Three hundred Fresnans came together with a big vision—to build an economy that creates opportunity for everyone. Five years later, the results speak for themselves. Fresno DRIVE shows what is possible when communities lead, when neighbors organize, and when everyone has a seat at the table.

Why This Matters for Organizers

• Proof of Concept: Community-led initiatives can move the needle on national rankings

• Replicable Model: Multi-billion dollar community-led investment plan created by residents

• Infrastructure Focus: Neighborhood Hubs build relationships, trust, and collective power

• Long-Term Vision: Five-year timeline shows sustained commitment produces results

• Systems Change: Addressing root causes of poverty, not just symptoms

The Beacon Project launches its first podcast with Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University. This conversation explores why citizenship matters now, what civic culture really means, and how communities can rebuild connection in times of division.

"Avoiding difficult conversations won't bring us any closer, but treating others with respect will. Learning to discuss and disagree without being mean is the only way to rebuild our communities."

— Disagree Better Initiative

In a rare moment of agreement across party lines, parents from all political backgrounds share deep concern about the impact of social media and smartphones on their children. This is not a left issue or a right issue. This is a parent issue.

Why This Matters for Your Community

• For Parents: You are not alone in your concerns. Data showing overwhelming consensus across political lines

• For Schools: Evidence supporting phone-free policies that most parents actually want

• For Policy Makers: Rare bipartisan issue where Americans agree on the need for action

• For Tech Companies: Clear signal that parents want better protections for kids online

• For Communities: A unifying issue that can bring people together across differences

Who is having the hardest time:

• Families making less than $25,000 per year

• Only 1 in 3 low-income families say they have fully recovered

• People who couldn't afford to make all the repairs they needed

• Families who lost food, wages, and had to pay for emergency costs

Compare this to higher-income families:

• 8 out of 10 families making over $100,000 say they have fully recovered

• They were more likely to have savings to pay for repairs

• They were more likely to have insurance that covered damage

A German thinker named Friedrich Nietzsche had a word for this feeling: "nihilism" (say: NYE-ill-ism). It means believing nothing really matters. But this feeling is now so common among young Americans that experts call it "cultural nihilism."

Warning Signs

• Fewer young people trust democracy than ever before

• Young people don't trust big institutions like government

• Entire online groups are built around being super negative

• Young people have stopped believing things can get better

Why This Matters for Houston

• For Community Leaders: Data-driven insights to design programs that address social isolation in vulnerable populations

• For Policy Makers: Evidence that connectedness is a stronger predictor of well-being than traditional demographic factors

• For Nonprofits: A call to collaborate across sectors rather than working in isolation

• For Faith Leaders: Recognition of your role as trusted voices at the center of belonging experiences

• For Houston's Future: A roadmap to become a city known not just for diversity, but for genuine connection

The Campaign

Meet Coleman F. Sweeney—a man who's made it his life's mission to be absolutely terrible. He gives cigarettes to kids, steals laundry, and is cruel to animals, children, and people with disabilities.

But when Coleman dies unexpectedly at a diner, the waitress discovers something shocking on his driver's license: he's an organ donor. This one selfless decision transforms everything, giving deserving people a second chance at life.

More than 180 foundations and philanthropy networks condemn political violence and affirm core freedoms — speech and the freedom to give. The statement calls for leadership that unites rather than divides and commits to safeguarding peaceful civic life for people of all backgrounds.

Relational Tech Project nurtures a builder community focused on people-centered, “village-scale” technology. Work spans storytelling, resources, and a forum for practitioners building tools that prioritize human relationships. See the project home and writing archive for the latest essays and updates.

Living Learning Libraries curates high-quality “living books” and lends them to families and educators. The project began in 2016 and operates multiple pickup locations in Palm Beach County, with an emphasis on practical borrowing, volunteer power, and sharing know-how for starting similar libraries.