Hello!?!?  We thought it went without saying, but we now know it needs to be said, that a government of, by and for the people need not have “hidden people” nor “hidden money” influencing that same government.  A reminder here that it is not so much a grand conspiracy as it is just very powerful individuals flexing that power or checkbook – human nature can work that way.  This grassroots area specifically works to put an end to these overpowering individual influences.

• American Promise –  For business people.    The goal of American Promise is to organize Americans to win the 28th Amendment to the Constitution to restore American democracy in which We the People—not big money, not corporations, not unions, not special interests—govern ourselves… first cross-partisan Advisory Council to speak out for the 28th Amendment. These American leaders represent thoughtful viewpoints from a variety of political, economic, and demographic perspectives.
  
• Business for America –  many business leaders who are tired of our country’s broken politics and would rather compete in the economic marketplace than in the political arena. These men and women are leaders and drivers of change.  Not every business leader, of course, will want to join Business for America. The businesses that are focused on their own short-term interests instead of the larger business climate and long-term public interest may have no interest in changing the current political landscape.
  
• The Center for Responsible Politics – Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
  
• Follow the Money –  researches and archives a 50-state federal/state database of contributions documenting $100+ billion, plus more than 2 million state lobbyist-client relationships that are registered annually. Recent expansions include selected local-level data, collecting independent spending reports for federal campaigns and in 31 states, and lobbying spending in 20 states.
• Open Secrets – Ten years after the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, OpenSecrets is taking a look at the dramatic ways America’s campaign finance system has been altered in the decade since.
• Take Back Our Republic – educating the public on conservative solutions for campaign finance reform. We are a non-partisan organization that advocates to ensure power and influence is returned to “We The People” instead of outside special interests.  

We all run a family budget.  We all make choices about when, for what and how much debt to take on.  We all know that continually spending more than you have, year-after-year, ends in pain. And we dream of touching the “freedom” of being debt-free.  Aren’t these feelings and dreams similar for our country? And with at least one added problem:  when it is normal to overspend, then the difficult choices are avoided!  Who will make those choices (and pay for our lack of choices yesterday)?  Our children? Our grandchildren?  Oh, and lest you think that this is confined to one party, we encourage you to look at the budget deficits for both parties. 

• Committee for Responsible Federal Budget –  independent, non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C. that addresses federal budget and fiscal issues. Founded in 1981.
• FixUS – launched early in 2019, FixUS is a new project of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget based on the premise that America’s political divisions and dysfunction are preventing our nation from dealing with a range of critical challenges and threats. Rolling out in 2020, FixUS is not focused on the Committee’s traditional budget work. Rather, through a number of efforts and partnerships, FixUS seeks to better understand the political, economic, and cultural root causes of our divisions, to bring attention and visibility to these issues, to build support for necessary changes, and ultimately, to help regain the sense of shared aspirations, values, and a belief that there is more that unites us than divides us. 

It is hard enough to feel like my one vote of 330-million votes makes a difference.  And of course if everyone was discouraged by this belief, then no one would vote.  Thus voting is considered not just a right, but a duty.  If we believe in equal opportunity, then we must work toward authenticating votes (secure voter, accurate vote counting) and work toward voter inclusion (ease of voting).  This grassroots area works to bring about both of these goals, security and ease, through collaboration and innovation.  Technology is showing that these two goals are no longer opposed to each other.

• Campus Vote Project – remove barriers to campus voting
• Fair Vote – a nonpartisan champion of electoral reforms that give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all  
  
• Independent Voter Project – seeks to re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform through initiatives, litigation, and voter education. We work with organizations around the country to reduce the institutional barriers that limit electoral competition, restrict the nonpartisan right to vote, and insulate the two major parties from competition. 
  
• League of Women Voters – empowering voters, defending democracy.  Recent focus on voter suppression, money in politics, redistricting.
• Nonprofit Vote – we help nonprofits engage the people they serve in voting and elections.

Several other valuable efforts are growing in this grassroots area.  Here you will find alliances & associations (for the whole basket of unrigging we draw your attention to NANR in particular), gatherings of unriggers, attempts at forming a 3rd party to break the present 2-party duopoly, business organizations wanting to compete on merit rather than campaign contribution, and other specific election laws to unrig (gerrymandering, rank-choice-voting, term limits, and more).

• Bridge Alliance – approx 100 member organizations in all fields of un-rigging and democracy 2.0 building. 4 Principles:  country is stronger when leaders work together; advocate a strong voice for the people; respectful civil discourse is necessary for problem solving; learn from each other and align efforts.
  
• Common Cause – the ultimate power in a democracy is the people. We are more than 1 million powerful, fearless, ordinary Americans working together to build a democracy that works for us all.

  Our work leads and defines the democracy reform movement, promoting solutions already succeeding in some communities to shift power to the people and away from wealthy special interests and partisan ideologues.

• Issue One – There is no silver bullet to revitalize our democracy. But there is a single path — galvanizing the public and elected leaders around a host of important and achievable solutions like securing our elections, ending gerrymandering, and reforming campaign finance laws. 

