A community is more than the sum of its roads, bridges, and electricity grid – what we traditionally think of as infrastructure. It is also the connection among its residents, connections that remain even as the skyline changes. It is the involvement with local elections, the inspiring work of nonprofit organizations, and the generous public service of people that give meaning to the buildings they live and work in. If the built structures and physical resources of a place are the skeleton, civic infrastructure is the connective tissue that allows things to work together in harmony. And it allows a community to adapt and flourish even in crisis.

We see examples of this – and nonprofits standing together for better investments in civic infrastructure for all communities – at the national and state levels. One is the Nonprofit Infrastructure Investment Advocacy Group (NIIAG), a national coalition that began in 2020 and made up of more than 35 national, regional, and local nonprofits and foundations. NIIAG seeks to rebuild the country to a place better than before and prioritize investments for equitable outcomes for communities. It does so by advocating for federal investments to strengthen the nation in the wake of COVID-19, the economic crisis, and racial injustice.

At the state level, one example can be found in Wisconsin, where Higher Expectations for Racine County worked with civic and business leaders to break down policy barriers and expand internet access so more children could participate in virtual learning until in-person instruction resumes. Another can be found in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where Spartanburg Academic Movement uses continuous improvement processes paired with real-time data to dramatically increase reading proficiency. All across the country, communities are proving that investments in civic infrastructure exponentially provide returns in the form of stronger neighborhoods, economic development, and reduction of inequities so everyone can thrive.

Read the full article about community-driven work in the age of COVID-19 by Josh Davis at Independent Sector.