Communities

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Communities

Strong communities break cycles of poverty, bridge divides, and empower every person to realize their full potential.

Every person empowered

Each individual possesses unique gifts and talents they can share with the world — but millions of Americans face obstacles that keep them from flourishing and contributing.

Forty-three million Americans are experiencing poverty. Social division is increasing. Life expectancy is on the decline. Economic and social mobility have stagnated.

We believe the best way to tackle these challenges is by investing in communities, providing every person with an opportunity to overcome barriers and empower their neighbors.

Men in conversation

Fostering social change from the bottom up

Today, the social sector predominantly treats people as problems to be solved. But finger-pointing and top-down interventions aren’t working. Instead, we see people as the source of our best solutions. That’s why we back innovations, initiatives, and collaborations that remove social barriers and enable community-driven change.

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Innovations

Transformative approaches to social change

Customer First Measurement™
 Customer First Measurement is a nonprofit performance and impact measurement methodology that prioritizes customer feedback. Organizations use it to understand and respond to the experiences of the people they serve.
Principle Based Management™
 Principle Based Management is a framework that enables organizations to create long-term value, attract and retain top talent, and get better results. We help nonprofits apply this framework to empower millions of people across the country.
Initiatives

Tailored resources for social-sector leaders  

Catalyst
 Catalyst encompasses a growing network of influential, principle-based nonprofits driving social change. We equip each organization with individualized support to scale their work and transform their communities.
Radius
 Radius is a place-based effort to build stronger communities. We partner with the most innovative social entrepreneurs in specific regions to tackle the biggest challenges they face.
Collaborations

Targeted partnerships to address social barriers across the country  

Rise
 Rise revolutionizes the way addiction and mental health are tackled in America. We remove the stigma around sobriety and create ways for people to thrive.
Heal
 Heal bridges divides on issues of race, injustice, and hate. We help community leaders facilitate tough conversations and replace division with unity.
Build
 Build unlocks the power of entrepreneurship in under-resourced communities. We support small-business owners to increase economic opportunity and produce generational wealth.
Care
 Care unleashes the power and potential of care-sharing nationwide. We rethink the way that people meet the needs of their community.
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Top stories

Get the latest stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers driving community-based solutions to our country’s biggest problems.

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What if, instead of seeing addiction, we saw people grappling with unseen trauma and shame?

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Local communities, not top-down approaches, are solving the refugee crisis. 

 A collage of a hand on a shoulder These founders reveal the secret sauce of their nonprofit work

A healthy relationship is the most powerful thing in the world.

 A woman being hugged and comforted Why I was all in on this new approach to healing sexual abuse trauma

Could community be the solution? I decided to find out. 
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