• Millennial Action Project –Transcending Political Tribalism through Millennial Leadership

• National Association of Non-partisan Reformers -NANR… association of 50+  unrigging organizations foster a government that is representative of and responsive to the people, are dedicated to advancing electoral reforms and strategies that increase competition, participation, and accountability in our political system. Major party incumbents have created institutional barriers to insulate themselves from these reforms.

• National Conference on Citizenship – is dedicated to strengthening civic life in America. We pursue our mission through a nationwide network of partners involved in a cutting-edge civic health initiative, our cross-sector conferences and engagement with a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations interested in utilizing civic engagement principles and practices to enhance their work. Annual at Univ of Maryland at end of Oct.

• Represent.us – bringing together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful anti-corruption laws that stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.  Celebrity involvement and motivational media materials.
• Serve America Movement –  (SAM) The mainstream political parties protect their own survival above all else. So a new party must write America’s next chapter.
• Stand Up Republic – Through media and grassroots campaigns, we fight for accountable government, electoral reform, healthy media, and pluralistic society.
• Unite America – Through the Unite America Fund, we invest in nonpartisan electoral reform campaigns and work to elect Unity Candidates so that the right leaders have the right incentives to solve our country’s largest greatest problems.  Even when we the people agree, our politicians do nothing. It’s because they’ve stopped serving we the people. In order to get elected — and re-elected — they’re serving their campaign donors, special interest groups, and party bosses.See also Video.
• Younify – The YOUNIFY Summit & Festival is a historic gathering for those of us who are ready to heal divisions and build the future together – a national conference, festival and, most importantly, a catalyst for a groundbreaking, large-scale movement for improving our country and communities. … will include interactive conference programming, a large scale concert and a film festival. Throughout we will integrate film, art, music, civil discourse, best practice sharing, public policy, community organizing training, power-building, networking and relationship building.

“I spent more time researching my lawn mower than I did on who I was going to vote for Governor,” said one interviewee.  Certainly then, we can come up with better “job application” systems for our elected servant leaders.  We can do so much better than 30-second sound bite TV commercials, mudslinging ads, sensationalized news, rah rah campaign rallies full of “lies and promises,” and debates that model incivility.  We The People don’t have to play the mega-million $ campaign game that plays into the hands of big money.  We can redefine the “job application processes.”  We suspect that part of the answer is less about issues and more about real leadership aptitude.

• iSideWith – Online polling platform.  Started in March 2012 by two friends with two very different views of politics. Constantly finding and building new ways to boost voter engagement and education using information, data, and breaking technologies… 55,182,973 voters use iSideWith to find their candidate match
• League of Women Voters – Empowering voters, defending democracy.  Recent focus on voter suppression, money in politics, redistricting.
• Santa Clara University, applied ethics – 15 ideas for reforming the political debate process. 
• Common Ground Solution  – Common Ground, a book by Howard Konar, maps out many of the most important issues facing us today, and offering new perspectives we can use to analyze and address them together. It’s also a call to action, with recommendations for bringing active civic engagement into everyday life and holding our leaders accountable. Both pragmatic and inspiring, Common Ground is a refreshing look at the ideas that can help us have a more constructive political conversation.

Think about a favorite boss.  That boss may have been a favorite because they set goals, made rules of the workplace, and gave you feedback (praise, gratitude as well as reprimands for improvement).  If we think of ourselves as the boss of our elected servant leaders, how are we doing at being a favorite boss?  Or are we more like a million squeekie-wheels?  This grassroots area is about giving helpful feedback.  They work for us after all.  How can we be the better boss?

• The Chisel – offers you a unique platform to engage in public policy-making with experts from nonpartisan organizations and bipartisan coalitions. You can comment on proposals these experts have created—they’ll listen to your feedback and revise the proposals to build consensus nationwide. And then, we’ll help these organizations send these proposals to Congress.
• Common Ground Solutions – Common Ground, a book by Howard Konar, maps out many of the most important issues facing us today, and offering new perspectives we can use to analyze and address them together. It’s also a call to action, with recommendations for bringing active civic engagement into everyday life and holding our leaders accountable. Both pragmatic and inspiring, Common Ground is a refreshing look at the ideas that can help us have a more constructive political conversation.
• Countable – Why does it have to be so hard to understand what our lawmakers are up to?  With Countable, it doesn’t.  Countable makes it quick and easy to understand the laws Congress is considering. We also streamline the process of contacting your lawmaker, so you can tell them how you want them to vote on bills under consideration.
  
• iSideWith – Online polling platform.  Started in March 2012 by two friends with two very different views of politics. Constantly finding and building new ways to boost voter engagement and education using information, data, and breaking technologies… 55,182,973 voters use iSideWith to find their candidate match
• Kettering Foundation’s National Issues Forum –

  Wealth of on-line collaboration, resources, publications, research. Two helpful starting points are what KF does and does not, and the Problems Behind Problems. Dozens of publications spanning 19 categories, including methods for measuring civic satisfaction.

