other

A Snapshot of Hope in America

Building Digital Public Spaces for Good

research

An Emotional Look Back

Where We Gather and How We Vote

Mobilizing Communities: A Data Driven Approach to Grassroots Change

The Moments That Make Us

Financial Stress is a Civic Divide

Where the Story Lives

Gen Z Redefines Civic Engagement

The Loss of Everyday Spaces is Undermining Democracy

Running on Empty

Philanthropy’s Responsibility: Funding Faith in Democracy

The Platform that Breaks the Pattern

How Democratized Data Spurs Action & Strengthens Society

Place Shapes Possibility

City Crime in Context

The Power of Together

The Work of Community

Stories that Stick

Nowhere to Land

Struggling in America

The Murmuration Effect: Why the Future of Social Change Depends on Communities

Through the Filter

President Obama's '08 Digital Lead: How can we awaken the same momentum now?

We’re excited to share a major update to the turnout scores available in Atlas by Murmuration. For the first time, every partner will have access to Municipal Turnout Scores and School Board Turnout Scores, built to predict voter participation in local elections with the same rigor as statewide and federal models. Each score is powered by thousands of models trained on the unique turnout patterns of individual jurisdictions, ensuring localized precision.

Until now, this level of insight was only available through custom model requests, but it is now standard for all partners. With these new scores, organizers can target outreach more effectively, allocate resources with greater precision, and strengthen equity by bringing the same data infrastructure to smaller jurisdictions that are often overlooked. This innovation makes local civic data more accurate, actionable, and scalable than ever before—and we’re proud to say no one else is offering turnout modeling at this scale.

What once required weeks of work per election can now simultaneously be done across thousands of jurisdictions. By combining AI-driven infrastructure with research-grade modeling techniques, we’ve built local turnout predictions that are both scientifically rigorous and operationally scalable.

modelScore

New Municipal and School Board Turnout Scores 

Burn It Down or Build It Up

Lost in Connection

Our Chief Research Officer, Sarah Stamper, joined Semafor’s 

 panel to talk about something we’ve been studying closely: how young people are feeling right now—and what that means for civic life.

Over the past few years, Murmuration has been working on an extensive qualitative and quantitative study of Gen Z values, their civic activity, and interests. Through a series of polls and focus groups, we’ve explored how this generation views and approaches major political and cultural issues, the unique role they play in our national political landscape, and what it means for future trends in behavior and values. We've learned that many young people are struggling with disconnection, anxiety, and loneliness. These feelings don’t just shape their day-to-day lives; they also affect how young people engage civically and in their communities. 

Sarah pointed to what our research consistently shows: Gen Z is eager to participate, but often skeptical about institutions and leaders. She explained that trust is fragile today—but it can be rebuilt when leaders truly listen and are transparent, reminding us that while online connections matter, nothing replaces the power of being together. For organizers, educators, and community leaders, this means creating spaces—both in person and online—where young people feel heard and supported.

, and if you want to dig deeper into what we’ve learned about Gen Z, check out our latest 

Sarah Stamper on Semafor Panel 

None of the Above

Beyond the Ballot Box: The Power and Possibility of a Continuous Civic Life

The Quiet Strength of Community

A Portrait of American Identity

Earlier this year at the NEXUS Global Summit in New York City, Murmuration Founder & CEO Emma Bloomberg hit the stage for a fireside chat titled “Organizing for Impact: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Civic Power” in conversation with Eric Weingartner of The Overbrook Foundation.

She spoke about how roles in New York City Hall and at the Robin Hood Foundation led her to launch Murmuration, which she was inspired to do after listening to organizers across the country and hearing about the need for a stronger and more accessible civic infrastructure. The conversation centered on what she’s learned about leading with curiosity, proximity, and long-term commitment.

Her closing message was clear: listening to people closest to the challenges—and to the solutions—is the key to driving systemic change. At Murmuration, we put this belief into practice by equipping a growing network of partners with the insights, tools, and services they need to build power in their communities and transforming America into a nation where everyone can lead healthy, free, and dignified lives.

Want to see this work in action? Explore our 

 to learn how organizers across the country are transforming communities and building a future where everyone can thrive.

Emma Bloomberg at Nexus Global Summit

Emma Bloomberg and Murmuration: Technology, Data, Research, and the Power of Community-driven Civic Engagement

The Belonging Breakdown

Personal and Public Power

Who is Talking About ‘Democracy’ in 2025

How Mental Health Shapes Work, Outlook, and Community in Gen Z

Sticker Shock and Solidarity

We’re excited to share some big news about the next chapter in our work. Effective today P.A.C.E.—along with their network of community-focused partners—will officially join Murmuration. This reflects a natural next step in a long-standing partnership built on shared purpose and years of collaboration.

By bringing P.A.C.E.’s deep expertise in strategy, messaging, organizing, creative, and digital execution into Murmuration, we’re expanding what’s possible for the organizations we serve. Together, we’ll be able to provide our partners with not only the infrastructure they rely on, but also the strategic capacity they need to spark deeper, more meaningful change.

