In 2001 the Community Foundation formed the Millennium Group to engage the next generations of community leaders and to serve as one aspect of the Community Foundation’s initiative to educate people in our region about the importance of social capital. Social capital refers to networks of friends and neighbors, social trust, and community ties that are vital to a community’s well-being. As part of this initiative, our unrestricted grant making guidelines were expanded in 2001 to encourage projects that create “bridging” social capital, which crosses traditional geographic, gender, age, racial, cultural, and socio-economic barriers.

Our social capital initiative and the Millennium Group were launched at our Annual Meeting on May 23, 2001, when Dr. Robert Putnam gave the keynote speech, “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.” His address focused on the decline of social capital and the need to rebuild community strengths and resources.

In 2002 the Millennium Group began to focus on two projects which build civic engagement in our region: the “Speak Your Peace Civility Project” and the “Volunteer Promotion Project.”

Mr. Lewis M. Feldstein, co-author with Dr. Putnam of “Better Together: Restoring the American Community,” was the keynote speaker at the Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting on May 21, 2003. His address provided examples of social capital theory put into action. During the Meeting the Millennium Group unveiled the logo and concept for its “Speak Your Peace Civility Project.” The meeting closed with an invitation to attendees to discuss their personal examples of building “bridging” social capital.

Here are Ten Things You Can Do to Build “Bridging” Social Capital:

1. Attend a pow wow, New Year or Juneteenth celebration, or other social event for a culture which is different from your own ethnic background.
   
   
2. Participate in a city-wide program where people read the same book. Attend a discussion or presentation of the book in a neighborhood which is not your own.
   
   
3. Mentor, tutor, or read to a child or youth on a regular basis.
   
   
4. Work on a Habitat construction project with people of all ages and economic backgrounds.
   
   
5. Serve as a representative of your neighborhood’s planning council or committee for meetings and programs with representatives from other neighborhoods.
   
   
6. Organize a community garden and help weed someone else’s garden plot.
   
   
7. Ask the older or younger person at the next table to share your table for lunch.
   
   
8. Volunteer to drive seniors to the polls on election day.
   
   
9. Pick up litter when you walk through a neighborhood that is not your own.
   
   
10. Attend a service at a church, synagogue, or other religious group that is not your own.