• National Conference on Citizenship – NCOC is dedicated to strengthening civic life in America. We pursue our mission through a nationwide network of partners involved in a cutting-edge civic health initiative, our cross-sector conferences and engagement with a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations interested in utilizing civic engagement principles and practices to enhance their work. See also Civic Health Index.
• Rate My Professor – founded in May 1999 by John Swapceinski, RMP was acquired in 2005 by Patrick Nagle and William DeSantis.^[2] Nagle and DeSantis later resold RMP in 2007 to Viacom‘s MTVU, MTV’s College channel.  Possible transferable experience to civic feedback loops.
• Stand Up Republic – through media and grassroots campaigns, we fight for accountable government, electoral reform, healthy media, and pluralistic society.

The Decision Process tool creation is closely aligned with the Voice of the People grassroots area.  Both have a core belief that omitted information sources (either on purpose or accidentally) will increases the risk of making a poor decision.  Likewise, both of these grassroots areas (Voice of the People, and Decision Process Tools) have been in exploring mode for decades and thus in need of a convergence.  Confident Conflict Transformation (CCT) recognizes our underlying cultural avoidance of conflict and how we often  substitute  systems of competition when we do not otherwise know how to collaborate our way through a conflict.

• Alliance for Peace Building –  (AFP) is a nonpartisan network of 110+ organizations working in 153 countries to end conflict, reduce violence, and build sustainable peace. We build coalitions in key areas of strategy and policy to elevate the entire peacebuilding field, tackling issues too large for any one organization to address alone.
•  Appreciative Inquiry –  Appreciative Inquiry is an energizing and inclusive process that fosters creativity through the art of positive inquiry. AI invites change through the creation of shared meaning, vision and purpose by building upon the core values and strengths of participants – resulting in strategic initiatives, actionable items, commitment, and sustainability. Developed at Case Western Reserve Univ.
• Center for Non-Violent Communication – NVC, a global nonprofit organization founded by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D. We are dedicated to sharing Non-Violent Communication (NVC) around the world, and, to that end, we offer International Intensive Trainings and we certify individuals as trainers.
• The Chisel Lab – offers you a unique platform to engage in public policy-making with experts from nonpartisan organizations and bipartisan coalitions. You can comment on proposals these experts have created—they’ll listen to your feedback and revise the proposals to build consensus nationwide. And then, we’ll help these organizations send these proposals to Congress.
• Civic Hall Labs – NYC’s civic technology community center. Civic Hall envisions a society that is more fair, just, and democratic. Our mission is to build the power and capacity of civic-minded people and organizations. We are a non-profit center for learning, collaboration, and technology for the public good. At Civic Hall, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, government staff, community organizers, philanthropists, software developers, data scientists, and media makers come together to share knowledge and solve pressing public interest problems.
  
• Civic Health Project –

  we support transformative, cross-disciplinary academic research into the causes and consequences of eroding civic discourse, especially human behavior patterns that hinder healthy political decision-making. We tap academic experts from the fields of psychology, sociology, philosophy, political science, and computer science.

• Civility Politics – is a non-profit organization that is run by a group of academics whose expertise lies in the use of data to understand moral psychology.  We regularly publish articles in scientific journals concerning the antecedents and consequences of specific moral views.
• Common Good Collective –

  Cultivating the capacity to produce our own well being to eliminate personal and economic isolation. (alternate vision of poverty; agency instead of colonized and commercialized)

• Conflict Center – local to Denver, a service organization in Denver teaching people conflict skills, from functional groups to rehabilitating incarcerated citizens. 
• Conflict Transformation Fund – strengthens conflict literacy in progressive movement organizations through funding, research and philanthropic organizing.
• Crowd Law – on line, participatory law making.

  Also see  Governance Lab at NYU.

• Crucial Conversations -For-profit.  Book in 2002. Business self-help. Training and certification offered.
• Decision Making Confidence – a structured methodology for gathering information and prioritizing and evaluating it… developed by Charles H. Kepner and Benjamin B. Tregoe in the 1960s… a rational model that is well respected in business management circles. An important aspect of Kepner Tregoe decision making is the assessment and prioritizing of risk.
• Deliberative Democracy Consortium -DDC, is an alliance of leading organizations and scholars working in the field of public engagement, participation, and deliberation.
• Deliberative Polling – from Stanford University,pioneered by James Fishkin, scholarly research and street-level use of skills for deliberative polling (in representative small groups) that then is given to governing officials.
• Foundation for Community Encouragement – FCE, founded by author M. Scott Peck.  Deep level authentic communication similar to T-groups traveling through 4 stages of pseudo community, chaos, emptying (or retreat to organizing & norming), deep community.  Not very active since peaking in 1990’s.
• Granicus –  empowers modern digital government with the latest in cloud technology that connects 200 million people with over 4500 government organizations.  Also listed under portal of this grassroots area.
• Heterodox Academy – founded by Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind, moral psychologist at NY Stern School of Business.  A response to the rise of orthodoxy within scholarly culture — when people fear shame, ostracism, or any other form of social or professional retaliation for questioning or challenging a commonly held idea. We believe that the best way to prevent orthodoxy from taking root within the academy is by fostering three key principles: open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. 
• Intercultural Development – offer unique products, services, and visionary global solutions for the advancement of cultural competence and intercultural conflict resolution…offers customized, assessment services to build intercultural competence within educational institutions, government agencies, NGOs, corporations, and other organizations. Through the application of the Intercultural Development Inventory^® (IDI^®) and the Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS^®) Inventory^®, we facilitate personal growth and insight and collective change. Div of Hammer Holdings, women owned, for profit.

