In the nonprofit/NGO space, too many organizations work in isolation from each other, competing for funding and constantly reinventing the wheel.
For that reason, I’m intrigued by the National Civic League’s effort to map the entities working to create a healthier democracy across my large and sprawling country.
The America’s Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Project is an interactive map of the “actors and resources” working to sustain, adapt and promote democratic practices in America. The database includes more than 10,000 initiatives, ranging from “neighborhood civic centers and rural news outlets to nationwide service organizations and national policy think tanks.”
To me, the scope of what’s included is a bit too broad. But the map will have a helpful feature that allows users to filter and organize the initiatives by characteristics like geography and category of work.
I’ll tell you what will impress me though: if this effort is followed by an initiative to encourage the formation of coalitions and coordination between democracy actors – and if it succeeds!
For further reading, take a look at the essay written by Josh Lerner of People Powered, on the need for a just transition to “many democracies.”
- PB
