Listen to the article
As the official celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approach their July 4th peak, a major privately funded initiative called “Be The People” is preparing to launch with an ambitious goal: connecting millions of Americans to solve local problems.
The campaign, backed by over $200 million in first-year funding from 50 philanthropic foundations and individual donors, aims to challenge the narrative that the United States is irreparably divided and that individuals are powerless to address issues like poverty, addiction, violence, and economic inequality.
“This is a unique moment to show people that they matter, that they have a part to play, and that the future is unwritten, but it depends on each one of us stepping up,” said Brian Hooks, chairman and CEO of Stand Together, a nonprofit network at the center of the initiative.
Stand Together, founded by billionaire Charles Koch, has established itself as a convener capable of building coalitions across ideological lines. For this campaign, they’ve assembled a diverse coalition of founding members including nonprofits like GivingTuesday, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, and More Perfect, alongside businesses such as Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment and the National Basketball Association. Major funders like the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation have also joined the effort.
The campaign’s creation comes at a critical juncture for American civic life. Hooks cited a 2024 Pew Research Center survey revealing most Americans in 2023 and 2024 believed the country couldn’t solve its most important problems—what he described as a “red alert” for the nation.
Rather than establishing a new nonprofit entity, “Be The People” will function as an umbrella initiative, providing resources and visibility to existing community efforts. The campaign envisions a comprehensive approach extending beyond traditional volunteering, incorporating roles for businesses and schools while implementing rigorous data collection to measure actual community engagement and problem-solving outcomes.
The initiative was showcased at an Atlanta Hawks basketball game on Monday, where Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, connected their existing “Realize the Dream” service program to the new campaign.
“Our vision is that ‘Be The People’ helps lift up what is already happening in communities across the country and reminds people that service and shared responsibility are defining parts of the American story,” the Kings said in a written statement.
Asha Curran, CEO of GivingTuesday, emphasized how community engagement can help bridge societal divides: “When people volunteer together, when people work together on something to do with positive social impact, they find it harder and harder to demonize each other.”
The initiative launches against a backdrop of intensifying polarization, economic disparity, and concerns about democratic institutions. Experts suggest the timing reflects growing philanthropic interest in strengthening American democracy.
Kristin Goss, who directs the Center for the Study of Philanthropy and Voluntarism at Duke University, noted an increasing trend of private foundations funding democracy-related issues. “Funders are getting more concerned about the health of American democracy, the future of the democratic experiment and pluralism and inclusion,” she said.
The initiative’s approach aligns with research by Hahrie Han, a political scientist at Johns Hopkins University, who studies civic engagement. Han points out that people need authentic opportunities to participate as problem solvers in local organizations, rather than just being asked to donate money or time to professional-led efforts.
“Be The People” represents a ten-year commitment to fostering behavioral and cultural change. The campaign has assembled significant communications resources to spotlight local success stories that might otherwise go unnoticed in today’s fragmented media environment.
“What we’re doing is helping to lift up the story of Americans that is unfolding at the local level but is not breaking through,” Hooks explained. “We’re holding up a mirror and a microphone to Americans to reveal to each other who we truly are.”
The initiative joins other efforts like the “civic bravery” award launched last year by the Freedom Together Foundation, recognizing individuals and groups who stand up for their communities amid rising concerns about authoritarianism.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
18 Comments
While the scale and funding behind this initiative are impressive, I’m skeptical about the ability of a top-down campaign to capture the diversity of perspectives needed to solve complex local problems. Grassroots organizing often works best when it emerges organically from communities.
That’s a fair point. The risk is that this campaign could feel imposed from above, rather than authentically reflecting the needs and priorities of different neighborhoods and demographics. Careful community engagement will be crucial for its success.
This is an intriguing approach to galvanizing civic engagement and community problem-solving. I’m skeptical about whether they can truly bridge deep political divides, but the scale and funding behind it are certainly impressive.
You raise a fair point. Overcoming entrenched partisanship will be a huge challenge for this initiative. But if they can find common ground on core issues, it could be transformative.
This is an ambitious and admirable effort to harness grassroots civic energy. I’m encouraged by the emphasis on empowering individuals to drive positive change in their communities.
Agreed, the ‘unwritten future’ framing is compelling. If they can truly inspire everyday Americans to step up and collaborate, it could yield meaningful breakthroughs on longstanding social challenges.
As someone with an interest in the mining and energy sectors, I’ll be watching to see if this campaign addresses issues like resource scarcity, environmental impact, and the economic role of extractive industries. Those topics could be highly relevant to their goals of tackling poverty and inequality.
That’s an excellent observation. Given the campaign’s focus on economic inequality, it will be interesting to see if they incorporate perspectives from industries like mining and energy, and explore the societal effects of resource extraction and manufacturing.
As someone invested in the mining and commodities sectors, I’m curious to see if this campaign addresses issues like resource scarcity, environmental impact, or the economic role of extractive industries. Those topics could be relevant to their goals.
That’s a good observation. The campaign’s focus on economic inequality suggests they may tackle the societal effects of resource extraction and manufacturing. It will be interesting to see if they bring those industry perspectives into the conversation.
As someone working in the mining and energy sectors, I’m curious to see if this campaign addresses issues like resource scarcity, sustainability, and the economic role of extractive industries. Those topics could be highly relevant to their goals.
That’s an excellent observation. The campaign’s focus on economic inequality suggests they may tackle the societal impacts of resource extraction and manufacturing. It will be interesting to see if they incorporate those industry perspectives.
This is an ambitious and admirable effort to galvanize grassroots civic engagement. I appreciate the emphasis on empowering individuals to drive positive change in their communities.
Agreed, the ‘unwritten future’ framing is compelling. If they can inspire everyday Americans to step up and collaborate, it could yield meaningful breakthroughs on longstanding social challenges.
I’m skeptical about the ability of a top-down, well-funded initiative to truly capture the diversity of perspectives needed to solve complex local problems. Grassroots organizing often works best when it emerges organically from communities.
That’s a fair point. The risk is that this campaign could feel imposed from above, rather than authentically reflecting the needs and priorities of different neighborhoods and demographics. Careful community engagement will be crucial.
I’m curious to see how this ‘Be The People’ campaign brings together such a diverse range of Americans to tackle local issues. It sounds like an ambitious effort to drive positive change from the ground up.
Agreed, mobilizing millions to address poverty, addiction, and inequality is a massive undertaking. I’m interested to learn more about the specific strategies and partnerships they’re leveraging.