Also in the new issue:
Rasheeda Childress takes a closer look at a new startup, Givzey, that’s testing autonomous fundraisers. These A.I. tools can communicate directly with donors via a computer-generated avatar that looks like a real person. Givzey CEO Adam Martel says the technology shouldn’t take jobs away from real-life fundraisers. “Anything we can do to help organizations get to more donors, in addition to helping them hire as many fundraisers as possible, is a good thing,” he notes. Tech experts say A.I. solutions raise important ethical questions, though, such as A.I.’s ability to store information.
A New Orleans librarian, a founder of the ultraliberal MoveOn.org, and an executive at the conservative Hoover Institution walk into an event and try to build something together. That’s the premise of the National Civic Collaboratory, an event series that brings together leaders of groups with different missions and ideologies. Drew Lindsay visits one of the gatherings, which aim to break people out of their bubbles and foster relationships across divides. “It cannot be that one side of the political spectrum thinks it owns democracy and democracy renewal,” says Eric Liu, CEO of Citizen University, the organization that started the collaboratory. “You can’t write off nearly half the country.”
Sara Herschander examines some of the innovative approaches taken by Rise East, a $100 million effort to reinvest in East Oakland. The coalition behind Rise East has worked to embrace the leadership of residents and local organizations. “When the community gets to design this themselves, that sense of ownership and that sense of autonomy going forward is so powerful and kind of irreplaceable,” says Melanie Moore, CEO of Oakland Thrives.
Plus: Google.org reimagines its role in the A.I. era, how to attract more women donors, what the Fearless Fund settlement means for philanthropic freedom, and Steph and Ayesha Curry on why supporting tutoring and literacy programs is a layup.
