Public Sector

While old foundations typically support traditional public-school institutions, new foundations are seeking to reshape or bypass them.

When NGOs Confront Bureaucracy

By Marilyn Harris

An educational collaboration between a literacy program for public schools and the government of Punjab, India, struggles with accountability and political support.

Parallel Universes? Lines and Ties in Civil Society

By Janet Murguía 1

The history of America’s Hispanic community shows how civil society can create a refuge for those excluded from society at large. But allowing such demarcation lines is never good enough. For a civil society to be effective, sustainable, and worthy, it must tie together all who reside in that society.

Civic Engagement

Looking to Civil Society for the Values that Shape a Culture

By David Brooks 1

Culture is born of values, and civil society is where people live values most urgently. Amid growing social isolation in the United States, a new set of values is emerging around community, healing, and belonging, and they will likely define an era.

Civic Engagement

The Future of Higher Education Is Social Impact

By Adam Gamoran 8

How can we transform the university research enterprise to enhance its social impact?

Impact Investing

A Critical Reflection on Social Impact Bonds

By Michael J. Roy, Neil McHugh, & Stephen Sinclair 15

Far from being a win-win financial instrument, SIBs come with significant technical burdens and exemplify an ideological shift in welfare service provision.

Philanthropy & Funding

Early, Patient, Nimble Philanthropy Can Make or Break Public-Private Partnerships

By Michael Mantell & Mary Scoonover 1

A look at how private long-term investment can help spur public engagement—and lead to policy change and impact—in environmental conservation and beyond.