2025 IFES Manatt Democracy Award

The IFES Charles T. Manatt Democracy Awards honor inspirational leaders with an unwavering commitment to building resilient democracies that deliver for all. In 2025, IFES will recognize innovation and impact at the intersection of technology and democracy. We cannot wait to reveal our honoree this year!

Join us as we present this Award on Monday, October 6, 2025,  at the Patterson Mansion in Washington, D.C. At 5:00 PM, we will hear a keynote address and discussion, with the Award Reception starting at 6:00 PM. This premier event will include leaders, experts, and advocates for democracy, human rights, and governance. The evening will feature a reception, open bar, and awards ceremony. 

Past awardees include: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Senator Rob Portman (R-OH); the "Mother of the Disability RIghts Movement" Judy Heumann; Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström; U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright; President of
Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; and many others.

Registration is now open!!

Former IFES Board Chair Charles T. Manatt (1936-2011, and pictured above) was a champion of freedom around the world. He advanced a vision of bipartisan cooperation in building a resilient, prosperous, and peaceful world. These awards also reflect another one of Manatt’s core principles: support for democracy and the human aspiration for freedom transcends partisan politics and national borders. It is an ideal that, according to Manatt, all of us have the responsibility to nurture, safeguard and respect.