Andrew Carnegie Foundation

Two-term mayor of Indianapolis, Stephen Goldsmith, started his life in public service as an Eagle Scout. Under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, he led the Corporation for National and Community Service, the parent agency of AmeriCorps, where he saw how service benefits communities and gives those who serve a sense of purpose. “So much of what our communities are about is a shared purpose, and that comes from serving others,” says Goldsmith. Could that shared purpose help young people come together across political divides? Visit the link in the comments below to read why Carnegie president Dame Louise Richardson believes now is the time for national service. #Philanthropy #NationalService #Polarization

The redrawing of congressional lines has become a flashpoint in American politics. Since 2025, multiple states approved new congressional maps in an attempt to maximize partisan advantage, a practice known as gerrymandering, ahead of next week’s midterm elections. What are the origins of redistricting? And how did the issue become so politically charged? In this explainer, drawing on conversations with the Brennan Center for Justice and NEO Philanthropy's State Infrastructure Fund, we trace the history of gerrymandering from the 19th century to the present day, examining how recent Supreme Court decisions paved the way for today’s status quo. We also explain how you can find out whether your congressional district has changed in advance of the midterms. Read the explainer at the link in the comments below.

There’s more to know about college completion, starting with retention. Why do so many first-generation and low-income students who start college never finish? Father Steve Katsouros, S.J., founder and CEO of the Come To Believe Network, explains how building two-year colleges inside four-year universities is helping more students stay on track and earn their degrees. #HigherEducation

“Service can help us build our democracy and fight for our ideals, but it also gives every single young person a chance to discover their special gifts,” says City Year cofounder Alan Khazei on why service matters.   Alan Khazei cofounded City Year in 1988, building it into a national youth service organization that directly inspired AmeriCorps, and later founded Be The Change, Inc, which launched campaigns including ServiceNation and Service Year Alliance. Khazei’s father, a surgeon who immigrated to the United States from Iran, and his mother, an Italian American nurse anesthetist, instilled an appreciation of service in him at an early age. “People don’t have to agree on everything, but when we roll up our sleeves and we build a playground for kids who need one, or we work in a school helping kids make sure they can read by third grade and graduate on time, or we take an abandoned lot and turn it into a park or an environmental garden, we learn that we have more in common than what divides us,” says Khazei. Leaders like Khazei aren’t the only ones who believe service can bring us together and solve community needs: four out of five Americans across party lines support national service. Watch more stories on why service matters at the link in the comments.

Four out of five Americans across party lines support national service. Could it also help reduce political polarization? In her essay for the 2026 #CarnegieReporter, Carnegie president Dame Louise Richardson explains why the time has come for national service. “When diverse cohorts serve together for a sustained period, work toward common goals, and build a common identity, they reduce polarization,” she writes. In addition, a year’s service would provide young people with critical workforce skills as they move from education to career and can help address the epidemic of loneliness and alienation many are experiencing today. While many argue that a service year should be mandatory, Richardson believes offering incentives for participation is more likely to be successful, with businesses, universities, and philanthropists all playing a role. 🔗 Read the essay: https://lnkd.in/expc24ve 🎥 In the coming weeks, we’ll share videos from prominent leaders on how service shaped their lives. First up: tomorrow, meet Alan Khazei, cofounder of City Year.

From young leaders solving local problems to researchers uncovering evolving nuclear risks, the newly redesigned 2026 #CarnegieReporter shares the stories of individuals and communities building ladders of opportunity and a more peaceful world. Inside the magazine: 🔹 Dame Louise Richardson explains why the time has come for national service, and prominent leaders weigh in on how service shaped their lives. 🔹 We attended the National Civics Bee to see whether a $100,000 prize can help young people learn civics. 🔹 Photos and stories show firsthand how the Trust for Civic Life is helping strengthen rural communities across five states. 🔹 Writer and comedian Baratunde Thurston tells the stories of five young changemakers addressing local problems in their communities. 🔹 What do nuclear analysts and detectives have in common? More than you might think. Meet the researchers at the Federation of American Scientists using open-source satellite imagery to track nuclear developments. 🔹 In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah writes about the immigrant founders of America. 🔹 A Carnegie Libraries crossword puzzle invites you to test your knowledge of the more than 2,500 libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie. 🔗 Explore these stories and more: https://lnkd.in/eQRe486k #Philanthropy #CarnegieReporter

Before serving as chair of Andrew Carnegie Foundation’s board of trustees, Janet Robinson spent 11 years as a public school teacher and nearly three decades at The New York Times Company, where she started as an account executive and rose to be the first woman to serve as chief executive. In an interview with Carnegie’s chief communications officer, Celeste Ford, Robinson discusses how her career prepared her to oversee the foundation through a period of evaluation and change, including its focus on reducing political polarization, investing in national service, and embracing a new name. Read the full Q&A: https://lnkd.in/eFrTY5vb

Andrew Carnegie’s goal of doing “real and permanent good in this world” starts with our talented team. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest members: 🔹 Chimdalu C. — Program Assistant, International Program 🔹 Mary Gentile — Operations Coordinator, Secretary’s Office 🔹 Matt Schiavenza — Senior Content Editor and Writer

Armed conflict is now at its highest recorded level since the Second World War, and the international mechanisms built to prevent, manage, and respond to it have weakened. The Andrew Carnegie Foundation’s International Program is seeking proposals from organizations that, through peacebuilding and mediation work, mitigate or prevent armed conflict and political violence, build the foundations for lasting peace, and shape policy and practice. Carnegie is seeking promising ideas that generate new insights, practical solutions, and policy-relevant approaches. We are especially interested in work that translates research, policy analysis, and knowledge exchange into concrete actions capable of shaping peace and conflict outcomes in tangible ways. Grants range from $500,000 to $1.5 million, with terms of 12 to 36 months. Concept notes are due November 8, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. ET. Know an organization that should apply? Share this opportunity with them.  Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/epB2Sx7m #GrantOpportunity #FundingOpportunity #Philanthropy

41 percent of local officials now say that polarization is affecting their communities, up from 30 to 31 percent in previous surveys. While 84 percent of the 1,224 local officials surveyed identified immigration as the most polarizing issue at the national level, in their own communities, the issues that divide differ. Cost of living (58 percent) ranks as the most polarizing issue at the local level, followed by taxes (54 percent), housing (41 percent), and immigration (36 percent). Check out the latest Carnegie/CivicPulse survey for more on how local officials are experiencing and navigating polarization: https://lnkd.in/eS9xv_AG