads, how they lead, and their accountability to constituents. Committed to non-partisanship, our approach centers on transforming politics and leadership to drive systemic change.

Our team combines political entrepreneurship, governance, campaigning, behavioral science, and innovation expertise. We work closely with regional ecosystems and prioritize engaging underrepresented communities as co-creators of political solutions.