New Case Studies Detail Efforts to Collaborate Across Differences
Philanthropy-funded projects are bright spots across the nation
WASHINGTON - The Council on Foundations today announced the release of Coming Together, Not Apart: Inside the Work of Turning Conflict Into Collaboration, the second in a three-part series exploring philanthropy’s investment in helping Americans connect and collaborate across differences.
The report, produced in partnership with the New Pluralists and PACE, features five case studies that showcase efforts to overcome toxic polarization and build trust and community on local and national levels, including:
-
Racial healing in Buffalo after a mass shooting: How Resetting the Table engaged predominantly white conservative evangelicals and Black and Brown progressives to build relationships and start “healing action groups.”
-
Common ground through public parks: How Trust for Public Land piloted a program that paired diverse community members to plan local park events together, leading to connections across difference increasing more than 50%.
-
Nonpartisan health action: How The Rockefeller Foundation’s pandemic initiative collaborated across sectors to develop a national testing plan that helped scale testing capacity from 1 million tests per week in March and April 2020 to over 25 million per week by the end of the year.
Additional case studies include StoryCorps’ One Small Step Initiative, which fosters conversations between people with opposing political beliefs, and Lancaster County Community Foundation’s Bridge Builders Program, funding community-born programs like the Lancaster Unity Cup, a soccer tournament celebrating new and diverse residents.
“We’re excited to see communities across the nation taking steps to engage with their differences – and in ways as diverse as they are,” said Kristen Scott Kennedy, the Council’s chief of staff and vice president of strategy and organizational effectiveness. “As more foundations and nonprofits commit to this work, we look forward to seeing more communities find their own paths to building an inclusive democracy where everyone belongs. We hope this report can be a resource for that journey.”
The report includes key takeaways from the case studies for foundations and partner organizations, including:
-
How organizations are measuring success;
-
Why flexibility matters as much as planning; and
-
Why projects must start with relationship-building and have longer timelines.
The third publication in this series will explore the future of philanthropy’s role in this space. For more information and to access this report or the first report, How Philanthropy Supports Connection in a Time of Dangerous Division, visit the Council on Foundations website.
###
About the Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit membership association that serves as a guide for philanthropies as they advance the greater good. Building on our 75-year history, the Council supports over 900 member organizations in the United States and around the world to build trust in philanthropy, expand pathways to giving, engage broader perspectives, and co-create solutions that will lead to a better future for all. Learn more about the Council and become a member by visiting cof.org.
