Hewlett Foundation Pledges $19 Million to Repair Local Civic Ties

The funding supports groups including GivingTuesday, Shared America, and Be The People. Foundation President Amber Miller, who sits on the leadership council for Be The People, described the investment as a necessary intervention to stabilize a civil society currently strained by deep-seated distrust. The foundation intends to depoliticize everyday community issues, encouraging participants to focus on local outcomes rather than national partisan friction.

This strategy mirrors the foundation’s ongoing work with the Trust for Civic Life. In places like Buckhannon, West Virginia, the organization has demonstrated that tangible, small-scale improvements—such as repairing a boat dock—can serve as a catalyst for broader social cohesion. By facilitating monthly gatherings where residents propose and execute local fixes, the program builds interpersonal trust that often persists long after the initial project is complete. These efforts are currently expanding into regions frequently overlooked by traditional philanthropy, including the Black Belt, Central Appalachia, and various Tribal Lands.