Communities

people celebrating at work
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.

group of women laughing
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.
Stay up to date

Sign up for the Strong & Safe Communities newsletter for stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers breaking cycles of poverty and bridging divides.

Top stories

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

 a collage featuring two photos of athletes with prosthetics training Why did MrBeast visit this unique Dallas gym?

Bench-pressing with one arm is challenging but not impossible at this gym. 

 A refugee and an American citizen embrace one another Here’s how one refugee organization harnesses what Americans do best

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

 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. 

 First step staffing hero image man with a purple shirt and beard Going from homelessness to employment — in 72 hours or less

Getting a job can be hard. It’s even harder when you’re homeless.
© 2024 Stand Together. All rights reserved. Stand Together and the Stand Together logo are trademarks and service marks of Stand Together. Terms like “we,” “our,” and “us,” as well as “Stand Together,” and “the Stand Together community,” are used here for the sake of convenience. While the individuals and organizations to which those terms may refer share and work toward a common vision—including, but not limited to, Stand Together Foundation, Stand Together, Charles Koch Foundation, Stand Together Trust, Stand Together Fellowships, and Americans for Prosperity—each engages only in those activities that are consistent with its nonprofit status.