Can the Courts Protect the Ballot? Listen Now Marc Elias breaks down the biggest legal battles threatening US elections—and what Americans can do now to defend democracy. Marc Elias 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} Why Is There Silence in Caracas? Read Now Maduro’s capture shook the world—so why has Caracas stayed silent? Dive into this firsthand account to learn what lies behind the quiet. 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} Ruth Ben-Ghiat, William Kristol, and Timothy Snyder Join Kettering Foundation as Senior Fellows Read Now! Kettering Foundation welcomes Ruth Ben‑Ghiat, William Kristol, and Timothy Snyder as senior fellows, strengthening its community of leading voices dedicated to protecting democracy. 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} Saying No to Authority When Yes Is Easier Listen Now Sunita Sah shares practical insights on building confidence, understanding pressure, and making choices that reflect your values. Sunita Sah 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} Kettering Senior Fellow J. Michael Luttig Receives Honorary Membership in the New York City Bar Read Now Congratulations to J. Michael Luttig on receiving honorary membership in the NYC Bar. Read his remarks as they celebrated his integrity, service, and steadfast commitment to America’s constitutional principles. 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} The Stakes Stacey Abrams on the FBI’s Fulton County Raid—and the Future of US Elections Watch Now Stacey Abrams joins The Stakes to discuss the raid of the Fulton County, Georgia, election hub. She warns it threatens election integrity and signals deeper risks for US democracy. 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} Kettering Foundation Awards Five 2026 Global Fellowships Read Now! Meet the 2026 CFK Global Fellows—five exceptional leaders from around the world who are working to advance democracy, protect human rights, and build stronger global partnerships. 0{{current_slide_index}} 0{{total_slide_count}} keyboard_arrow_up keyboard_arrow_down The Latest At Kettering

News & Ideas

We Envision a World of Thriving Democracies

Everyone is empowered to build and preserve resilient democratic systems in which all people’s rights are protected.

Welcome to The Context

A podcast about how to get democracy to work for everyone—and why that’s so hard to do.

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Our Work

Our Work

We advance our work across five focus areas. Through these focus areas, we promote democratic principles and values and counter attacks on democracy.

  • 1

    Defending Inclusive Democracy

    Defend inclusive democracy by raising awareness of and responding to its greatest threats.

  • 2

    Information for a Democratic Society

    Provide the public with information to heighten awareness of the needs of democracy and to enable the public to recognize authoritarian threats.

  • 3

    Democracy and Community

    Strengthen community voices, mutuality, and collective action for greater citizen engagement and influence over local problem-solving and government.

  • 4

    Democracy and the Arts

    Integrate the unique power of the arts into the Kettering Foundation’s work locally, nationally, and internationally.

  • 5

    Democracy around the Globe

    Strengthen an international community of partners to promote and defend inclusive democracies around the globe.

Awards & Fellowships

  • Dayton Democracy Fellowship

    The Kettering Foundation’s Dayton Democracy Fellowship is a program that supports innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world.

  • Research Fellows

    The Charles F. Kettering Foundation’s research fellows are leading scholars, practitioners, and public intellectuals who produce timely, high-impact research that informs and advances inclusive democracy.

  • Senior Fellows

    The Charles F. Kettering Foundation has established an elite group of senior fellows to work with the foundation to advance our pro-inclusive democracy mission.

  • The Charles F. Kettering Global Fellowship

    The Charles F. Kettering Global Fellowship for Advancing Inclusive Democracies is a six-month program designed to promote leadership in global civil society and to nurture and support those working to build inclusive democracies around the world.

  • The David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award

    This fellowship award is named for David Mathews, who served as president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation from 1981 to 2022 and is now president emeritus.

  • The Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy

    The Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy is awarded to journalists and scholars from around the world whose work furthers the lifelong commitment to journalism in service and democracy made by Katherine Fanning, an innovative and influential newspaper editor and publisher.

  • The Kettering Democracy Prize

    The Kettering Democracy Prize honors and elevates the work of an individual or group that has gone beyond the ordinary to champion and defend inclusive democracy.

  • The Ruth Yellowhawk Fellowship

    Ruth Yellowhawk was a community-centered radio journalist and storyteller who worked with the Kettering Foundation from 1997 to 2010. Her belief in inclusion and equity was demonstrated through her work in public radio, research, restorative justice, and education.

2025 ANNUAL REPORT
RESOLUTE IN OUR STAND FOR DEMOCRACY

Resolute in Our Stand for Democracy:
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation 2025 Annual Report

Resolute in Our Stand for Democracy reflects a defining year in which the Charles F. Kettering Foundation confronted extraordinary threats to democracy at home and around the globe. Amid accelerated executive overreach, censorship, and attacks on civil and human rights, the foundation met the moment. In this second year of our strategic plan, we continued our commitment to speaking plainly about the stakes, stood with courageous leaders, and expanded partnerships committed to protecting democracy domestically and worldwide.