This new Corporation-supported report highlights the case for national service and volunteering, the many ways in which governors, state legislators, and other stakeholders are expanding opportunities for Americans to serve, and examples for how leaders in other states can further ignite a culture of service and citizenship to build bridges across our differences and help solve public challenges.
As part of an effort to advance civic participation in the United States, Carnegie Corporation of New York today announced $3 million in new funding for state and national service programs, including $1.1 million for initiatives in Utah. The grant money marks the foundation’s latest commitment to programs that seek to fortify our democracy by strengthening forces of social cohesion and reducing political polarization in American society.
The funding was announced by Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Corporation, who has made finding solutions to political polarization a priority for the foundation. She spoke during a symposium cohosted by Spencer J. Cox, the Republican governor of Utah, and More Perfect, a nonprofit organization and Corporation grantee created to promote democratic ideals such as service, civics, and access to fact-based journalism.
“In recent years the fragility of our democracy has been exposed to a degree that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago,” said Richardson. “We at Carnegie Corporation of New York believe that engaging in national and community service can help to inculcate an appreciation of the value of democracy and bring together people from all races, regions, and backgrounds and thereby strengthen the forces of social cohesion in our country.”
The Corporation and the Schultz Family Foundation funded More Perfect to study how states are expanding and improving service opportunities that help people contribute to society, collaborate with others from different backgrounds, and develop the skills needed for both the workplace and for civic life. The call-to-action report titled State Innovations in National Service & Volunteering provides specific examples and recommendations. It was released at the symposium and can be downloaded at this link.
Under Richardson’s leadership, Carnegie Corporation of New York is making a series of grants to help reduce political polarization. Among them:
- Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program: Scholarly research grants to study political polarization in the U.S. ($6 million annually for three years beginning in 2024; $18 million in total)
- Trust for Civic Life: Funder collaborative being developed to strengthen civic life through community-driven projects that promote engagement ($3.5 million in 2023)
- Press Forward: Funder collaborative to revitalize local journalism through an infusion of more than a half-billion dollars in field-building support ($5 million in 2023)
Other Corporation support includes funding for Disagree Better, an initiative developed by the National Governors Association and Governor Cox to show Americans how political leaders can work through political differences to find solutions to divisive problems. The new funding is in addition to the Corporation’s existing portfolio of grantees supported by its Democracy program, which focuses on the civic integration of immigrants, K–12 civic learning, protecting voting rights, and increasing voter participation of all citizens.