More Perfect Expands Partnership with the Trust for Civic Life to Support Community-Led Projects to Solve Problems and Build Trust Across Divides

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More Perfect, a bipartisan alliance united to help forge a more perfect union through collective action to advance five fundamental Democracy Goals, today announced a partnership with the Trust for Civic Life to support community-led projects that bring people together across differences to solve pressing public problems.

More Perfect will support initiatives led by Trust for Civic Life grantees in Oregon, West Virginia, and Idaho, representing a highly impactful, action-oriented model for rebuilding civic trust and strengthening democratic participation. While the communities differ in geography and challenge, all three share a commitment to moving beyond polarization by working together on tangible solutions that improve daily life.

"America has witnessed a decline in participation in community-based institutions that used to knit people together across divides to solve public challenges," said John Bridgeland, Founder & CEO of More Perfect. "The Trust for Civic Life is showcasing the ways in which Americans are re-envisioning community engagement in the modern era." 

The Trust for Civic Life is a cross-ideological, philanthropic, and private-sector collaborative that invests in local civic infrastructure across rural America. Through research, grantmaking, and learning partnerships, the Trust supports local opportunities for people to work together on action-based projects that cultivate and reinforce trust, agency, and belonging.

"The communities we work with are showing what's possible when people are empowered as leaders and take action together," said Charlie Brown, Executive Director of the Trust for Civic Life. "Each of the projects supported by our partnership with More Perfect brings communities together across differences to solve concrete problems that can yield replicable models and a powerful roadmap for communities across the country."

With More Perfect's support, the Trust will fund three community-based efforts designed to deliver tangible outcomes:

• New Community-Driven Approaches to Water Management in Harney County, Oregon: A collaborative effort led by High Desert Partnership that brings together diverse local stakeholders to develop community-driven approaches to water management, helping residents work across longstanding divides to address shared environmental and economic challenges.
• Locally-Owned Disaster and Economic Resilience Planning in Eight Communities Across West Virginia: Led by the West Virginia Community Development Hub, this initiative supports residents in developing locally-owned disaster and economic resilience plans, transforming post-crisis volunteerism into sustained civic leadership and shared decision-making.
• Community Identity and Tourism Planning in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho: In partnership with Innovia Foundation, a bipartisan, cross-sector coalition will engage residents in strengthening civic relationships, building shared identity, advancing a more inclusive vision for the community's future, and producing a plan to rebrand Coeur d'Alene as an attractive tourist destination, spurring economic development. 

"We know that trust is rebuilt most powerfully when people work side by side on concrete actions that strengthen their communities," said Stephen Heintz, President & CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and co-chair of More Perfect. "It's at the core of our mission - to invest in locally led civic ecosystems that will strengthen our communities and rebuild trust to reduce polarization."

About More Perfect
More Perfect is a bipartisan alliance of 43 Presidential Centers, National Archives Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Karsh Institute for Democracy at the University of Virginia, and more than 100 organizations working together to advance five foundational Democracy Goals: 1) Universal Civic Learning; 2) Expanding National Service & Volunteering; 3) Bridging Divides & Building Trust; 4) Trusted Elections & More Representative and Responsive Governance; and 5) Access to Trusted News & Information.

About the Trust for Civic Life
The Trust for Civic Life is a grantmaking collaborative supporting the community efforts that help Americans connect, solve problems together, and feel confident in a shared future. Launched in 2024, the Trust brings together a diverse team of 24 philanthropists and foundations to invest $50 million over the next five years in local civic opportunities that increase trust, agency, and belonging in rural America. Its grants focus on elevating the critical groundwork and promising experiments that enable civic participation to take hold in rural communities and spread across the country.

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SOURCE More Perfect