We saw many siloes of work, which we felt could be strengthened through collaboration or coop-ition (cooperation + competition). The Bridge Alliance sought to help organizations work better both within their silo of work, and helped the people in the “democracy field” to see the other silos of work as important and additive to the overall whole of our democratic republic. Since then, we’ve witnessed a transformation - a growing sense of community and traction for progress among those dedicated to improving our democracy. Our ability to see the larger whole is no longer unique – many others also see and hold the democracy ecosystem. In that sense our mission has been accomplished. 

Despite our many accomplishments, our work is certainly not complete, especially when our nation needs citizen engagement and empowerment more than ever. We must focus more than ever on welcoming and supporting organizations in a co-created movement to bring about a thriving, just and healthy democratic republic.

As leaders of the Bridge Alliance, we are dedicated to finishing the task. We have committed to providing substantial funding to allow the Bridge Alliance to supply the resources and the talent needed to serve as a HUB for the healthy self-governance movement.

2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

A Path Forward for the Pro-Democracy Community

In a writing in The Fulcrum by Scott Warren entitled “A reckoning for the pro-democracy community,” Warren stated the following:

In the wake of former President Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House and the surprising margins of his victory, reckonings abound — not just for the Democratic Party, the future of identity politics, celebrity culture, and elites, but also for a newer faction: the pro-democracy community.

Today, this pro-democracy movement desperately needs to reassess its strategies and tactics. A vision of strengthening and revitalizing the nation’s civic fabric remains essential, regardless of who wins the presidential election. However, the popular vote seems to indicate that the majority of American voters repudiated the Democratic message that Trump is a threat to democracy at best and a potential dictator at worst.

How can we help the movement address the challenge offered by that reality?

In 2024, we transitioned from a membership-based organization to a partner-based model, and in doing so re-framed our mission. That mission remains.

The Bridge Alliance is committed to protecting democracy by educating the public on critical issues and still maintains our three primary goals as the core of our mission:

1. Expanding the Movement by Welcoming Citizens
2. Amplifying the Stories of the Movement
3. Ensuring the Movement Represents All Americans

However, in the face of growing threats to democracy around the globe, the need for corrective action is urgent and thus our mission for 2025 is adapting to meet this urgent need.

In 2025 we will focus our attention and resources on “Helping the Movement Meet this Moment”

How will we do this?

SIX MONTH PATH FORWARD RESEARCH PROJECT

Step 1

We will be focused on collaborations and dialogue with a diverse group of practitioners with different ideological backgrounds who we will ask to offer their candid thoughts on where the community has succeeded, where it has fallen short, and where it needs to focus on moving forward. This analysis will include equally as candid analysis and conclusions by us.

Despite the common bond of healthy self-governance that binds us together there is no defining manifesto. There is no clear mission or constitution for the many democratic reforms and bridging organizations that define common core principles. 

Our work will better define what is needed for “us” to become a movement that builds a thriving, just, and healthy democratic republic and fulfills its potential as a national social and political game-changer. For the work we are doing to truly become a movement, our efforts must resonate with everyday Americans who are not politically engaged, and to do so we must connect with them by exciting them as to how we can all Thrive Together. Yes politics is important but most people are more concerned about meaningful work, housing, health and safety and their communities.   

This exploration of developing a common Movement agenda will be covered in detail in The Fulcrum, including additional analysis by practitioners, academics, and citizens. We will then build upon this analysis by convening one-on-one and group dialogues to add to what was learned in these conversations.

Step 2

We will now focus on turning the information and analysis from phase 1 and 2 into an action plan for The Bridge Alliance based on social impact assessment and social impact measurements. This will involve evaluating the effects and outcomes of past and present social and political initiatives and programs to understand their effectiveness and impact. We hope to do this in coordination with other movement partners.

Step 3

Based on what is learned from steps 1 and 2, the Bridge Alliance intends to invest resources of time and money in projects with other movement leaders in a manner that gives the Bridge Alliance and the movement the highest probability of significant impact. 

In addition to incorporating data learned from our Path Forward study, all new projects for 2025 and beyond will align with the work of The Fulcrum, the Bridge Alliance, and our DEI Efforts. The moonshot goal is to activate and engage 12 million citizens in the healthy self-governance movement. 

THE FULCRUM

The Fulcrum has become the signature project of The Bridge Alliance. In the last two months of 2024, The Fulcrum reached a milestone for October and November having over 1,050,000 views for the two months combined on the Fulcrum site directly and on outlets like MSN, SmartNews, Apple News, and others that are now publishing our content. Plus, we have considerable additional readership from our content that is picked up by local newspapers across the country.

On January 1st, Hugo Balta, Fulcrum’s director of solutions journalism and DEI initiatives, became our Executive Editor. Hugo is a 30-year multimedia journalism veteran with multiple market and platform experience. Click here for the public announcement in The Fulcrum that offers information as to Hugo’s experience as well as updated information about the Fulcrum.

With Hugo leading our efforts, plus with the additional resources that we have, the Fulcrum will be focused on doubling the reach of this valuable platform.......a platform “For the Movement” to amplify and scale the important work you do!

The Fulcrum will do this by:

• Expanding the Movement by Welcoming Citizens: By spotlighting the best stories and actions within our movement, sharing them far and wide, more citizens will become involved.
• Ensuring the Movement Represents All Americans: We're committed to ensuring that every American voice is heard and accounted for in this journey. We are committed to living into diversity -- not just making it a “goal” to be “attained,” but making it part of our operating system. 
• Social Media: Through our vast social media presence with over 940,000 followers and our network of posting and streaming partners, we will continue to amplify the work and events to existing and new audiences through our owned and earned social media amplification programs.
• Solutions Journalism: For our nation to address the serious problems facing us, we must work together to find solutions. The Fulcrum will incorporate a “Solutions Journalism” approach. This approach investigates and explains, in a critical and clear-eyed way, how people work together to solve widely shared problems. While journalists usually define news as “what’s gone wrong,” solutions journalism tries to expand that definition by responding to problems that are newsworthy and adding rigorous coverage of solutions that allows our journalists to tell the whole story. The fulcrum strives to listen differently, to go beneath the problems, to embrace complexity, and counter confirmation bias, all with the goals of driving more effective citizenship 

CONCLUSION

As leaders within the growing democracy movement, your input is invaluable. We want your advice and counsel. While this letter is an attempt to clearly communicate our vision, oftentimes the biggest problem with communications like this is the illusion that we have effectively communicated our vision. For us to succeed, for us to amplify and scale the plan I have just outlined, it is critically important that BAEF communicates and engages effectively with all stakeholders, grantees, donors, and members of the community at large.

Our team will strive to be deliberative and forthcoming with regular future communications. We will share which decisions have been made, which decisions have yet to be made, and what the timeline will be as we move forward. We will be soliciting input on optimal ways to handle the transition.

By doing this, we will amplify our role as the connective tissue between individual community and national efforts to strengthen our republic.

For a better future,

Kristina Becvar and David L. Nevins

Executive Director and Chairman of the Board

Bridge Alliance Education Fund