• Interfaith dialogue groups – are available in most towns that are large enough to have multiple faith communities.  These groups work to build understanding of differences and common core.  Such groups are organized to foster harmony rather than discord.  Here are a few sites to start with: https://www.religioncommunicators.org/guidelines-for-interfaith-dialogue

  https://www.scarboromissions.ca/interfaith-dialogue/principles-and-guidelines-for-interfaith-dialogue

• Interfaith Youth Corps –  founded on the idea that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division…build this bridge by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a religiously diverse social landscape…across more than 460 campuses IFYC helps rising leaders learn to engage difference positively, lead fearlessly, and connect to thousands of peers who share a vision for a diverse yet indivisible future. 
• International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution – Revolutionizing the Science and Practice of Peace and Conflict.

  ICCCR is an innovative Science-Practice Center committed to developing knowledge and practice to promote constructive conflict resolution, effective cooperation and social justice. We partner with groups, organizations and communities who wish to learn constructive conflict strategies so they that may develop just and peaceful relationships. We work with sensitivity to cultural differences and emphasize the links between research, education, and practice.

• iSideWith – On line polling…  started in March 2012 by two friends with two very different views of politics… constantly finding and building new ways to boost voter engagement and education using information, data, and breaking technologies… 55,182,973 voters use iSideWith to find their candidate match.

• Jefferson Center – engagement programs provide citizens with the opportunity to learn about an issue, discuss with a diverse group of peers, and develop well-informed recommendations. The primary tool we use for deliberation and education is the Citizens Jury, which was invented by our founder Ned Crosby in 1971. Citizens Juries are built on the belief that when given the knowledge, resources, and time, groups of everyday citizens can create powerful solutions to today’s biggest challenges.
• Kiola –  Debate platform on-line. Kialo is an easy to use, yet powerful online  tool to engage in thoughtful discussion, understand different points of view, and help with collaborative decision-making…you can take on issues big or small, build consensus on a topic, and explore every aspect of a discussion…allows you to be more thorough and thoughtful about the issues that matter most to you.
• Mediator’s Foundation – overarching purpose is to prevent and reduce conflicts and promote collaboration. The Foundation develops and promotes proven methods for increasing the human capacity for peaceful, creative problem-solving in ways that motivate participants to become more aware and engaged citizens. In addition, the Foundation provides fiscal sponsorship to organizations and projects that reflect and enhance our mission.
• MisMatch – Connecting students across distance and divides to engage in respectful, face-to-face conversation… Superior at “safe space” because the “players” are at different locations via Zoom.
• Nat’l Assn of Community and Restorative Justice –  providing a professional association for educators and practitioners and others interested in restorative and community justice.  The primary means to fulfill this mission are the bi-annual National Conference on Restorative Justice and a membership accessible website.
• National Town Square -a non-partisan, non-governmental, non-corporate, citizen-led institution devoted to providing We the People with a way to cast advisory votes on the issues that affect us all, providing us with a powerful new collective voice with which to inform and support our elected representatives. (under construction)
• National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation – NCDD is a network of innovators who bring people together across divides to tackle today’s toughest challenges. NCDD serves as a gathering place, a resource clearinghouse, a news source, and a facilitative leader for this extraordinary community.
• NICD Common Sense American – one facet of National Institute for Civil Discourse, the Common Sense American APP was successfully tested for 5 years at a state level.  Volunteer citizens agree to review position papers on optional resolutions to a boiling federal issue, give feedback, and ultimately support a favored position during the presentation of findings to legislators.  All online.
• Ohio Peace and Conflict Studies –  Ohio has more than 19 colleges and universities with peace and conflict studies programs, and thanks to GPPAC, in partnership with Wilmington College’s Peace Resource Center, we are able to develop this Network in Ohio.
• Ohio State University Law School – 4 initiates of  the divided community project: Bridging Conflict, Leaders Designing Resiliency Strategies, Academy to Teach Conflict Skills, American and Community Spirit of Shared Aspirations.
• Peace Direct – is a charity based in London, England which supports grassroots peace builders in areas of conflict and have a clear vision of what needs to be achieved. Peace Direct funds this work, promotes it and learns from it.
• Polis -Unique on-line group process of sorting, searching, converging by asking of questions and voting as the discussion emerges.  See also Taiwan Sunflower Movement.  Polis is an AI-powered conversation platform used by companies, governments, nonprofits, and political parties around the world to inform decision-making. Polis combines quantitative and qualitative methods with advanced statistical methods to function as a state-of-the-art social research tool. With Polis…People do what people are good at—reading statements, voting, and sharing opinions.

