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International Foundation for Electoral Systems

Annual Giving
$1.5M
Grant Range
$88K - $0.8M

International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Revenue: $77,964,041 (2022)
  • Grants Made Annually: $1.5+ million documented (2022, partial data)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $87,815 - $812,855 (documented 2022 awards)
  • Geographic Focus: International (145+ countries)

Contact Details

Overview

Founded in 1987, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. With annual revenues of approximately $78 million (2022), IFES has worked in more than 145 countries worldwide, with active programs in over 50 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Americas. The organization assists and supports elections and electoral stakeholders by providing technical assistance to election officials, collaborating with civil society organizations to increase participation in the political process, and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. IFES operates primarily as an implementing organization funded by government donors (receiving $58.6 million in government grants in 2022, with $49.1 million from the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening), but also makes subgrants to civil society organizations, research institutions, and implementing partners for technical electoral assistance and education programs.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

IFES does not operate traditional open grant programs. Instead, they make subgrants to partner organizations as part of their larger programmatic initiatives funded by donors such as USAID, the U.S. Department of State, DFID, DFAT, the European Union, Global Affairs Canada, and UNDP.

Documented Grant Awards (2022):

  • American Bar Association: $812,855 for technical electoral assistance and education
  • Internews Network: $497,201 for technical electoral assistance and education
  • National Democratic Institute for International Affairs: $107,669 for technical electoral assistance and education
  • Global Hunger Project: $87,815 for technical electoral assistance and education

Regional Distribution (2021): IFES distributed grants across multiple regions:

  • Sub-Saharan Africa: $17,236,800
  • Russia and neighboring states: $7,632,789
  • South Asia: $7,842,354
  • Middle East and North Africa: $6,957,567
  • East Asia and the Pacific: $6,331,708
  • Central America and the Caribbean: $4,262,749
  • Europe: $4,017,350
  • South America: $2,465,238
  • North America: $1,910,568

Priority Areas

IFES focuses on:

  • Electoral integrity and accountability
  • Civil society capacity building for democratic participation
  • Electoral cycle improvement and development of trusted electoral bodies
  • Political finance monitoring and outreach
  • Gender inclusion in electoral processes
  • Digital security for democracy
  • Empowerment of underrepresented populations
  • Technical assistance to election officials and electoral bodies

What They Don't Fund

As IFES operates primarily as an implementing organization rather than a traditional grant-making foundation, they do not accept unsolicited grant applications from organizations seeking general funding. Grants are made strategically as part of their programmatic work funded by institutional donors.

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership

President & CEO: Anthony Banbury (joined 2018) Anthony Banbury leads IFES after a distinguished career in the United Nations and United States government. He replaced Bill Sweeney in 2018.

Board of Directors: The organization is led by a global and bipartisan Board of Directors comprised of leaders in business, government, and civil society, including current and former U.S. and foreign elected officials.

  • Board Chair: Hon. M. Peter McPherson
  • Board Co-Chair: Amb. William C. Eacho
  • Recent board additions include Nelson Cunningham and Laurie Richardson

Senior Leadership:

  • Vice President for Programs: Katherine Ellena
  • Regional directors for different geographic areas
  • Senior Global Advisors in various specialties

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IFES does not have a public application process for grant funding. The organization operates as an implementing partner for large institutional donors and makes subgrants to local civil society organizations and partner institutions as part of their programmatic work.

Organizations seeking to work with IFES typically:

  1. Are identified through IFES's existing networks and program activities in specific countries
  2. Are selected through competitive processes when IFES receives funding for specific projects
  3. Develop relationships with IFES country offices or regional staff working in their geographic area

IFES builds and strengthens partnerships locally, regionally, and globally through collaborative relationships with stakeholders to achieve whole-of-society approaches to democratic development.

Getting on Their Radar

Organizations interested in partnering with IFES should:

  • Monitor USAID and donor opportunities: IFES expertise and programming can be accessed through USAID global funding mechanisms. Organizations can watch for when IFES receives awards that may involve subgranting in their region or area of expertise.

  • Engage with IFES country programs: IFES maintains active programs in over 50 countries. Organizations working on electoral integrity, civil society strengthening, or democratic governance in these countries can reach out to IFES country offices to express interest in collaboration.

  • Attend democracy and electoral support conferences: IFES staff and leadership participate in international conferences and forums related to elections, governance, and democracy support where networking opportunities arise.

  • Contact IFES directly: Organizations with relevant expertise in technical electoral assistance, civil society mobilization, or democratic governance can contact IFES at media@ifes.org or careers@ifes.org to inquire about partnership opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed as IFES does not operate on a standard grant cycle. Subgrant awards are made on a project-by-project basis as IFES secures funding from institutional donors.

Success Rates

Not applicable - IFES does not accept open applications, so success rates are not publicly tracked.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

For organizations seeking to become IFES implementing partners or subgrantees:

Demonstrated Expertise: IFES partners with organizations that have proven track records in electoral support, civil society strengthening, democratic governance, or related technical areas. The organizations that received documented subgrants in 2022 (American Bar Association, Internews Network, National Democratic Institute, Global Hunger Project) are all established organizations with significant experience in democracy support.

Geographic Presence: IFES prioritizes partnerships with local civil society organizations that have strong community connections and understanding of local electoral contexts. Their regional distribution of grants shows significant investment in locally-rooted organizations.

Complementary Capabilities: Successful partners bring skills and networks that complement IFES's core competencies in technical electoral assistance, helping to achieve whole-of-society approaches to democratic development.

Alignment with Donor Priorities: Since IFES's grant-making is driven by contracts and cooperative agreements with donors like USAID, successful partners align with the specific objectives and requirements of these funding sources.

Relationship Building: IFES emphasizes building and strengthening partnerships over time. Organizations that engage consistently with IFES programs and demonstrate commitment to shared goals are more likely to be considered for partnership opportunities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a traditional funder: IFES operates as an implementing organization that makes subgrants as part of larger donor-funded programs, not as a grant-making foundation with open calls for proposals
  • Relationship-driven: Partnership opportunities emerge through established relationships and IFES's programmatic needs rather than competitive application processes
  • Follow the money: Track when IFES receives major awards from USAID, State Department, and other institutional donors - these often create downstream partnership opportunities
  • Local presence matters: IFES prioritizes partnerships with locally-rooted civil society organizations that understand electoral contexts and have community connections
  • Think strategically: Rather than applying for grants, organizations should position themselves as potential implementing partners by building relationships with IFES staff and demonstrating relevant expertise
  • Geographic scope: With programs in 50+ countries, IFES has extensive reach but focuses on regions where they have active programming funded by institutional donors
  • No unsolicited proposals: Organizations should not submit unsolicited grant proposals to IFES; instead, they should engage strategically through networking, direct outreach, or by responding to specific partnership opportunities when announced

References

Accessed: December 23, 2025

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