America’s future starts with local communities
It’s time to invest in the people, places, and civic programming that power our democracy.
The Trust for Civic Life is a grantmaking collaborative that connects national and regional philanthropy with rural efforts to strengthen community bonds, civic engagement, and everyday democracy.
Reimagining Civic Life
Communities across the country are undergoing massive social, economic, and cultural transformations.
The clubs, associations, events and public spaces that once brought people together to learn from each other and serve their communities are evolving along with technological and demographic shifts that are reshaping America.
Civic life is ready for a renaissance, and rural America is leading the way. Communities across the nation are doing the work of everyday democracy—from improving access to public parks and welcoming new families to community-run digital town halls. But these efforts often lack the funding or support to bring new ideas to life.
The Trust for Civic Life was established to bridge this gap, pooling funds from national philanthropy and investing them in rural programs focused in three areas—Small Town America, Rural Urban Connection, and Next Generation Innovation—giving people a reason to come together, actively improve their community, and shape the future of American civic life.
Rural communities are home to nearly 20% of the people in the United States but receive only 7% of US foundation funding.
FUNDING COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CHANGE
The Trust for Civic Life invests in efforts that help people in local communities build common ground, and take an active role in creating their community’s future together.
We believe creating a direct connection between national funders and hyper-local entrepreneurial efforts can have a transformative impact, creating the conditions for a more engaged, vibrant civic life and, ultimately, a stronger democracy.
EQUIP
We deliver up to $10 million in grants annually and drive aligned funding into locally-led civic programs and efforts that coordinate multiple programs across a community or rural region.
LEARN
We unlock access to insights, tools, and practices that local efforts and philanthropists need to increase funding, reach all community members, and identify successful models.
CONNECT
We build stronger partnerships between philanthropy and civic programming to create deeper connections between national and local efforts.
Join us, and invest in the future of American life
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Become a funding member and help build the future of American civic life. Email us at join@trustforciviclife.org.
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The 2024 Civic Hub nomination period closed on 2/29/2024. The Trust will open a second round of nominations in August for a grant cycle focused on individual efforts and civic innovation.
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Join our learning community to access new insights, identify effective models, and champion powerful solutions. Email us at join@trustforciviclife.org.
Founded on research, designed with community
The Trust for Civic Life was founded based on findings from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ report, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing Democracy for the 21st Century. Through conversations with leaders and community members across the country, the report revealed a widespread fear—people can’t count on each other or institutions to serve our common interests.
The Trust was created in response to the report’s findings and designed in continued partnership with over 50 rural community leaders and national funders.
Funding Members
STRATEGY
LEARNING
