Do You Want to Support
Renewal of Democracy?
Readers of our book and the Civic Bargain on Substack frequently ask what they can do to help renew American democracy. I urge anyone interested to support
(volunteering, donating, etc.) any of the expanding number of non-partisan organizations now working to strengthen our civic culture, education, and institutions.
Below is my curated directory of such organizations that I’ll continue to update as a public service. Though I believe all listed are reputable and aligned with the values of our Civic Bargain, please do your own due diligence before donating or engaging with any of them.
If you have a new organization to suggest for the list, please contact me via Linked In or comment/chat at The Substack Civic Bargain.
For a full alphabetical listing of all currently included organizations, please click here.
Braver Angels is a New York-based 501 nonprofit dedicated to political depolarization to strengthen our democratic republic. The organization runs workshops, debates, and other events where “red” and “blue” participants attempt to better understand one another’s positions and discover their shared values.
A youth movement for young citizens fighting partisanship. The organization is committed to viewpoint diversity, constructive dialogue, and solution-oriented politics. It teaches moderation, hosting discussions and improving resume skills. There are both college and high school chapters for civically-minded students.
An organization that supports leaders and community organizations on the ground who recognize first-hand the need for creating a culture and building institutions in which everyone belongs. They offer in-person and online trainings ranging from introductory workshops to in-depth coaching sessions.
An organization founded in 2017 by Lester Levine. They help elect leaders who put “people over Party” and “people over ideology.” Campaigns include ones for US Senate, US House, Governor and state legislature races. Their method is peer-to-peer campaigning among “sometimes” voters. They focus on problems that appeal to the majority. Mr. Levine can be contacted directly by email: lester.levine@gmail.com.
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
A non-profit organization that defends and promotes free speech for all Americans in courtrooms, on campuses, and in the culture. They are committed to sincere nonpartisanship, courageous advocacy, and an enduring belief in free speech as a force for good. Many opportunities for student and faculty involvement.
Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
The institute equips people, organizations, communities and networks with the tools to bridge divides, build capacity, and tackle shared challenges, enabling communities to become a collective force for change and strengthen our civic culture. They provide a workshop on how to do this.
Works on both short and longer term initiatives to address the underlying drivers of fracturing and polarization, and build more united, resilient and inclusive democratic societies. Their work is research that includes surveys, interviews, focus groups, community conversations and expert interviews.
A group of Americans who believe in the promise of America and our collective power to build more united communities. It is an organization that inspires veterans and all service-minded individuals who see the value in coming together for conversation and community service.
Nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advancing civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities and a strong democracy. These aims are achieved by inspiring, supporting and recognizing inclusive approaches to community decision-making. They apply civic engagement principles through key programs: community assistance, awards, events, research, and publications.
National Coalition For Dialogue & Deliberation
An organization that creates community for those committed to shared exploration of dialogue and deliberation as a means to improve lives, enhance public and organizational life, and strengthen democracy. They put into practice the values of collaboration, inclusivity, and continuous learning.
Founded by internationally-recognized democracy expert Danielle Allen, this Massachusetts-based powerhouse organization is working to drive democracy renovation nationally by working at the state level, state-by-state. PID volunteers play a critical role to educate and mobilize our communities and drive progress. There are monthly info sessions for interested volunteers.
Red, Wine and Blue
A 501 organization founded after the 2018 midterm election. Operating out of suburban swing districts in the United States, RWB engages women at a grassroots level and drives media narratives to better reflect issues faced by the “everyday woman”. Good organization for civically-minded women interested in democratic participation.
A vast, free, set of of online materials focused particularly on the nature of hyper-polarized, intractable conflict and what can be done to address it, compiled by over 600 people over a 25 year+ history. The organization is currently focused on escalated, hyper-polarized conflicts threatening the stability of Western liberal democracies.
This organization brings together a group of political scientists to monitor democratic practices, their resilience, and potential threats. They aggregate and analyze numerous surveys to give charts and reports on the current state of democracy.
The Center for Democratic Governance
The organization serves as a catalyst for the elevation of democratic governance studies, research, and modeling to advance theory creation, normative examination, empirical analysis, governance design, advocacy, and education particularly in regard to the environmental, technical, and social threats facing liberal democracies.
Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton
A research program within the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The Center supports research and educational programming on democratic political institutions and behavior. A major aim of the Center is to encourage rigorous social scientific analysis that informs our understanding of the public policy process, elections, and policy decisions.
CIRCLE at Tisch College, Tufts University
A non-partisan, independent research organization focused on youth civic engagement in the United States. They combat the systemic barriers that keep some young people underrepresented in civic life. Main activity: conducting extensive research on youth participation and using that research to improve opportunities for all young people to meaningfully participate.
A nonprofit news site focused on sustainability, civics, and creative change in New Jersey. Mission is to advance solutions-based news about citizens building healthy communities.
Civitas Institute at UT – Austin
A community of scholars exploring the ideas and institutions that create flourishing societies. Their programs facilitate inquiry into the foundational principles: individual rights and civic virtue, constitutionalism and the rule of law, and free enterprise and markets. Independent thought, civil discourse, reasoned deliberation and intellectual curiosity are central to the Civitas ethos.
A network of podcasts focused on helping listeners understand what’s broken in our democracy, and how people are working together to fix it. The network also provides listeners with a one-stop shop for podcasts about democracy, civic engagement, and civil discourse.
Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics
The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics is a research center at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. The center’s mission is to “advance teaching and research on ethical issues in public life.” Two of its major initiatives currently include The Democratic Knowledge Project, and Educating for American Democracy.
