A Wake-up call for Civil Society
Vacillating between life and loss, hope and pain, liberty and injustice, we are all bound by the collective trauma of a pandemic-shaped existence. In this reality, the inequitable values, practices, and policies that shape our society have been exposed, at times through profoundly violent and tragic events but often through the daily fight for survival. Yet through the darkness, we have also seen the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of collective action, from mutual aids to racial justice movements to new digital communities that are transforming how we connect. This ingenuity of ordinary people coming together to forge a better future for themselves, their communities, and their country is what we have institutionalized as ‘civil society’. Often referred to as “the nonprofit sector” in the U.S., civil society makes up 5.6 percent of America's gross domestic product and employs 22.7 million people - approximately14 percent of the workforce .
In addition to providing a range of services, civil society organizations address the gaps and failings of existing social systems by tackling the adaptive and technical issues faced by underserved communities. In essence, civil society serves as a moral compass for governments, businesses, and our society at large. Civil society forms the bedrock of a democratic and equitable society.?
However, since 2017, the public’s perception and trust in civil society organizations has stagnated at around 50 percent . And for the first time this year, people across the globe rank business as the most trusted institution compared with civil society, government, and the media. In fact, over the course of 2020’s overlapping crises, confidence in the competence of civil society organizations declined while business made significant gains emerging as the sole sector considered both competent and ethical, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. ?
Why is civil society losing its moral authority??
While there are several factors that have contributed to this trend, I’d offer two observations. First, philanthropy, the engine of civil society, has institutionalized a top-down, elite-driven approach largely focused on addressing the symptoms rather than the root causes of the problems we face. The very essence that makes civil society vibrant and impactful, a bottom-up, community and constituent-led approach to problem solving has largely been ignored by philanthropic investment strategies. Alas, proximate social innovators and civic leaders consistently lack the financial capital, operational support, and access to networks they need to build institutions that create enduring change. Unsurprisingly, our underserved communities continue to face the brunt of intersectional systemic failures that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.?
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Second, mainstream civil society has been complicit in preserving status quo practices while tinkering at the edges of injustice. Despite their mission, many civil society organizations perpetuate cycles of racism, bias, and discrimination. New Profit's Inclusive Impact Report highlighted that Black and Latino/a/x individuals (30 percent of the U.S. population) make up only 10 percent of nonprofit organizations’ executive leadership and just 6 percent of foundations’ executive leadership. Additionally, organizations led by Black and Latino/a/x leaders receive 4 percent of philanthropic investments , despite representing and serving communities disproportionately impacted by inequity. It took the killing of George Floyd Jr. for many in civil society to begin to reckon with their own organizational culture, practices, and policies. Civil society, especially philanthropy, has been reactive rather than proactive in confronting the systemic societal ills we face and investing in the most effective strategies to address them.?
In addition to its moral mandate to serve the people, as the employer of nearly 23 million people, civil society also faces a strong demand from its workforce to take a vocal position on social and human rights issues. In 2020, 92 percent of workers across the globe reported that it is important that their employer’s CEO speak out on issues such as income inequality, diversity, and climate change.?
Business leaders have responded to this demand from employees and consumers by coming together in unprecedented ways to express their commitment to fundamental human and civil rights. Interestingly, civil society organizations such as the Leadership Now Project have been instrumental in mobilizing business leaders to action.
However, there seems to be a vacuum of leadership that galvanizes civil society leaders to act as a collective. It is not sufficient for organizations to release disparate statements of values following national tragedies or unjust policies. Civil society organizations need to take proactive, courageous, and a unified stance to protect our democracy and build a more equitable society. We need to dismantle artificial silos around issue areas such as education, health, or economic opportunity and broaden organizational mandates to pursue the holistic wellbeing and dignity of individuals. One of the poignant lessons of the pandemic has been the intersectionality of inequity. We need a civil society that bridges issue areas to build the foundation for a thriving America.?
It’s time for a reimagined civil society that is forward-thinking and can credibly exercise its moral authority.?
“There seems to be a vacuum of leadership that galvanizes civil society leaders to act as a collective.” This is very well said and very true. A sense of scarcity as opposed to possibilities has infected too much of civil society. Leaders must understand that the only way forward is to find ways to worth collectively. Perhaps our greatest civil society builder - Ben Franklin - understood this and modeled it. Since a healthy civil society is the most important protector of liberal democracy, the stakes could not be higher.