  Computers do what computers are good at—finding patterns and visualizing the results.

• Polco – Many voices make meaningful policy. Polco’s civic engagement platform makes meaningful communication between community leaders and the people they serve not only possible, but enjoyable. Polco improves how community leaders seek input on important topics and how their members provide it. As a result, the civic process becomes a lively exchange of ideas, restoring civility and quality to policy-making discourse. Polco is a team of economists, policy experts, software engineers, and entrepreneurs dedicated to improving the way our political system works.
• Sabo Center for Democracy & Citizenship – at Augsburg University, building a more equitable and democratic world where all people develop agency and power to shape their lives and communities…serves as a Community Connector, Leadership Incubator, Change Catalyst, Democracy Laboratory.
• Search for Common Ground – striving to build sustainable peace for generations to come. We work with all sides of a conflict, providing the tools needed to work together and find solutions.  Trained Facilitators around the globe.  20 Hrs free video training content.
• Sustained Dialogue Institute – for more than 20 years helping people transform conflictual relationships and design change processes around the world. We define dialogue as “listening deeply enough to be changed by what you learn.” SDI provides workshops and educational trainings tailored to your institution’s needs… at your workplace, community organization, nonprofit, or college or university.We work in a sustained way with a variety of institutions, civic organizations, and workplaces to provide ongoing technical support toward the most inclusive, creative community possible.

• Tufts Univ, Tish College of Civil Life – Social-Emotional & Civic Engagement initiative.  Universities have a responsibility to develop the next generation of active citizens… help them develop the knowledge, skills, and values needed to address our most pressing social problems. Through groundbreaking research, we study civic life and the institutions that shape it. And we utilize that knowledge to promote practices that support the efforts of individuals and communities who seek the greater good.

• Vision for Humanity – Peace is a prerequisite for the future of humanity. Vision of Humanity is a guide to global peace and development – download free research, investigate interactive maps, take the Positive Peace Academy and learn about peace and the economy, all for free.  Also a measurement tool for peace.   

Years and years of niche consumerism + advertising + media driven elections + campaigns financed by big money + entrtainment culture + the 2-party political duopoly have culminated in “information silos” that feel both comfortable and trustworthy, but at the expense of seeing the silo next door as less and less trustworthy. Rinse and repeat until we are divided and lost our desire to understand the other.  How to break this cycles is the interplay of all five grassroots areas.  In this specific area of trusted information, these organizations are trying to break through the oversimplified, soundbite, consumerism, entertainment, news to instead bring a more complete, balanced, and yes a little more complicated presentation.   Here are several organizations with the express purpose to report balanced news. 

• AllSides –  Unbiased balanced news.
• Countable –  Why does it have to be so hard to understand what our lawmakers are up to?  With Countable, it doesn’t.  Countable makes it quick and easy to understand the laws Congress is considering. We also streamline the process of contacting your lawmaker, so you can tell them how you want them to vote on bills under consideration.
• Follow the Money –  researches and archives a 50-state federal/state database of contributions documenting $100+ billion, plus more than 2 million state lobbyist-client relationships that are registered annually. Recent expansions include selected local-level data, collecting independent spending reports for federal campaigns and in 31 states, and lobbying spending in 20 states.
• The Thread – Escape the 24/7 news cycle with a weekly email packing hundreds of hours of research into a 5 minute read. The Thread is your oasis from the minute-by-minute political drama, sensational headlines, and partisan reporting that’s making you want to pull your hair out. 
• The Fulcrum –  digital news organization focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American democracy… tightly focused on money in politics, redistricting, voting rights, election access, government ethics, civic engagement and the imbalance of powers.
• Gap Minder – Unique presentation of Data
• Gnomi -balanced news… is a political news aggregator app that grades media bias, and is available for download in the App Store and Google Play store… Gnomi offers a multitude of articles on today’s top news topics, graded for bias by artificial intelligence and human graders.
• Institute for Nonprofit News -INN is a network of more than 200 nonprofit newsrooms across the U.S., working to strengthen the sources of trusted news for thousands of diverse communities.
• Intelligence Squared Debates – 2 on 2 expert debates on stage in NY venue. 50 minute format. Dozens of recorded shows available as podcasts.  Each episode is full of informed viewpoints to consider and demonstrates civil discussion.  Although the discussion rarely turns to creativity or collaboration.
  
