Convergence Receives Its Largest-Ever Contribution

Donation from MacKenzie Scott Will Support More People Coming Together to Solve More Intractable Problems Across America's Divides

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, a nonprofit leader in bridging divides and finding collaborative solutions to intractable issues, is thrilled to announce that philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated the largest single grant the organization has received since it was founded in 2009. The transformational gift of $4 million comes as Convergence has been quickly expanding and retooling its programs to meet the deepening crisis of toxic polarization and partisanship.

Convergence's flagship Dialogues gather influential voices from across the political, sectoral, and ideological spectrum to find common ground and identify solutions. The organization, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in the Bay Area, will use Ms. Scott's gift to accelerate plans to grow the prevalence of and engagement in bridge-building initiatives. As Ms. Scott said about polarization when announcing this round of grants: "The universal tendency to shout is an ironic reminder of how much we all have in common, as well as encouraging evidence that we have what we need to solve our shared problems."

Convergence President and CEO David Eisner said, "We are immensely grateful to have been selected to receive this donation. The funding will enable us to better rise to the challenges presented by growing unrest, intolerance, and toxic polarization that threaten our communities and the future of democracy in America." He continued, "At a time when division has reached a crisis point, we applaud Ms. Scott's focus on helping to find common ground on difficult issues."

The funding announcement supports the momentum that the bridging movement is building, especially following last month's introduction of the Building Civic Bridges Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing polarization and supporting community bridgebuilding. Led by Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and a bipartisan coalition of eight Democrats and eight Republicans, the bill "would establish the federal government as a key partner in the deliberate effort to bridge divides and strengthen American democracy."

Convergence's current programming includes:

• Convening flagship Convergence Dialogues on Reimagining Care for Older Adults, Guns and Suicide Prevention, Pathways to Better Jobs, Digital Disinformation, Modernizing Civil Service, and more;
• Engaging groups of Members of Congress to support bipartisan collaboration;
• Supporting the bridging field to grow its national capacity and influence; and
• Experimenting with new models of bridging and collaborative dialogue.

To learn more about Convergence projects, visit www.convergencepolicy.org/projects.

About Convergence Center for Policy Resolution

Convergence is a national non-profit with offices in Washington, D.C., and the Bay area that convenes individuals and organizations with divergent views to build trust, identify solutions and form alliances for action on issues of critical public concern. Learn more at: https://convergencepolicy.org.

SOURCE Convergence Center for Policy Resolution