New Pluralists

And that's a wrap on Pluralism in Action! 3 days; 175+ leading researchers, practitioners, communicators, and funders; dozens of rich plenaries and breakout sessions; thousands of new ideas generated; millions (probably) of Post-It notes used; countless connections made. Thank you to everyone who participated and The Greater Good Science Center, Over Zero, More in Common, and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding for planning an incredible event. We're heartened and energized by everything we learned. There will be much more to come -- including insights and artifacts -- just bear with us as we sort through all those Post-Its. https://lnkd.in/gVNhZ8Xx

Attention ecosystem! New reports have been added to the New Pluralists' resource library, including: - Pluralism under Pressure: Assessing the Status of a Core American Value - Growing Pluralism in America: Understanding the Health & Vibrancy of the Pluralism Ecosystem - And case studies of several of our grantee organizations While you are there, you'll notice we've refreshed the website with a user-friendly interface and a clean design. Please have a look around and tell us what you think!

Earlier this month, our Interim Executive Director Liz Vogel traveled to Chicago for the 2024 Obama Foundation Democracy Forum. This year's forum focused on putting pluralism into action, a concept that sits at the core of the work we do every day at New Pluralists. Many speakers (including friends and Field Builders like Eboo Patel and Layla Zaidane) highlighted what we know to be true at our organization: pluralism is resilient enough to meet this moment. Liz wrote about her experience at the forum, noting among other things that  Rachel Kleinfeld’s framing of pluralism has stuck with her the most. Rachel K. told audiences that “Pluralism craves questions and dies without courage.” Read more about the event through Liz’s eyes and be sure to explore the valuable toolkit the Obama Foundation assembled to make the event’s ideas actionable. So many incredible leaders in our ecosystem contributed to the event and toolkit, and we were delighted to be at the table to participate in such a robust conversation about our emerging ecosystem and what we can do to help it flourish.

In the wake of the election, New Pluralists and our funders remain committed to investing in projects that increase our shared capacity to collaborate and solve problems. We are grateful to Drew Lindsay for including Liz Vogel's voice in this piece from The Chronicle of Philanthropy, alongside our funders from Stand Together and Omidyar Network, as well as perspectives from leaders from across the pluralism ecosystem. Some of those close partners and wise voices include Manu Meel from BridgeUSA, Common Ground , Interfaith America , Andrew Hanauer from One America Movement, Braver Angels, john powell from Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, More in Common, Kristen Cambell from Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), and Charlie Brown from Trust for Civic Life. With the heated rhetoric leading up to the election and the changing demographic coalitions revealed by the results, the philanthropy space and civil society need pluralism now more than ever. 

After much reflection, Uma Viswanathan is stepping away from her role as Executive Director of New Pluralists. She writes, "I am confident that now is the right time for fresh leadership to build off the foundation I helped create. The organization is in a stable place, ready to bring to fruition a strategic vision and focused mandate, powered by insights and relationships we’ve generated over the past three years." Her last day is Thursday, October 31, after which Liz Vogel, our current Director of Philanthropic Engagement, will serve as our Interim Executive Director. To learn more, read Uma's farewell blog. https://lnkd.in/gPpeSGgq

Most Americans support working with those holding different beliefs, and foundations are committing more of their resources to this work. That's the headline from a new Council on Foundations report we funded in partnership with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE). Among the findings: ☑️  85% of foundations have funded connecting across differences within the past 10 years ☑️  Nearly a quarter allocated more than half of their grantmaking budget to this work. ☑️  More than 90% of those funding this work increased or maintained their investments between 2021 and 2022. Download the full report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g5jK4t7Z

Exciting news! New Pluralists is in the running to host a panel at the SXSW 2025 conference! But we need your help. Take two minutes to cast your vote for  “Pluralism and Narrative Change: A Future Where We All Belong,” by Sunday, August 18 at midnight → https://lnkd.in/eNhnr6Rw Our panel will cover insights on research-backed methods that resist efforts to sow division.

In May, New Pluralists brought together 70 leaders from 40 pluralism organizations, including Healing Starts Here grantees and funders who believe in locally-led work, to build real and open relationships; engage in shared learning, sense-making, and strategy; and pause, reflect, and recharge. Amid the mountainous terrain of the New Mexico desert, we celebrated, shared stories, learned from one another, and recommitted to fostering pluralism in our communities across the country. Thanks to Adrian Molina from WARM COOKIES OF THE REVOLUTION for capturing the spirit of the gathering in his beautiful poetry that anchors this video, to the Breakout team for their support in executing the event, and to all our grantees for doing the hard, necessary work to bring us together amid forces that seek to drive us apart. Arrabon, Bears Ears Partnership, Bridgemakers, Collective Justice, Common Ground USA @Search for Common Ground, Community Renewal International, Dispute Settlement Center, Inc., Essential Partners, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, FRIENDS OF THE GROVE THEATRE INC, Future Caucus (formerly Millennial Action Project), Healing to Action, Interfaith Photovoice, La Maraña, Listen First Project, National Housing Company (NHC), Naugatuck Valley Project (NVP), Neighborly Faith, Out in the Open, The People, Plessy and Ferguson Initiative, The Red Door Project, Redeeming Babel Inc, Resetting the Table, Search for Common Ground, Seeds of Wisdom, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, Studio Two Three, Team, Inc., Urban Rural Action, The Village Square, Violence Prevention Network USA, Inc., WARM COOKIES OF THE REVOLUTION, West Virginia Can't Wait, Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, Working Together Mississippi, World Savvy, Wormfarm Institute, Youthprise

In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13, we are hearing many calls for unity. But how do we prevent violence like this? How can we build communities that are resilient in the face of hatred, othering, and violence? Our grantee Violence Prevention Network USA, Inc. (VPN), which works to counter violent extremism through deep connection and community engagement, was among the first groups we reached out to upon hearing the news. Despite being incredibly busy, Michèle Leaman and Julia Och from VPN were able to share a bit about how their work is building new paths to peace in the very communities in Pennsylvania where this violence took place. https://lnkd.in/et3Vc8FC