• Jubilee Media – Makers of human-centric videos that challenge conventional thinking, bridge people together, and inspire love.
•  Kettering Foundation – Wealth of on-line collaboration, resources, publications. 
• Open Secrets – Ten years after the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, OpenSecrets is taking a look at the dramatic ways America’s campaign finance system has been altered in the decade since.
• Open Government Metrics –

  sbuckley@opengovmetrics.com  ,   sbuckley714@gmail.com

• The Public Agenda –  infogagement.  Applies its expertise in nonpartisan research and public engagement to foster progress on the issues people care about most, including: K-12 Education;  A Major Step: What Adults Without Degrees Say About Going (Back) to College; Where Americans See Eye to Eye on Health Care; Divisiveness and Collaboration in American Public Life; The Fix We’re In: What Americans Have to Say About Opportunity;  Inequality and the System They Feel Is Failing Them; Criminal Justice, Immigration, Housing, Climate Change, and more.
• Solution Journalism Network –   We train and connect journalists to cover what’s missing in today’s news: how people are responding to problems. 
• The Thread – The Thread is your oasis from the minute-by-minute political drama, sensational headlines, and partisan reporting that’s making you want to pull your hair out. Imagine researchers with opposing views locked in an arena, sparring over issues that are most important to you. The best arguments from each side are then summarized in a weekly email so you can declare the winner. Sound interesting? Welcome to a fresh take on news that gets you the data, not the drama. Signup for our weekly email at the link above and #findyourthread.
• Your Voice Ohio – How can journalists help create a more vibrant Ohio? Do Ohioans feel represented by local news coverage? Our journalism collaborative is driven to find solutions to these questions and more. We use engaging, accessible, and authentic community conversations to explore our biggest challenges, while rebuilding trust between Ohioans and Ohio media.

Business operates on more than supply, demand, competition, dog-eat-dog survival.  Businesses are human creations. And similar to humans, once a business shows viability and is beyond survival mode, businesses then can become vehicles for equitable balance, creativity, personal fulfillment, shared values, shared experiences, shared success, mourning loss, celebrating milestones, learning together, and plenty of opportunity to grow through conflict.

• American Promise – For business people.    American Promise assembled the first cross-partisan Advisory Council to speak out for the 28th Amendment. These American leaders represent thoughtful viewpoints from a variety of political, economic, and demographic perspectives.
• Business for America – many business leaders who are tired of our country’s broken politics and would rather compete in the economic marketplace than in the political arena. These men and women are Business for America leaders and drivers of change.
  Not every business leader, of course, will want to join Business for America. The businesses that are focused on their own short-term interests instead of the larger business climate and long-term public interest may have no interest in changing the current political landscape.
• Diversity Inc –  mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity.Our business model extracts valuable data from the largest and most prominent companies in the world. Executives from these companies share their data because they want to compete for the best human capital in a marketplace that is increasingly non-male and increasingly non-white. DiversityInc has decades-long relationships with major corporations because they find our data, products and services to be an invaluable asset in guiding the growth and prosperity of their companies.
• Measure of America – hallmark of this work is the American Human Development Index, an alternative to GDP and other money metrics that tells the story of how ordinary Americans measure up.

If we are to live up to President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, that “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth,” then what are we doing to create a pipeline or bullpen of civic servant leaders.  Somehow, these brave souls continue to show up.  Perhaps the system for recruiting electable servant leaders is an area that attracts your energy.

• Leadership in Educational Equity –  To inspire and support a diverse, enduring movement of leaders to engage civically within their communities to end the injustice of educational inequity.
  
• New Politics – We need those who have put everything aside to serve America outside of politics to continue to serve our country — now as political leaders.
• Tufts University – … universities have a responsibility to develop the next generation of active citizens  …educate students and help them develop the knowledge, skills, and values needed to address our most pressing social problems. Through groundbreaking research, we study civic life and the institutions that shape it. And we utilize that knowledge to promote practices that support the efforts of individuals and communities who seek the greater good.
  

Once we have found and elected a servant leader, how do they acquire the skills of working with multiple stakeholders?  Does this area interest you?

• Congressional Management Foundation – working directly with Members of Congress and staff to enhance their operations and interactions with constituents.
  
• Center for Action and Contemplation – CAC.  Amidst a time of planetary change and disruption, we envision a recovery of our deep connection to each other and our world, led by Christian and other spiritual movements that are freeing leaders and communities to overcome dehumanizing systems of oppression and cooperate in the transforming work of Love.
• Former Members of Congress –  bipartisan, nonprofit, voluntary alliance of former United States Senators and Representatives, standing for America’s Constitutional system. FMC works to strengthen the Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policy making. FMC seeks to deepen the understanding of our democratic system, domestically and internationally, and to engage the citizenry through civic education about Congress and public service.
• Institute for Civility in Government –  grassroots, non-partisan, non-profit organization that is building civility in a society that all too often seems tilted toward uncivil speech and actions. The Institute does not endorse any political candidate, nor do we take a position on any issue. We are about process, not positions. Not a think tank, and not a watchdog organization, we serve as a catalyst for change: civility training, congressional student forums, legislative seminars, speaking engagements. 
• Local Leadership Centers  – are in many towns with the express purpose to identify future leaders and set them on a path of effectiveness (but also careful not to perpetuate dysfunction). Here are 2 examples:     Cleveland Leadership Center (CLC) provides collaborative leadership training, civic education and connections to leaders of all ages, empowering them to identify and take action on issues that resonate with them and positioning them to become change agents in the community. Leadership Akron, with vision to unlock the potential of leaders and serve as a catalyst that drives them to create a greater Akron. We accomplish this through the principles of…
• NICD, Next Generation – increases bipartisanship in state government while inspiring future congressional leaders.  Through our Building Trust through Civil Discourse workshop created by, led by, and tailored for state legislators – we work with elected officials to promote discourse and collaboration in statehouses across the country.
• Luna Community Consulting – Building higher functioning community in Sand Diego.
• Tufts University – … universities have a responsibility to develop the next generation of active citizens  …educate students and help them develop the knowledge, skills, and values needed to address our most pressing social problems. Through groundbreaking research, we study civic life and the institutions that shape it. And we utilize that knowledge to promote practices that support the efforts of individuals and communities who seek the greater good.

