These values have led people in the U.S. to join together to solve problems in thousands of ways. They've formed nonprofits to house the homeless, enrich our lives with music, and educate the young. They've formed nonprofits that conduct research on deadly diseases, protect the fragile elderly, and advocate for important social changes that empower our residents to lead dignified lives. Virtually every significant social change in the U.S. has been the result of advocacy by people who wanted to make their communities a better place. Examples include voting rights, equal access to education and employment, nutrition for low-income children, and stiffer penalties for drunk drivers.
Nonprofits provide a unique place where people of different views can find a common ground.
In serving on the board of a community health center, people of different incomes find that they share a commitment to immunizing children. By volunteering at a homeless shelter, people of different religions find that they share the same beliefs about helping those in need. Nonprofits mobilize hundreds of thousands of people in greater Chicago to give time and money to build their communities. People in the U.S. have a great tradition of coming together to solve community problems. The history of our country is a story of people banding together to run hospitals, churches, and civic groups.