Democracy is fundamentally a system of faith. It is dependent on people believing their voices matter. Believing participation matters. Believing that institutions care what they think. Believing, at least at some level, in the validity of their civic agency. And as a result, democracy as a system is always at risk, even when — or perhaps especially when — it is taken for granted. In America today, the core beliefs on which democracy so greatly depends are slipping away faster than most realize and the loss of faith in democracy is, in and of itself, a risk we ignore at our own peril.
At Murmuration, we equip community-focused organizations with the data-driven insights, tools and services they need to help communities build and make use of civic power to engage in democracy so that everyone across the nation can thrive. To this end, we created our Civic Pulse initiative to capture how people live civic life daily, not just as voters, but as neighbors, parents, students and workers. Each day, Civic Pulse asks open-ended questions that reveal the hopes and struggles of people across the country. Each day, we learn more about how people across the country are showing up for and in our democracy, and where they are losing faith.
What we hear is alarming. Three out of 4 Americans say they do not feel fully represented by a political party at least some of the time, and a third feel that way nearly all the time. Many have stopped dreaming of reforming institutions, instead imagining tearing them all down. But fewer people have a vision of what should be built in their place. This loss of faith is not just a mere momentary frustration. It’s a warning sign that democracy is at risk. When people stop believing change is possible, they withdraw from civic life. And when civic life unravels, democratic institutions weaken.
We already see this withdrawal in the data. Only 8% of Civic Pulse respondents believe they can have a “great deal of impact” on local issues, and only about a third believe they can have even a “moderate amount.” Fewer than 1 in 5 have attended a community event in the past month. And nearly a third haven’t taken any action to support community organizations — schools, places of worship or charities — in the past year. The result is a cascading effect where declining participation fuels mistrust, frays community ties and leaves people feeling powerless to shape their future.
And yet, in our work with local organizations, we see reason for hope. Across the country, communities are proving that trust and participation can be rebuilt. In Minneapolis, our partner Great MN Schools recognized that thousands of Somali-speaking residents were being left out of important discussions around local education policy. But, using Murmuration’s data, Great MN Schools identified where outreach was most needed and engaged families in their own language, moving them from the margins to the heart of decision-making, and building with them newfound faith in democracy.
We see this pattern throughout the country with our other partners, as well. In my previous op-ed I highlighted the work of one of them, The Memphis Lift, and their efforts to influence local education policy. We also work with mutual aid networks that are responding to climate disasters, organizations working to protect democracy, and many others. Where community-focused organizations pull people into problem-solving, raise up their voices and demonstrate the potential for change, faith in democracy is built and progress is made.
When people believe they matter, their civic participation can grow substantially. Our data shows that people who believe in their ability to make a difference tend to volunteer more, donate to local candidates or causes more often, and are more likely to attend or organize a community event. We also see that a vast majority, about two-thirds, are regular voters and vote in every local election. Just as important, their outlook on their communities can change — those who feel cared for by their community, and think of their local government as effective, are more likely to describe their communities as thriving.
If, through philanthropic investments, our collective goal is thriving communities, then philanthropy must treat civic infrastructure with as much urgency as funding direct services. Just as public investment in schools, roads and bridges enables communities to function, philanthropic investment in civic networks enables people to solve problems and build futures together. Without this foundation, the systems impacting education, health, equity, climate and more are increasingly subject to erosion and decline, and while direct service philanthropy will continue to be an important Band-Aid for communities in crisis, it will never fully create the context for sustainable systemic change.
Some argue that the government or the markets should fill gaps in civic infrastructure. Yet, neither has incentive to invest in civic life’s long arc. Unfettered by short-term profit goals, upcoming reelection campaigns or pressure from powerful special interests, philanthropy can take the patient, flexible approach needed. By reimagining investment criteria to include long-term power-building through civic engagement across issues, philanthropy has the potential not only to enable thriving communities, but also protect and support our democracy before trust erodes and civic participation slows.
Where today, grassroots groups often rely on short-term, restrictive grants tied to episodic wins, philanthropy must provide sustained, flexible funding for year-round organizing and trust-building, making it possible for communities to build momentary victories into real, long-term transformation. And to maximize the impact of these investments, philanthropy must also invest in shared civic infrastructure to strengthen networks and expand leadership pipelines.
Imagine communities where people show up, feel heard and take pride in shaping their future. That is the future philanthropy can build, one grant, one leader and one connection at a time. This is philanthropy’s moment of responsibility, and its legacy begins with what we choose to fund today.
Emma Bloomberg is the Founder and CEO of Murmuration.
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