European Endowment for Democracy (EED): donor analysis and how to apply in 2026

Within 24 hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, EED established a €2.2 million emergency fund for its Ukrainian partners. Over the first 60 days – an average of one grant per day.

This is the European Endowment for Democracy (EED) – an independent Brussels-based fund that from its founding in 2013 to the end of 2024 provided nearly €250 million in grants to approximately 3,000 initiatives. In 2024 alone, EED reviewed 1,395 applications and awarded 357 grants. In 2025, following the US aid freeze, applications doubled and grant approvals rose by 30%.

EED rarely features in the first row of donors Ukrainian organizations hear about. For NGOs, independent media, human rights defenders, and activists, it is often one of the most accessible funding sources available.

What EED is and why it exists

EED – the European Endowment for Democracy – is an independent grant-making foundation established in 2013 by the European Union and EU member states. Its legal form is an autonomous international trust fund. Headquarters: Brussels, Rue de la Loi 34. Staff: 56 from 27 countries.

EED is not an institution of the EU. All grant decisions are made by its own Executive Committee, independently of the European Commission.

EED was designed as a gap-filler. The EU, USAID, and most large donor programs require formal organizational registration, complex financial reporting, and often demonstrated experience with similar projects. EED can fund those who fall outside these requirements.

Specifically: unregistered organizations and informal platforms, individual activists and journalists, bloggers, newly formed initiatives without prior grant experience, youth groups. EED also covers operational costs – salaries, office rent, communications. And it accepts applications at any time: no competitive rounds, no deadlines.

The fund covers the Eastern Partnership, MENA, the Balkans, and Turkey. Ukraine has been a priority since 2013.

What EED funds: 9 thematic areas

EED supports those building and defending democracy in difficult contexts. The fund works across 9 thematic areas.

Media and accountability

Independent media is traditionally the largest segment of EED grants. In 2022, two-thirds of emergency grants for Ukraine went to media organizations. EED funds regional outlets, online publications, freelance journalists, and disinformation researchers. Watchdogs, anti-corruption initiatives, and organizations monitoring public spending and procurement fall within this area as well.

Civil society and human rights

Organizations mobilizing citizens: from local initiatives to national campaigns. Human rights groups documenting violations and supporting those affected. Organizations working on women’s political participation. Initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ rights and marginalized communities.

Youth, arts and culture, environment

Youth initiatives and student organizations. Cultural platforms and artists whose work supports democratic dialogue. Environmental organizations combining activism with democratic practices.

EED and Ukraine

Ukraine has been among EED’s priority countries since 2013 and became the central focus of the fund’s work after February 2022.

On 24 February 2022, EED moved the same day. The Executive Committee established a €2.2 million emergency mechanism. Funds covered evacuation, security, backup power, legal support, and continued editorial operations. During the first 60 days, EED issued an average of one grant per day. Two out of three initial emergency grants went to media organizations.

Among EED’s well-known Ukrainian partners: the Kyiv Independent, the Center for Civil Liberties (Oleksandra Matviienko, Nobel Peace Prize 2022), the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, and the Ukrainian Women Veterans Movement.

In 2025, after the sudden US aid freeze, EED shifted to accelerated response again. Over six weeks: €2 million in emergency grants, 37 grant decisions for organizations in Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, and other cities. That year EED received twice as many applications as in 2024 and approved 30% more grants.

EED’s Annual Report 2025 contains a dedicated section – “Ukraine: Democracy at a Time of War” – documenting how organizations in Sumy (Cukr), Cherkasy (18000), and Kharkiv (Some People) continued operating after receiving EED support.

Who can apply

A key EED characteristic that applicants often underestimate: formal organizational registration is not required. EED can fund unregistered NGOs, informal platforms, and individuals.

The range of eligible applicants includes: registered NGOs and nonprofits, unregistered initiative groups and platforms, individual activists, journalists and bloggers, youth organizations, newly formed initiatives with no prior grant project experience.

One mandatory condition: commitment to democratic values, human rights principles, and non-violent methods.

Priority geography: Eastern Partnership (including Ukraine), MENA, Balkans, Turkey. Applications from other countries are considered in exceptional cases where activities directly cover priority regions.

By its own definition, EED primarily targets organizations working in gaps that large EU programs cannot reach. An application that directly names that gap and explains why standard EU or USAID funding doesn’t fit carries real weight.

EED does not fund: initiatives contrary to democratic values or non-violence; projects in countries outside the fund’s mandate (without direct connection to priority regions); academic research without a practical activist component.

How to apply for an EED grant

EED accepts applications at any time. No competitive rounds, no deadlines.

Application form and submission channels

Online form: apply.democracyendowment.eu/Apply/en. Applications can be submitted in Ukrainian. A budget template is required alongside the form – the empty template downloads from the same page. Alternatives: email secretariat@democracyendowment.eu or postal mail to the Brussels address.

What the application must include

The standard form covers: description of the organization and its work, the goal and a concrete activity plan, a budget using EED’s template, and contacts of three referees – people independent of your organization who can confirm your experience and work. Referees may be based in any country.

Review timeline

Standard review: 8–12 weeks. All applicants receive an official response. The secretariat may request additional materials during the review.

For emergency situations – an organization at risk of halting operations, a sudden financial gap due to an external shock – the form has a separate checkbox for accelerated review. In such cases EED can make decisions between its regular Executive Committee meetings.

Practical tips for applicants

EED looks for organizations working in gaps that other donors don’t reach. The application should name that gap directly and explain why standard EU or USAID programs don’t cover this work.

Operational costs are fundable – salaries, rent, communications. An application doesn’t need to center exclusively on project activities. Organizational stability is a standalone outcome EED funds.

EED funds repeat applications. If you have prior experience receiving an EED grant and can demonstrate how it was used, that’s an asset.

EED can provide support discreetly when the nature of the work creates security risks for the applicant. This is relevant for human rights defenders and journalists working in high-risk environments.

Multiple applications can be submitted simultaneously. Priority, according to EED itself, goes to the best idea.

EED key parameters: summary table