Building Civic Bridges Act
The Building Civic Bridges Act would create a new Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). This office would be led by an Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding and would be responsible for administering a pilot grant program to fund civic bridgebuilding efforts—projects aimed at reducing conflict, boosting social cohesion, and addressing public concerns in communities across the United States. The bill emphasizes using research-based criteria to measure effectiveness, provide training related to civic bridgebuilding, and support research and dissemination of best practices. It also requires a broad, inclusive consultation process with diverse stakeholders and mandates a Comptroller General assessment after each three-year grant cycle. Notably, the act specifies that no federal funds may be used to carry out this section; instead, the program would be funded exclusively through amounts donated under a specific section (section 196). In short, if enacted, the bill would establish a dedicated office, launch a three-year pilot grant program to support cross-community bridgebuilding initiatives, emphasize evidence-based methods, and seek ongoing evaluation and public engagement, all funded by private donations rather than federal appropriations.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of the Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within CNCS, headed by an Officer of Civic Bridgebuilding designated by the CNCS CEO.
- 2Civic Bridgebuilding Pilot Grant Program: a 3-year competitive grant pilot (with potential for additional 3-year cycles) to fund projects that reduce conflict, strengthen social cohesion, and address public concerns; one-year grants within three cycles per 3-year period.
- 3Standards and evaluation: creation of standardized, science-based criteria to assess project effectiveness; required reporting on outcomes using these criteria; support for research, evaluation, and a publicly accessible research base.
- 4Training and capacity building: provide training in civic bridgebuilding techniques for participants in national service programs and for organizations receiving or carrying out funded programs.
- 5Consultation and diversity: mandatory consultation with a broad, diverse set of stakeholders to set priorities, develop criteria, disseminate research, and share best practices; coordination with other federal agencies and public institutions as needed.