With 2025 coming to an end, I wanted to take a moment on this Giving Tuesday to think about the extraordinary impact we’ve made together this past year and to invite you to help us carry this work forward at a moment when freedom is most at risk.

This year, the Renew Democracy Initiative has made major strides to change the narrative about democracy protection, to build community in the civic space, to highlight unexpected voices in support of democratic values, and to strengthen democratic norms. Thanks to you and other like-minded individuals, 2025 has been our most ambitious and impactful year yet. I hope you’ll consider investing in this work with a Giving Tuesday gift today!

What We’ve Built Together in 2025

1. A strategic new media platform

This spring we launched The Next Move, a forward-looking media project designed to help Americans think several steps ahead in defense of freedom. In just six months, The Next Move has grown from zero to more than 52,000 subscribers, driven entirely by organic demand—despite having only one full-time staff member.

With authors including Garry Kasparov, Uriel Epshtein, Jay Nordlinger, Alex Vindman, General Ben Hodges, Admiral Bill McRaven, Ambassador Bill Taylor, Masih Alinejad, Fatima Abo Alasrar, Jack Tomarchio, Greg Wilson, etc, our insight has been cited by Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, Bianna Golodryga, Kaitlan Collins (so roughly half of CNN), Jen Psaki, Bari Weiss’s Free Press, Jim Acosta, and many others across the political spectrum. This kind of cross-partisan attention is extraordinarily rare and it speaks to the public demand for positive, principled pro-freedom narratives.

2. Major influence in national media

One of our big wins this year was The Atlantic’s Season 2 of the Autocracy in America podcast hosted by Garry Kasparov, featuring Oleksandra Matviichuk, John Bolton, Jake Sullivan, and other global leaders. The series helped cement Garry and RDI as central voices in the conversation around defending freedom in the US and around the world. Few other productions can bring together National Security Advisors from both Republican & Democratic Administrations. 

3. Evidence-based narrative change

A Citizen Data study found our content increased agreement that foreign authoritarian leaders threaten American democracy by 7.4%, and increased support for resisting authoritarianism by 5.3%. This comes on the heels of a Stanford study from 2021 highlighting how dissident stories reduce hyperpartisanship and strengthen democratic attitudes. This provides quantitative support for what we’ve long believed: dissident voices cut through the noise and transcend partisan divides.

4. Aid to Frontline Democracies (Ukraine) 

RDI has provided nearly $14 million in humanitarian aid since February 2022, focused on maintaining the long-term security of Ukraine’s frontline communities. Since then, we have provided:

• 69,112 sleeping bags
• 466,820 MREs (meals ready-to-eat)
• $1,330,445 to medical supplies and humanitarian aid

5. Expanded Frontlines of Freedom network

RDI’s dissident-led civic network expanded significantly in 2025, connecting frontline activists with policymakers, journalists, campus communities, and business leaders. These partnerships help Americans better understand authoritarian tactics and how to resist them here in the United States. 

6. Campus programs that build civic resilience

Our courses, speaker series, and student leadership training continued to grow, giving young people the tools to think critically, challenge dogma, and participate constructively in civic life. Our campus engagement includes Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, Purdue, and beyond.

7. Influencing leaders and decision-makers

RDI ran private briefings and narrative consulting for policymakers, business leaders, and cultural influencers, helping them resist demagoguery, understand authoritarian influence operations, and communicate democratic values more effectively.

8. High-impact events and convenings

From intimate gatherings to national convenings, RDI brought together thousands of people through events designed to build community and elevate moral clarity. This includes our annual Frontlines of Freedom Conference on Transnational Repression, which brought together 150+ dissidents, policymakers, journalists, and thought leaders—including RDI Frontline Fellows former NBA player Enes Kanter-Freedom and Felix Maradiaga—to develop solutions to authoritarian influence.

Our next major convening, the Frontlines of Freedom Conference, takes place December 9–10 in Washington, DC. We hope you’ll join us. Register for FOFCON 2025

Why Your Support Matters Today

Your Giving Tuesday contribution directly supports:

• Expanding The Next Move so we can meet the demand for trusted, pro-freedom storytelling
• Growing our Frontlines of Freedom network, connecting dissidents with civic and policy leaders, and campus communities, across the United States
• Training young people to resist polarization, radicalism, and authoritarian narratives
• Expanding our research-backed approach to narrative change
• Bringing RDI’s message to Congress, campuses, media platforms, and communities nationwide. 

In a year when authoritarians are testing the limits of freedom, both abroad and at home, your support ensures we can meet the moment with courage, clarity, and community. This Giving Tuesday, I truly hope you’ll join us. Every contribution, whether large or small, helps strengthen the growing movement of Americans committed to defending freedom and building a future rooted in shared democratic values.

Thank you for being part of this community. Together, with your continued support, we can continue the work of renewing American democracy from the ground up.

With deep gratitude,

Uriel Epshtein

CEO, Renew Democracy Initiative