Rewriting the Civic Story: How Be The People Aims to Turn Participation into Power

Be The People is a nationwide collaborative campaign launched alongside the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to reinvigorate civic participation and community problem-solving in the United States. Convening more than 50 philanthropic foundations, nonprofits, businesses, and civic organizations under a shared framework, the initiative—led by Stand Together—aims to address the widespread public desire to contribute locally but uncertainty about how to do so meaningfully. Rather than creating a new institution, it connects existing efforts to resources, visibility, and shared narratives, emphasizing community members as active problem-solvers. With a first-year budget exceeding $200 million and a 10-year horizon, the campaign seeks to counter narratives of division and hopelessness by highlighting tangible local progress on issues such as poverty, addiction, violence, and economic mobility, supported by data collection and storytelling that elevate successful civic action.

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The Be The People campaign represents a major collaborative effort to shift public perception about civic participation and community problem-solving in the United States. Launching in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the initiative brings together over 50 philanthropic foundations, individual donors, nonprofits, businesses, and civic organizations under a unified framework for grassroots action. Founding members include GivingTuesday, Goodwill Industries, Habitat for Humanity, More Perfect, the National Basketball Association, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, among others. Led by Stand Together, a nonprofit network with experience convening cross-ideological coalitions, the campaign addresses research showing that many Americans want to contribute to their communities but lack clear pathways for meaningful participation. With a first-year budget targeting over $200 million, Be The People aims to change narratives of hopelessness and division by demonstrating that individuals can effectively address challenges, including poverty, addiction, violence, and economic mobility.

Rather than creating a new organizational structure, Be The People functions as an umbrella framework connecting existing community efforts to resources, visibility, and shared purpose. The initiative emphasizes authentic participation where community members engage as problem-solvers rather than passive supporters of professionally-led programs. This approach recognizes that sustained civic engagement requires people to see their contributions making tangible progress toward goals that reflect their interests and values. The campaign includes a comprehensive data collection effort to track both increased civic participation and actual problem resolution at local levels, alongside strategic communications designed to amplify community success stories often lost in polarized national discourse. Examples of affiliated efforts include Realize the Dream, launched by Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King to increase acts of service, demonstrating how established initiatives can align with the broader campaign framework.
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Be The People reflects growing recognition among funders and civic leaders that strengthening democratic health requires long-term investment in participatory infrastructure at the community level. The 10-year commitment signals understanding that cultural and behavioral shifts around civic responsibility develop gradually through sustained practice and visible results. For practitioners working to build civic capacity, bridge political divides, or create pathways for collaborative action, this initiative offers insights into coalition-building across sectors and ideologies while maintaining focus on concrete problem-solving. The campaign's emphasis on storytelling and narrative change also speaks to the importance of making local civic work visible and valued within broader democratic culture. Learn more about the Be The People campaign and its network of partners at https://apnews.com/article/be-people-250th-anniversary-27b16603cfe7fd0caa5d22f539cea3da?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email.