events / 19 August 2026

What Philanthropy Can (and Cannot) Do to Reduce the Dangers of Polarization

Event

03/09/2026

6:00 pm

Register

Polarization is making it harder to address nearly every challenge that communities face. When trust declines and divisions deepen, progress on issues from education to public health, climate and inequality becomes much more difficult.

Join us on Thursday, September 3rd at 12 p.m. ET for a conversation on how philanthropy can help respond.

During this free webinar, Mark Freeman, executive director of the Institute for Integrated Transitions, will moderate a distinguished panel comprising Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, Binaifer Nowrojee, president of the Open Society Foundations, and Amber Miller, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Together, they will examine why polarization is considered a “hyper-problem” (i.e., a problem that limits society’s ability to solve almost every other problem) and discuss where foundations and donors can and cannot make a meaningful difference.

You’ll learn:

• Why polarization has become a critical concern for philanthropy

• What short and long-term solutions exist to address polarization

• How leading funders are approaching the challenge of polarization

Save your spot

You may also be interested in Philanthropy and Polarization: Ten Ideas from a Foundation Leadership Retreat, a recent paper published in the context of IFIT’s Global Initiative on Polarization.

ADD TO CALENDAR Google Calendar Apple Ical SIGN UP FOR FUTURE EVENTS