We imagine that 19 of 20 coffee meetings on a congressional member calendar is someone who wants a need filled (and probably for good reason).  And perhaps some of these are constituent based needs that are counter to the party.  Who does the congressional member follow?  Constituent or Party?  Do we give the elected servant leader the support and tools to be strong in the face of party pressure?

• Alliance For Peace Building –  a nonpartisan network of 110+ organizations working in 153 countries to end conflict, reduce violence, and build sustainable peace. We build coalitions in key areas of strategy and policy to elevate the entire peacebuilding field, tackling issues too large for any one organization to address alone.
• American Promise – assembled the first cross-partisan Advisory Council to speak out for the 28th Amendment. These American business leaders represent thoughtful viewpoints from a variety of political, economic, and demographic perspectives.
• Business for America –  many business leaders who are tired of our country’s broken politics and would rather compete in the economic marketplace than in the political arena. These men and women are Business for America leaders and drivers of change.
• Coexist Foundation – works at the faultlines of conflicting cultural identities to strengthen the bond that holds a society together through a sustainable model of people working and learning together.
• Defending Democracy Together – conservatives and Republicans standing up for the rule of law, for free trade, and for more welcoming legal immigration policies.  (Example of reaching across the divide.)
• The New Center – the far left and far right making it increasingly impossible to govern. This will not change until a vibrant center emerges with an agenda that appeals to the vast majority of the American people… This is the mission of The New Center, which aims to establish the ideas and the community to create a powerful political center in today’s America.
• Luna Consulting – Building higher functioning community in Sand Diego.
• See also other Grassroots areas of this FTU website and Columbia site and the Princeton site.

These are people and organizations that are influential in the We The People 2.0 “space” but who may not be affiliated with an organization, or once were, or just are people helpful to know.

• Bi-partisan Policy Center –   The Bipartisan Policy Center is a Washington, DC-based think tank that actively fosters bipartisanship by combining the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans. Our policy solutions are the product of informed deliberations by former elected and appointed officials, business and labor leaders, and academics and advocates who represent both sides of the political spectrum. BPC prioritizes one thing above all else: getting things done.
• Mediators Foundation – overarching purpose is to prevent and reduce conflicts and promote collaboration. Develops and promotes proven methods for increasing the human capacity for peaceful, creative problem-solving in ways that motivate participants to become more aware and engaged citizens. In addition, the Foundation provides fiscal sponsorship to organizations and projects that reflect and enhance our mission.  (Mark Gerzon, John Steiner, Eve Penberthy)
• R Street – https://www.rstreet.org/     The R Street Institute is an American conservative and libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute’s stated mission is to “engage in policy research and outreach to promote free markets and limited, effective government.” 
• Path back to E Pluribus Unum, St Clair Commons Consulting, DC, Rob Stein 
• John Steiner – consummate student of democracy and connector of people & movements

These organizations were proactive in filling a need for groups of common focus to:  share experiences, solve common challenges, celebrate advancements, build camaraderie, and more.  You may not see a need to join the association or alliance, but you may find their information cache’ to be worthy of mining. 

• Alliance for Peace Building – (AFP) is a nonpartisan network of 110+ organizations working in 153 countries to end conflict, reduce violence, and build sustainable peace. 
• Bridge Alliance – approx 100 member organizations in all fields of un-rigging and democracy 2.0 building. 4 Principles:  country is stronger when leaders work together; advocate a strong voice for the people; respectful civil discourse is necessary for problem solving; learn from each other and align efforts.
  
• Civicus –  established in 1993 and since 2002 have been proudly headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with additional hubs across the globe. We are a membership alliance with more than 9,000 members in more than 175 countries.
• Common Cause – the ultimate power in a democracy is the people. We are more than 1 million powerful, fearless, ordinary Americans working together to build a democracy that works for us all.

  Our work leads and defines the democracy reform movement, promoting solutions already succeeding in some communities to shift power to the people and away from wealthy special interests and partisan ideologues.

• Deliberative Democracy Consortium – DDC, is an alliance of leading organizations and scholars working in the field of public engagement, participation, and deliberation.

