The Center for High Impact Philanthropy participated in the Funders Summit on Democracy and Civic Life cosponsored by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and Democracy Funders Network, held in April 2019. The event in Sausalito, California, convened a diverse group of funders with a shared interest in democracy and civic life in the U.S. The two-day summit featured insights from leading scholars, practitioners, and funders on topics ranging from the definition of democracy to philanthropy’s role in supporting local news.
Founding executive director Kat Rosqueta spoke on behalf of CHIP to preview the insights from a forthcoming funder’s guide to strengthening democracy. CHIP’s framework for a strong democracy was featured in the prep materials for the event as well as in PACE’s Democracy Primer.
The framework identifies five elements of a strong democracy: empowered citizens, fair processes, responsive policy, information and communication, and social cohesion. The guide, to be released this summer, explores these elements in more detail and identifies evidence-based actionable strategies for funders to strengthen democracy.