Who is Team Democracy?
Team Democracy brings together Americans of all political perspectives around our shared commitment to the core principles of our constitutional democracy. Our focus is on countering the toxic polarization that has come to dominate political discourse in recent years. We promote and amplify positive messages and actions that underscore the importance of democratic institutions, norms and processes and our shared commitment to free, fair, and inclusive elections.
We unite Americans across the political spectrum to defend democracy by promoting trust in elections, encouraging civic engagement, and countering toxic polarization. Through national campaigns, partnerships, and community-building, we help protect the core values that sustain a healthy democratic society.
We measure success by the number of Americans—across the political spectrum—who take our Safe & Fair Elections Pledge, participate in civic engagement initiatives, and report increased trust in democratic processes. We also track the impact of our partnerships, event participation, and shifts in public discourse toward more respectful, fact-based dialogue.
Principles For Trusted Elections
The Principles for Trusted Elections initiative, which Team Democracy manages with The Carter Center and the Gerald R Ford Presidential Foundation, encourages candidates, civic leaders, organizations, and citizens to publicly commit to core democratic values – free, fair, and peaceful elections – and to model those principles in action.
Click the image for a background about the Principles for Trusted Elections
In 2024, the support for the principles surged. We saw a 260% increase in candidate signers over 2022 and 120 organizations also committed to the principles. This wave of cross-partisan support signals that, even amid division, democracy remains a unifying value. Now, we’re evolving the program beyond the pledge.
In 2025, we’ll launch a new Commit → Learn → Act framework that helps participants turn civic commitment into real-world impact. We’re expanding outreach to election officials, faith and business leaders; equipping trusted community-level messengers with civic engagement tools; and preparing targeted efforts in Virginia and New Jersey ahead of this year’s elections.
Stay tuned! If you haven’t already signed the Principles for Trusted Elections, you can sign it here!
R.A.F.T - Reuniting America by Fostering Trust
RAFT for America pairs Americans from diverse backgrounds for transformative outdoor adventures, proving that human connection can thrive even amid political polarization.
In 2024, we brought elected officials, community leaders, and everyday citizens together to share stories and build relationships in breathtaking settings. The program reached 7.7 million people through local and national coverage, including being featured in CBS Nightly News and PBS.
This year, we’re preparing a new series of showcase rafting trips and developing a full-length documentary to bring the RAFT for America experience into classrooms and bridging programs nationwide.
“We always do better by pulling together than by pulling apart.”
Want to get involved? Join us on the river!
Rodney Sadler (L) & Lance Moseley (R)
Nantahala River 2024
Civic Credentialing System
| Our Civics Credentialing System encourages civic engagement by recognizing and rewarding the learning and actions that strengthen our republic. It helps Americans earn verifiable, shareable digital credentials (badges) for participating in civic engagement. |
| Since launching, we’ve built a digital platform and partnered with more than 20 civic organizations to issue badges, including Better Together America and the Listen First Project’s Bridging Movement Collaborative. Also, Civics Credentialing was featured at the 2024 International Conference on Open Education, Open Recognition Technologies and Practices (ePIC) conference in Paris, France. Looking ahead, we’re expanding credentialing across five pillars of democracy: civic learning, bridging divides, elections and governance, trusted information, and volunteering and service. We’re also rapidly growing our network of partner organizations to build a more informed and engaged citizenry connected by America's shared democratic values. Want to get started on your civic journey? Check out this short video and earn your first badge now! |
Why you should considering donating to Team Democracy
At Team Democracy, we believe democracy thrives when it is grounded in three things: shared norms, civic engagement, and human connection. That’s the foundation of our three core initiatives: Principles for Trusted Elections, the Civics Credentialing System, and Reuniting America by Fostering Trust (RAFT). Each initiative helps Americans live out what it means to be on “Team Democracy.”
Your support of Team Democracy has been one of the key drivers of our impact. Thank you for continuing to be invested in our work. I am excited to share updates from each of our programs, and hope you'll share our pride in our accomplishments, and our vision for the future.
We know this moment demands more from all of us, but it also offers a unique opportunity: the chance to renew democracy from the ground up. And your continued participation is core to our collective success. So let’s stay in touch, and re-affirm our commitment to take action. Whether you’re signing the Principles pledge, earning a new digital credential, or jumping into a raft, we hope you’ll join us.
Now is the time. Let’s do this together.
Why are we featured in Trusted Information and Institutions?
Through CCS, thousands of organizations will issue 100 million badges each year, engaging 50 million citizens annually in civic learning and action. CCS equips badge-earners with durable skills, makes pro-democracy actions more visible and valued, and fosters trust-building behaviors. This will cultivate an informed and engaged citizenry, reducing vulnerability to polarization and reinforcing a common American identity based on shared democratic values. As citizens better understand and actively participate in democracy, they feel more connected to civic life, and their trust in democratic institutions will grow.