THE BETTER FUTURES PROJECT
WHY? The future of democracy needs our attention now
We live in complex and rapidly changing times. Paradigms are shifting and uncertainty about what lies ahead is rampant. Democracy in the U.S. is not immune from this disruption; rather, it is being buffeted and challenged by it. Disruptive change of this magnitude can create opportunities for authoritarians to exploit, offering an anxious public order and predictability — or even a return to a mythical past – and it can also create opportunities for positive transformation. Pro-democracy actors must compete with authoritarians by presenting inspiring visions of a vibrant and inclusive future for American democracy and governance innovations that update our system for a new era.
Over the last few years, American civil society has begun to come to terms with the insufficiency of a mainly defensive strategy. Momentum is building to operate differently — to develop an inspiring affirmative vision for our democracy to usher in its next chapter and to reimagine what American democracy could become in the years ahead. These new efforts complement those of a strong pro-democracy field already engaged in defense and system preservation. The Better Futures Project seeks to accelerate that more aspirational, future-focused momentum.
HOW? More about our work
The first phase of the Better Futures Project was rooted in research and anchored by the publication in November 2022 of Imagining Better Futures for American Democracy. This report discusses the perils of dystopian and defensive thinking and the benefits of positive visioning to enable American democracy to meet its potential – ushering in and sustaining a just, fair, and multiracial democracy. The report draws from 64 interviews with a wide range of visionaries in various sectors of civil society and extensive secondary research on the value of positive visioning and the bright spots that exhibit what is possible. The Imagining Better Futures report argues that a “business as usual” mentality is simply inadequate to address the challenges facing our democracy today.
It concludes with three recommendations for donors for catalyzing the needed pivot in thinking and orientation:
Strengthen the positive visioning and innovation ecosystem around democracy through convenings, mapping, and relationship building;
Fund democracy and governance experiments, particularly at the local level, inspired at least in part by governance models tried outside the U.S.; and
Strengthen narrative systems to encourage the emergence at scale of positive visions of a multiracial, sustainable, and equitable society and associated governance systems.
Now in its second year, the Better Futures Project seeks to advance work in line with these recommendations through the intertwined work of: network weaving; thought leadership; identification of positive visionaries, early adopters, and experimenters in the democracy sector; and the forging of tighter connections among democracy practitioners, donors, futurists, and foresight experts.
We are also available to advise DFN members on how to integrate futures thinking into their organizational culture, learning processes, and grantmaking. Please contact us at betterfutures@thirdplateau.com if you’d like to learn more or get in touch with us.
SPREADING THE WORD
Articles
March 2024 The Fulcrum, Navigating uncertainty: Can philanthropy be the good ancestor we need?
February 2024 The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Futurism is Having a Moment in Post-Pandemic Foundation Strategy
January 2024 Medium, 24 bright spots to inspire you in 2024
July 2023 Medium, Innovation Can Reboot American Democracy
July 2023 The Fulcrum, What if election campaigns inspired us to Dream Bigger?
April 2023 The Fulcrum, Reimagining American Democracy as Governance for the Future
January 2023 The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2 Years After Jan. 6 Insurrection, Philanthropy Must Help America Envision a Better Future
January 2023, Einhorn Collaborative, A Call to Think Big and Bold about Our Future
December 2022 The Fulcrum, with Rachel Kleinfeld, Pro-democracy forces need to go on offense
December 2022 The Art of Association, We Need to Start Imagining Better Futures for American Democracy
Podcasts
July 2023 TFSX podcast, Creating Foresight-Fueled Action
June 2023 Political Hope podcast, Imagining Better Politics
January 2023 Niskanen Center podcast, The Future of American Democracy