In an op-ed published on FoxNews.com, Philanthropy Roundtable Senior Vice President Elizabeth McGuigan and President and CEO of the Archbridge Institute Gonzalo Schwarz describe how Americans can take the initiative to create social mobility through investing in nonprofits and charity.
Below are excerpts from the article “We need Trump’s DOGE reforms, but here’s what you can do closer to home to create a brighter future”:
“The 2024 election sent a clear signal: Americans are hungry for more opportunity and social mobility to climb the income ladder and build better lives for themselves and their families. Many who went to the polls and pulled the lever for President Donald Trump did so looking for a political savior. His work is exposing the government-funded social engineering of previous administrations, but we must also foster a network of strong social capital to support society as government is appropriately reined in.
“Social mobility hinges less on presidential policy promises and more on us – individual agency and community. Lost in today’s election hysteria is the importance of community-driven problem-solving.”
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“As the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takes an unsparing look at our federal government, we are starting to see the breakdown of certain artificial barriers. But while such barriers that inhibit career mobility – like restrictive land use regulations, burdensome tax policies, and occupational licensing requirements – can be addressed through regulatory reform, natural barriers present a different type of obstacle.
“These barriers – such as broken family structures, mental health issues, substance abuse, chronic unemployment, or a lack of meaningful social relationships – are unlikely to be solved (at least not in the long term) by top-down policies or cookie-cutter government programs. Instead, they require self-determination and community support.”
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“Charitable organizations bolster other pillars of social mobility through bottom-up solutions that can meet people where they are more than any top-down approach. Organizations such as the Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute and Construction Ready provide a personalized approach for developing people’s in-demand skills so they can participate in the labor force, all while offering crucial networks of support that could be more uplifting and better increase social capital than any well-intentioned government bureaucracy. Schools like Vertex Partnership Academies combine character and agency-based learning into their curriculum, helping students discover their dignity and human potential.”
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“Flourishing requires people to act with their own agency, but that doesn’t mean they need to do it alone. Communities must support individuals by strengthening social capital and equipping people to rise above the challenges that stand in their way.”
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