• Granicus – empowers modern digital government with the latest in cloud technology that connects 200 million people with over 4500 government organizations.

• Institute for Nonprofit News –  INN is a network of more than 200 nonprofit newsrooms across the U.S., working to strengthen the sources of trusted news for thousands of diverse communities.

• National Association of Non-partisan Reformers -NANR… association of 50+  unrigging organizations foster a government that is representative of and responsive to the people, are dedicated to advancing electoral reforms and strategies that increase competition, participation, and accountability in our political system. Major party incumbents have created institutional barriers to insulate themselves from these reforms.

• National Conference on Citizenship – is dedicated to strengthening civic life in America. We pursue our mission through a nationwide network of partners involved in a cutting-edge civic health initiative, our cross-sector conferences and engagement with a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations interested in utilizing civic engagement principles and practices to enhance their work. Annual at Univ of Maryland at end of Oct.

• Represent.us – bringing together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful anti-corruption laws that stop political bribery, end secret money, and fix our broken elections.  Celebrity involvement and motivational media materials.
• Search Tools –   1) Fighting-To-Understand Tool of organizations addressing 5 grassroots action areas (you are in it now 😉   2) Princeton Tool to find local and national organizations   3) Columbia Tool of organizations in 17 categories.
• Unite America – Through the Unite America Fund, we invest in nonpartisan electoral reform campaigns and work to elect Unity Candidates so that the right leaders have the right incentives to solve our country’s largest greatest problems.  Even when we the people agree, our politicians do nothing. It’s because they’ve stopped serving we the people. In order to get elected — and re-elected — they’re serving their campaign donors, special interest groups, and party bosses.See also Video.
• Younify – The YOUNIFY Summit & Festival is a historic gathering for those of us who are ready to heal divisions and build the future together – a national conference, festival and, most importantly, a catalyst for a groundbreaking, large-scale movement for improving our country and communities. … will include interactive conference programming, a large scale concert and a film festival. Throughout we will integrate film, art, music, civil discourse, best practice sharing, public policy, community organizing training, power-building, networking and relationship building.

These organizations have created video content (or other content such as podcasts, or books, or music and more) that is intended to reach out to Americans, create an awareness of the need for involvement, and to invite these Americans to join or support the action.  

• American Creed –   Movie. The stories in American Creed — which speak to our dilemmas, offer hope that our shared ideals can prove more powerful than our differences — will engage viewers in a bold conversation about what it will take to uphold American democracy.
• Civic Nation –    Through organizing, engagement and public awareness we work with public and private partners to inspire, educate and activate people around the issues that are important to our country. 
• Hidden Common Ground 2020 – Public Agenda National Issues Forum Inst (Kettering)  (kicked off in USA Today 12-5-2019)  Public Agenda is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and public engagement organization headquartered in New York City. We strive to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity for all Americans.
• Institute for Non-profit News –  INN is a network of more than 200 nonprofit newsrooms across the U.S., working to strengthen the sources of trusted news for thousands of diverse communities.
• Jubilee Media – Makers of human-centric videos that challenge conventional thinking, bridge people together, and inspire love.  

• Divided We Fall TV – by NICD  National Institute for Civil Discourse  (Univ of Arizona) 
• Pantsuit Politics Podcast – For anyone discouraged by our current political discourse, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers bring a nuanced and grace-filled perspective to discussions about politics and news.
• Stitcher List of Top Podcasts –  listing of podcasts that are trending.  
• PragerU Docudrama – No Safe Places – trailer   
• Fraternal Organizations –  
• • Rotary International
  • Freemasons
  • Others…
• Search For Common Ground –  striving to build sustainable peace for generations to come.
  We work with all sides of a conflict, providing the tools needed to work together and find solutions.  Trained Facilitars around the globe. 20 Hrs free video training content.
• • https://undividednation.us/our-story/ 
  • Undivided Nation  – Erin and David Leaverton took to the road to all 50 states in search of America… capturing the profound stories of the people they met on the road, sharing how they transformed their thinking and changed their lives… on a weekly podcast, “Hello My Name Is America” and in Erin’s upcoming memoir, “Finding Home.”   In talking to real Americans… what we inadvertently uncovered was nothing less than the lie upon which we too had been building our lives and livelihood, placing our bets on the belief that we could matter more than someone else in exchange for a place at the table of America’s false hierarchy of human value. 
• Values In Action – “Just Be Kind” project targeted at youth and more. 
• Weaving 2020 –  a collaboration of The Aspen Institute and many other grass roots organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic to put relationships at the center of our lives.  
• YMCA 
• Younify Summit & Festival – is a historic gathering for those of us who are ready to heal divisions and build the future together – a national conference, festival and, most importantly, a catalyst for a groundbreaking, large-scale movement for improving our country and communities… to include interactive conference programming, a large scale concert and a film festival. Throughout is to be integrated: film, art, music, civil discourse, best practice sharing, public policy, community organizing training, power-building, networking and relationship building.