ADF – Forum Foundation

In the novel American Democracy Forever, the Forum Foundation is created by Dr. Charlie Durand to support the creation and maintenance of Forum Clubs.  Here are some key passages from ADF:

1. “… the Forum Foundation, a non-profit that provided the clubs with grants and guidance.”
2. “[Charlie] … charged her [Julie] with getting Forum Clubs started at the high schools and universities in the area, to provide them with whatever start-up support they needed, and then to guide them through their crucial first years of operation.”
3. “Forum Foundation support for Forum Clubs was key to their success. Beyond start-up parties, it provided them with leadership training, a shared publication, The Forum magazine, speakers through the PEP Talks bureau, and financial grants for their social action plans.”
4. “Charlie smiled. These guys already knew what they wanted; they just needed the organizational skills of the Forum Foundation to help them make it happen.”
5. “The fact that the club still existed was a testament to the effectiveness of its yearly recruitment drives, the high spirit of its members, and the effective training programs provided by the Forum Foundation.”

Nothing is said in ADF about how the Forum Foundation is financed, how it persuades people to create Forum Clubs, or how it supports Forum Clubs. No criteria are provided for the grants the Forum Foundation awards to clubs, but it is safe to say they must be for pro-democracy actions, such as voter registration, and protest marches. And nothing is said about the training programs it offers to Forum Club leaders. All these issues are left to the reader’s imagination.

The Forum Foundation is not, however, a central authority that controls the Forum Clubs. Charlie wants the clubs to be independent and evolve as a social force on their own. But would this happen without extensive outside support and leadership? Charlie does not want to risk the failure of the Forum Clubs. He views his financing of the Forum Foundation as key to their success.