This paper calls on love as a cure for injustice. It is not a formal research paper. It comes from the heart. It is meant to be used—like love itself. It is meant to start talks and make us think.

Holiday Conversation Starters

Spark meaningful discussions that honor your values this holiday season. Whether you're hosting a Dinner for Democracy or sitting down with family members who hold different views, these prompts help you connect with intention.

Together for Democracy Resource Hub

Build community, find courage, and advance democracy by hosting a Dinner for Democracy or Coffee for Change. Get everything you need to gather friends, neighbors, and colleagues for meaningful conversations and collective action.

Evidence Action

Scaling proven, cost-effective solutions to reduce the burden of poverty for hundreds of millions of people across Africa and Asia. Every program is backed by rigorous evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Four programs reaching 530+ million people: Safe Water Now, Deworm the World, Equal Vitamin Access, and Syphilis-Free Start.

Charter for Compassion launches "With Compassion," a new podcast series exploring how compassion can transform politics and civic life. The debut episode features Greg Fischer, who served 12 years as Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky—making compassion one of his city's three core values.

"Through real-world research, policy analysis, and practical advice, we guide state and federal policymakers in advancing evidence-based solutions that increase affordability and improve access to care."

"As the largest employer in the world, our federal government cannot afford to have leaders that all look and think the same. I support the Pledge for Diversity campaign because our nation was founded on the principle of unity, not despite our varying backgrounds, but specifically because of it."

— Leon Panetta, Former Secretary of Defense and White House Chief of Staff

A free online resource helping local government leaders identify and implement evidence-based strategies to improve upward economic mobility for their residents.

Over 50 high-level strategies and nearly 200 specific programs backed by rigorous research. From early childhood to workforce development, housing to financial security.

What Is Systems Thinking?

Systems thinking is a way of looking at problems that helps you see the whole picture, not just one piece. Instead of asking "What happened?" it asks "Why did this happen?" and "What patterns am I seeing?"

Think about it this way: When you see a traffic jam, you could just be frustrated about the cars in front of you. Or you could ask deeper questions. Why is there always a traffic jam here at 5pm? What about the road design causes this? What beliefs about how people should get to work led to this road being built this way?

Systems thinking helps us move from quick fixes that don't last to real solutions that change things for good.

Why This Matters

• For Renters: Rent jumped 9% in one year. Many families must choose between rent and other basic needs.

• For Homebuyers: Home prices rose faster than incomes. The typical family can't afford the typical home.

• For Communities: Over 500,000 people live in areas threatened by floods, heat, and bad air.

• For Policy Makers: Climate and housing problems are connected. Solutions must address both.

• For Our Future: Houston is becoming less affordable and less safe to live in.

As federal pandemic relief funds wind down, states across the nation are finding innovative ways to sustain and expand summer learning programs that emerged during the Covid-19 response. This report examines how nine states built infrastructure and implemented strategies to ensure summer learning remains accessible and effective.

Report Overview

The federal government has been slow to pass new laws. So state governments are stepping up to solve important problems. Bloomberg Government's 2025 State Policy Watchlist looks at five key areas where states are making big changes this year.

Why This Report Matters

• States are making new laws to fill gaps when federal government doesn't act

• 88 places (23 states and 65 cities) will raise their minimum wages in 2025

• 20 states now have laws protecting people's online privacy as of January 2025

• When many states do something, the federal government often follows

• Knowing what states are doing helps you plan ahead

Why This Matters for Dallas

• For Community Leaders: A coordinated regional approach to fragmented housing efforts

• For Policy Makers: Comprehensive framework addressing policy, production, and preservation

• For Developers: Access to capital and innovative construction approaches that reduce costs

• For Workers: Focus on "missing middle" and workforce housing for those earning 50-80% AMI

• For Dallas' Future: Addressing a projected 76,000 unit shortfall by 2035

What is Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction?

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is an eight-week program that teaches mindfulness meditation as a way to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. Originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, MBSR has been researched extensively and shown to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.