As the country barrels through a bitter election season, a major philanthropist working toward bipartisan solutions says division in America is not as bad as it might seem.

“Despite the optics — which I grant you are not good — there is a lot of great work that is still happening and that could happen,” Laura Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures, said in an interview with Chronicle of Philanthropy CEO Stacy Palmer. “And that’s what gives me a lot of hope.”

Arnold said people are coalescing around important issues, including matters relating to health care, taxation, criminal justice, public finance, and democracy. “There is a lot of consensus.”

Arnold joined Palmer to launch The Commons in Conversation, a LinkedIn interview series that’s part of The Commons, the Chronicle project exploring how philanthropy and nonprofits are working to close divides, repair the social fabric, and strengthen communities.

Arnold and her husband, John, are members of the Giving Pledge and regulars on the Chronicle’s annual list of the biggest philanthropists in America. Prior to launching Arnold Ventures, the couple’s philanthropy, Laura was executive vice president and general counsel for a global oil-exploration company based in Houston. She is a founding partner of the REFORM Alliance, a national criminal-justice advocacy organization.

Philanthropist's Role in Bipartisan Solutions

In the interview, Arnold talked about how their philanthropy aims to bring people together on seemingly opposing sides on issues such as criminal justice. Research and evidence are key, she said. “In terms of building bridges, when you present someone with a body of facts, even if it’s something very controversial, that is a steppingstone to a conversation that is more likely to be productive, in our experience.”

Arnold said it’s also critical to push ideology to the side. “It’s very hard to resist the temptation to be righteous,” she said. “Sometimes, you feel so deeply about some issues that you can’t possibly see that somebody could think differently than you.”

But she cautioned that if you don’t make space for and respect other points of view, “you will lose the fight right then.”

Read the full interview transcript about philanthropist's role in bipartisan solutions. You can watch the interview on YouTube or LinkedIn as well.