The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

For the past three decades, Bren Simon has been committed to supporting programs whose purpose is to forge strong bonds of international unity, including the United States Institute of Peace.

Along with various national projects, Ms. Simon is dedicated to a variety of international welfare programs. Under her direction, The Melvin and Bren Simon Foundation has donated a substantial amount of resources to the National Democratic Institute, a large portion of which has been allocated to a number of groups that support women’s political participation.

Each year, a percentage of that commitment is given to winners of the Madeleine K. Albright Grant. Most recently, this funding has been presented to the Women's Discussion Club of Kyrgyzstan.

Other programs to which this support was distributed include the NDI Maghreb Youth of Today, Leaders of Tomorrow program, the International Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics), NDI Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Alliance of Women Leaders, NDI Guatemala and the Political Association of Mayan Women, and the NDI Guidebook to Women’s Political Participation.

Ms. Simon has worked for gender equality and political progress in La Romana, Dominican Republic. In 1998, she joined the Mission International Rescue Foundation, and worked on projects such as Centro de Promocion Rural Max Simon and Bren Simon MIR Foundation Girls’ Vocational School. The MIR Foundation provides religious, social, education and health services to those in this impoverished area.

In addition to directing both the Melvin and Bren Simon Charitable Foundation and the Joshua Max Simon Charitable Foundation, Ms. Simon personally supports numerous local and national organizations including The Children’s Bureau, The Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows, the Indianapolis Museum of Art and numerous cultural and philanthropic programs and community wellness centers.

Also heavily engaged in domestic political programs and organizations, in 2001 Ms. Simon founded Activote America, the purpose of which is to empower individuals with the information and understanding necessary to voice concerns, address issues and ultimately create change through the voting process. It has been a long-term goal of Ms. Simon to reach, educate and encourage young voters to participate in the voting process.