International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Quick Stats

• Annual Revenue: $79,210,610 (2023)
• Grants Made Annually: $79.2 million (2023)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $87,815 - $812,855 (documented 2022 awards)
• Geographic Focus: International (145+ countries)

Contact Details

• Website: https://www.ifes.org/
• Phone: +1.202.350.6700
• Email: media@ifes.org
• Address: 2011 Crystal Dr Fl 10, Arlington, VA 22202-3709
• Careers/Partnerships: careers@ifes.org

Overview

Founded in 1987, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. With annual revenues of approximately $79 million (2023), IFES has worked in more than 145 countries worldwide, with active programmes in over 50 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Americas. The organisation assists and supports elections and electoral stakeholders by providing technical assistance to election officials, collaborating with civil society organisations to increase participation in the political process, and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle. IFES operates primarily as an implementing organisation 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 organisations, research institutions, and implementing partners for technical electoral assistance and education programmes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

IFES does not operate traditional open grant programmes. Instead, they make subgrants to partner organisations 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 neighbouring 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 organisation rather than a traditional grant-making foundation, they do not accept unsolicited grant applications from organisations 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 organisation 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 Programmes: Katherine Ellena
• Regional directors for different geographic areas
• Senior Global Advisers in various specialties

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

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

Organisations seeking to work with IFES typically:

1. Are identified through IFES's existing networks and programme 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

Organisations interested in partnering with IFES should:

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

• Engage with IFES country programmes: IFES maintains active programmes in over 50 countries. Organisations 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: Organisations with relevant expertise in technical electoral assistance, civil society mobilisation, 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 organisations seeking to become IFES implementing partners or subgrantees:

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

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

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 emphasises building and strengthening partnerships over time. Organisations that engage consistently with IFES programmes 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 organisation that makes subgrants as part of larger donor-funded programmes, 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 prioritises partnerships with locally-rooted civil society organisations that understand electoral contexts and have community connections
• Think strategically: Rather than applying for grants, organisations should position themselves as potential implementing partners by building relationships with IFES staff and demonstrating relevant expertise
• Geographic scope: With programmes in 50+ countries, IFES has extensive reach but focuses on regions where they have active programming funded by institutional donors
• No unsolicited proposals: Organisations 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

• International Foundation for Electoral Systems website: https://www.ifes.org/
• IFES Partnerships & Networks page: https://www.ifes.org/partnerships-networks
• IFES Leadership page: https://www.ifes.org/leadership
• IFES Board of Directors: https://www.ifes.org/board-of-directors
• IFES Our Partners & Donors: https://www.ifes.org/about-us/our-partners-donors
• International Foundation for Electoral Systems - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Foundation_for_Electoral_Systems
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - IFES Form 990 data: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521527835
• Cause IQ profile: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/international-foundation-for-electoral-systems,521527835/
• InfluenceWatch profile: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/international-foundation-for-electoral-systems-ifes/
• "IFES Welcomes Anthony Banbury as New President and CEO": https://www.ifes.org/news/ifes-welcomes-anthony-banbury-new-president-and-ceo
• IFES Programmes & Initiatives: https://www.ifes.org/programs-initiatives
• Foundation Directory - Candid: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&key=IFES001

Accessed: December 23, 2025