George Soros, the billionaire financier and philanthropist, has pledged $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the country’s leading civil rights legal advocacy group, officials there said Tuesday.
The gift, which Mr. Soros is making through his Open Society Foundations, is the largest grant the group has ever received from a named donor.
It comes as the fund and other legal advocacy groups are locked in battles around the country over states’ efforts to impose tighter restrictions on voting.
The fund is closely involved with a case now before the Supreme Court, Shelby County v. Holder, which challenges the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act. The group is also active in cases involving the death penalty, classroom integration and housing discrimination.
Mr. Soros and his family were among the largest donors in the country to Democratic “super PACs†during the 2012 elections. He is also a longtime supporter of voting rights and voter registration initiatives, a major focus of the NAACP fund.
In a statement, Mr. Soros said, “We need bold and courageous civil rights strategies if we are to achieve racial equality in this country.â€
Sherrilyn Ifill, who took over as the legal defense fund’s top official last year, was previously the board chairwoman for United States programs at Open Society Foundations.
“L.D.F. is a great American institution that remains vigorously engaged in the fight for justice in the areas of voting rights, access to economic and educational opportunity and in challenging injustice in the criminal justice system,†Ms. Ifill said in a statement.
