Democracies around the globe are under unprecedented threat from authoritarianism, disinformation, polarization, and eroded trust in our institutions. But every day, innovative global leaders are pushing us forward — working to protect and advance inclusive democracies. The Charles F. Kettering Foundation supports this important work by awarding fellowships to leaders with deep expertise in the field and working on some of the most urgent challenges facing democracy.
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 Charles F. Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellowship is a one-year program designed to support innovative leaders, changemakers, and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world.
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 fellowship aims to provide recipients with opportunities to speak, report, and write on some of the most urgent challenges of democracy. The president of the Kettering Foundation selects recipients of the Fanning Fellowship.
The David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award supports the foundation’s staff and partners to advance inclusive democracies by learning from the experience and insights of leaders who have had distinguished careers in government, philanthropy, higher education, and other fields. This award honors the philanthropic and civic work of David Mathews by awarding a recipient in recognition of past civic achievements, which advanced the role of citizens in democracy to promote civic life and encourage future work by the public in line with the Kettering Foundation’s overall mission. The president of the Kettering Foundation selects recipients of the David Mathews Democracy Fellowship Award.
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation has built a roster of distinguished senior fellows to act as experts and thought leaders for the foundation. Our senior fellows represent the nation’s leading democracy thinkers and practitioners, drawn from both major parties and new emerging parties, the academy, government, public service, civil society, business, and journalism. Each is already engaged in an active body of work that aligns with our vision and mission to advance and defend democracy, speaking up and speaking out in defense of democracy.
