Winter 2026

Issue

Winter 2026

Volume 24, Number 1

Read about how the ACLU is defending civil liberties in Trump’s second term; how automatically registering high school students to vote can energize US democracy; how Teach at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa has partnered with governments to scale; how Ukrainian civil society is making the country more resilient and sustainable during wartime; and other topics in the Winter 2026 issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review. Plus: Two special supplements from Third Sector (Realizing the Promise of a Truly Responsive Government) and Urban Strategies Inc. (Framing the Future with Love).

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Features

Civic Engagement

Getting Youth Engaged in Democracy

By Laura W. Brill

Young people do turn out for elections—when they are registered. By getting all youth enrolled in high school, we can help achieve universal participation. Here's how to get it done. | Open access to this article for non-subscribers is sponsored by an SSIR supporter.

Education

Scaling Across Borders by Cocreating With Government

By Ashleigh Gillwald Morrell

For many social initiatives, achieving transformative impact requires government leadership. Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa has gained important insights about effectively supporting government partners, adapting operations across contexts and borders, and working within existing systems.

Collaboration

Rebuilding During Wartime

By Valentyna Zasadko, Geoffrey Glenn & Adele Houghton

Ukrainian civil society did not have the luxury of awaiting the end of war to make the country more resilient and sustainable. The Alliance of Ukrainian Universities took the lead in coordinating an effective response. | Open access to this article made possible by the Akira Yamaguchi Endowment for Environmental Health and Human Habitation at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Advocacy

ACLU v. Trump

By David V. Johnson, Anthony D. Romero, A.J. Hikes & Aletheia Henry

The American Civil Liberties Union is leading the fight in the United States against the Trump administration's executive overreach. We asked them for a status update.

Case Study

Advocacy

Building an Adaptive Metanetwork to Fight Climate Change

By S. Aqeel Tirmizi & Timothy G. Staub

EcoAmerica has developed a network to inform and coordinate other networks to push for climate action. With a reach of 60 million individuals across the United States, it offers important lessons for other large-scale efforts to overcome wicked problems. | Open access to this article is made possible by ecoAmerica.

Dispatches

Government

From Fighters to Custodians

By Ugo Lucio Borga, Leonardo Delfanti & Gino Paoletti

In the heart of the Colombian jungle, COMUCCOM fosters reconciliation through community-led rebirth and collective action.

Health

The Sound of Disease

By Neha Bhatt

A 10-second cough app is helping detect India's most dangerous respiratory illnesses.

Environment

Rights of Nature

By Marianne Dhenin

The More-Than-Human Life Program at New York University's School of Law is fighting to broaden concepts of justice and rights to include the natural world.

Government

How to Spot Democratic Backsliding

By Jarrett Bell & Sam Greenberg

Data can guide investment priorities in strengthening global democracy.

Advocacy

Technology Against Genocide

By Marianne Dhenin

The Tech for Palestine business incubator is dedicated to strengthening pro-human rights projects within the technology industry, starting with the rights of Palestinians.

Viewpoint

Education

Education’s Civic Dividend

By Rahul Pachori & Neha Dhaka

The social returns of investments in education too often go unmeasured and undervalued.

Nonprofits & NGOs

How Will Your Nonprofit Survive?

By Bo Kemp 9

In the face of current funding uncertainty, US nonprofits must innovate to sustain their missions.

Education

Avoiding Education’s Turing Trap

By Isabelle C. Hau & Daniel L. Schwartz 2

Generative AI can help advance a more creative, connected, and caring education system, but only if we employ it to enhance human intelligence.

Research

Health

Coping With Mental Illness at Work

By Chana R. Schoenberger

Employees experiencing mental illness successfully manage their symptoms by disengaging from some aspects of their jobs and engaging in others.

Education

The Exclusionary Rhetoric of Colleges

By Daniela Blei

Colleges have subtle ways of welcoming certain groups of applicants while deterring others.

Technology

When AI Is Your Friend

By Chana R. Schoenberger

Research demonstrates that people feel less lonely when they interact with AI companion chatbots that make them feel heard.

Government

The Peace Laboratory

By Daniela Blei

After Colombia's civil war, the government reinstituted state authority in remote jungle regions by working with community leaders to satisfy local needs.

Book Reviews

Review

Cities

The Power of Redemptive Love

Reviewed By Lee Romney

Jason Corburn and DeVone Boggan's Advancing Peace explores a striking model for addressing urban gun violence without police.

Review

Cities

Humanitarian Cities in Flux

Reviewed By Lauren Markham

As refugees transform urban spaces, we must build the infrastructure to make it for the good.

Editor’s Note

Government

America at a Crossroads

By David V. Johnson

The Winter 2026 issue focuses on the crisis of US democracy and how it might be resolved.

SSIR Online

Environment

SSIR Online, Winter 2026 Issue

By SSIR Editors

What SSIR readers are saying about articles on impact accounting's equity problem, leadership that meets the moment, and better strategies for board recruitment.

Last Look

Civic Engagement

Blinking Red

By David V. Johnson

Street performances by the Red Rebel Brigade spotlight the global environmental crisis and humanity's response.

Realizing the Promise of a Truly Responsive Government

A New Narrative for Outcomes

By Caroline Whistler

To fulfill the promise of government for, by, and of the people, we must radically rethink the role that government plays in our lives.

Everyone Talks About Systems Change—But How Do We Measure It?

By Annie Neimand & Anum Ali Mohammed

We have experimented with a new approach to systems change evaluation. We have four recommendations for those who wish to take the same path.

Want Better Government? Philanthropy Can (And Should!) Help

By Daniel Stid 1

Funders need to take governing institutions seriously and invest in their capacity.

Innovating Governance

By Roderick Bremby & Mishaela Durán

To build a future where government truly works for people, human services leaders must cocreate a shared vision that moves beyond incremental change to reimagine outcomes, equity, and data infrastructure at scale.

Restoring Trust

By Kesha Lee

What we ask of our institutions, systems, and governing structures—to love all—we must also ask of ourselves.

Empowering Public Servants While Advancing Equitable Outcomes

By William Rhett & Jason Willis

Our work in the Transformational Change Partnership demonstrates how investing in public officials can generate system-level improvements.

Going Global

By Kusi Hornberger & Tim Pennell

Outcomes-focused financing can improve government effectiveness around the world.

Framing the Future with Love

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Winter 2026