OpenGov Foundation receives $750,000 for online democracy projects

The OpenGov Foundation received a $750,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, it announced last week.
The funds will go to the foundation’s two flagship projects to bring democracy online, America Decoded and Madison.
“A lot of work has to be done to deliver a democracy platform that allows government officials to … give citizens a way to be heard,” said OpenGov Foundation Executive Director Seamus Kraft.
“Look no further than public approval numbers of Congress,” he added. “People are really frustrated with what they’re actually getting.”

• America Decoded posts legal code online, making it searchable and downloadable. The growing initiative has already tackled laws in Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, D.C. and the state of Maryland.
• The Madison project is a platform that allows citizens to comment and propose edits on laws as they’re being developed. It is currently available for local D.C. legislation; for bills in the U.S. House of Representatives; and for a hodge-podge of other important legislation.

The OpenGov Foundation had already received $200,000 from Knight last year.