A Washington, D.C.–based think tank that promotes bipartisanship. Endeavors to combine ideas from both the Republican and Democratic parties to address challenges in the U.S. such as those around energy and the national debt.
Center for Character & Citizenship
Organization at University of Missouri-St. Louis–College of Education that engages in research, education and advocacy to foster the development of character, democratic citizenship and civil society. It’s funded by grants, individual donations, and through corporate and foundation support.
The Center for Civic Education aims to develop informed, responsible participation in civic life. Their research-based, award-winning programs have reached more than 30 million students worldwide, with a decades-long track record of effectiveness in classrooms and other settings.
The Center for Civic Friendship
The Center for Civic Friendship is an organization at Assumption University dedicated to preparing students to flourish as thoughtful citizens with a strong dedication to the common good. And teaching students how to negotiate differences and build positive relationships through attentiveness and care for others.
Lexington-based, civics-oriented organization that serves local community. Helps residents of all ages understand how their community works through educational programs, workshops, and resources. Increases residents’ engagement with local government by attending public meetings and covering local civic issues.
A consortium of nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations committed to strengthening civic life in the U.S. by increasing the quality of civics education in our nation’s schools and by improving accessibility to high-quality, no-cost learning materials. Teachers can find the best resources of these organizations, searchable by subject, grade, resource type, standards, and teaching strategy.
A nonpartisan educational initiative focused on elevating civics as a national priority with programs that advance and promote civic knowledge in schools, workplaces, and communities. These include a national civics “bee” that encourages young people to participate in civics and another that educates working professionals on civics.
Colonial Williamsburg | The World’s Largest Living History Museum
Experience the largest outdoor educational living museum in the country, through immersive and authentic 18th-century programming for guests. Apart from visiting and learning about the revolution and our democratic origins, there are opportunities to support their work through donation.
A nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. They work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all. Their issues include defending the right to vote, limiting big money’s influence on elections, holding public officials accountable, and more.
A nonpartisan reform coalition trying to restore the freedom of officials and encourage citizens to use common sense in our democratic society. They propose ideas to simplify bureaucratic structures. Guiding principle: restore everyone’s freedom to take responsibility and let others exercise their freedom to hold them accountable. Get involved by subscribing to their newsletter or donating.
An international nonprofit educational network with the mission to cultivate citizen competency across the United States and Europe. Their education and civic engagement initiatives work to inspire, equip, and connect parents, educators, civic leaders, and elected officials. Includes focuses on K-12, higher education, and civic engagement.
Educating for American Democracy
Initiative dedicated to excellence in history and civics for all learners. EAD represents a more than yearlong, highly collaborative process involving more than 300 people across executive and steering committees, task forces, working groups, an advisory council, and listening sessions. It has a large network of participants: teachers, scholars, students, and leaders in private and public sectors. They pride themselves on dealing with difficult, divisive issues through discourse to establish a substantial educational vision.
This organization equips and connects faith actors and their allies worldwide to protect democracy against the rise of religious nationalism and the global religious right. An NGO launched in 2025, its mission is to empower faith communities worldwide and their allies through training, networking, and campaigns.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
George Washington’s estate, managed by the Ladies of Mount Vernon Association, is maintained to educate visitors and people from around the world about George Washington’s life and legacy, so that his example of character and leadership will continue to inform and inspire future generations. They also have a collection of educational resources.
iCivics, Inc. is a 501 non-profit organization in the United States that provides educational online games and lesson plans to promote civics education and encourage students to become active citizens. iCivics was founded in 2009 by retired Supreme Court of the United States Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
A Philadelphia-based educational nonprofit committed to solving the national crisis of uninformed citizenship by teaching America’s founding principles and history. The organization runs a a number of education initiatives aimed at bringing America’s founding history, documents, and ideas back into “our nation’s” classroom. That classroom includes K-12 and college.
A private, nonprofit organization that serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate. Provides the best educational programs and online resources to inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution.
National Institute for Civil Discourse
Supports research on civility to create a body of knowledge on the history of political and social discourse in America and ways to improve it. Their staff and community of scholars support academics throughout the country in their research and teaching.
National Institute of American History & Democracy
Uses an interdisciplinary approach to teach students interested in democracy about American history, material culture, and public history. They gain hands-on experience that prepares them for careers in education, museums, and other areas of public history.
The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center
The organization provides character education and leadership development resources to improve civility and produce meaningful, measurable, and sustainable results in schools, organizations, families, and communities. They provide professional development, assessments, curricular resources, and ongoing consultation that focus on values-based education and best practices in character development.
The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy
The organziation calls itself a hub for democratic discourse, dialogue, and action focused on renewing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. They prioritize collaborative, innovative, and novel approaches to the project of sustaining multi-dimensional public participation and civic leadership. Their programs cater to Public Democracy Scholars and other Drake students
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This project aims to provide students with a series of courses relevant to the ideas and practices of democratic citizenship. They work to carry out Stanford’s mission, as laid out in the University’s Founding Grant, to prepare students for virtuous and effective citizenship by “teaching the blessings of liberty, regulated by law, and inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of government as derived from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.”
Previously known as The Centrist Project, it is an American grassroots organization founded by Charlie Wheelan with the goal of reforming the political system and bridging the partisan divide. Supports both electoral political reforms as well as independent-minded candidates.
The center has a collection of helpful resources and free study materials for a variety of people: immigrants interested in becoming U.S. citizens; educators who teach U.S. history and civics; organizations that support immigrants in the citizenship process and help integrate them into American civic society.