Humanities Montana, a grantmaker that also conducts programs to support civil society, noticed a growing lack of positive discourse around policy issues. Society can achieve greater progress on policy solutions if people developed greater skills in collaborating to addressing public problems. With funding from The Charles Engelhard Foundation in New York, Humanities Montana prepared for the launch of their new Democracy Project in 2020. The initiative groups interested students with a community organizer and their local library. Read the full story of this Montana Bright Spot.

Oregon was underprepared to ensure a complete count in the 2020 Census. An undercount could reduce funding and representation for hard-to-count populations like rural communities and people of color, as well as put a projected additional congressional seat in jeopardy. The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and the Northwest Health Foundation, along with 15 other funders, created the Census Equity Funders Committee of Oregon (CEFCO) in 2018. They pitched in funding for census work and convinced the State of Oregon and City of Portland to pool resources into their single campaign, which totaled nearly $10 million. This Oregon Bright Spot details the story of this partnership that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, led to achieving a self-response participation rate in the 2020 Census that approximately matched the previous census.