This natural next step in a long-standing partnership between Murmuration and P.A.C.E. represents a strategic and resource-efficient growth opportunity for Murmuration, allowing us to reach more mission-aligned organizations with both the infrastructure and a deeper level of support, including an additional service offering of strategy they need to drive meaningful civic engagement.

By combining our efforts and building on shared infrastructure, we will scale what’s working, fill gaps in the field, and meet the growing demand from partners without duplicating effort or overhead, strengthening our impact while staying grounded in the sustainable model we’ve worked hard to build.

Murmuration’s mission remains the same: to amplify the power of civic engagement and help create a future where everyone can live healthy, free, and dignified lives. With the addition of P.A.C.E., we’re building new capacity, adding expertise, and opening up new ways to support organizations doing the work on the ground.

In the months ahead, we’ll share more about how this integrated model can help advance your strategic priorities. For now, we hope you’ll share in our excitement as we take this important step forward together.

If you’d like to learn more—or talk about what this means for your work—please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

P.A.C.E.—along with their network of community-focused partners—will officially join Murmuration

What's on America's Mind?

Voters are Touching Grass — Strategists Should Do the Same

When Americas Say "F*ck"

At Murmuration, we’ve been asking that question every day—literally. Through 

, we survey 500 people across the country each day to understand what’s really happening in their lives. So far, more than 

 have shared their stories, their stressors, their sources of strength, and more.

What we’ve heard is sobering and inspiring.

People are anxious about money, politics, and the future. But they’re also deeply committed to their families, communities, and dreams. They’re tired, but not disengaged. They’re paying attention, even if they’re overwhelmed. And they want to make things better, even when they’re not sure how.

All of this has led us to launch something new: 

—a Substack newsletter featuring a range of content, including our flagship series 

, which explores what America is feeling, thinking, and moving toward together. It’s a space to make sense of what we’re hearing, share what we’re learning, and explore what it means for the future of civic life.

Rooted in Murmuration’s decade of work alongside community organizers building power from the ground up, 

 is our way of carrying that mission forward.

If you’re curious, hopeful, worried, skeptical—or all of the above—we’d love to have you with us. We want to hear your opinions, experiences, and reflections in the comments. 

 for free today—our next post comes out tomorrow—and be part of this growing conversation about where we are as a country, and where we might be headed next.

Introducing Our Insights by Murmuration Substack

Gen Z's National Outlook — Cynicism, Fluidity, and Civic Energy

Signs of Light

interview

Our Hometowns Hold Us Together

We’re excited to announce that Heidi Williams has joined Murmuration as our Chief Technology Officer. 

Most recently, Heidi served as the Head of Engineering for Grammarly Business at Grammarly. She previously served in various leadership roles at tEquitable, Box, and Adobe. She is also the founder of WEST Diversity and Inclusion, a learning community designed by and for women in technology with a mission to help more women enter and flourish in technical roles through mentorships and community development. 

At Murmuration, she will lead and develop our technology division and guide our technology and product roadmaps. Based in San Francisco, California, she lives with her husband and two daughters and enjoys hiking, biking, soccer, skiing, gardening, reading, and word games.

We sat down with Heidi to learn more about her role and how she approaches building products for impact.


Murmuration: What excited you most about stepping into the role of CTO at Murmuration?

 I was really excited by Murmuration’s mission and the opportunity to have a positive impact by empowering local organizations with tools and data so they can improve their communities. Strengthening communities is so needed right now and it feels like technology can be a real force multiplier for local organizers to drive positive change in their communities.

I strongly believe in customer-centric product development, focusing deeply on putting ourselves in the shoes of local organizers to understand how we can help them achieve their goals and overcome challenges and obstacles along the way.

Murmuration: What perspectives do you hope to bring to the way we approach technology in the civic engagement space?

I strongly believe in customer-centric product development, focusing deeply on putting ourselves in the shoes of local organizers to understand how we can help them achieve their goals and overcome challenges and obstacles along the way. Technology that is built based on understanding not just the context of an organization but also the community in which they work can help individual organizations have more impact with limited resources and can help a network of organizations to achieve a shared goal and ultimately amplify their collective impact. I’d like to flip the approach of making organizers understand and adapt to technology and instead build technology that understands organizers, their relationships, and their communities.

Murmuration: What should every person working to make change at the local, community level read, watch, or listen to?

I’m a systems thinker and appreciate any history or context that helps me understand how or why something works the way it does. I enjoy podcasts in particular and am drawn to ones like 99% Invisible, Freakonomics, Throughline, and The Great Battlefield.

Meet Heidi Williams

The Weight We're Carrying

Tools for Amplifying Civic Engagement with Emma Bloomberg of Murmuration

New O&A Playbook

Are We Okay, America?

How to Read the Emotional Map of America

2024 Annual Report

2024 End of Year Book

Momentum

From MySpace Hacks to Civic Impact: Sam Gomez’s Engineering Journey at Murmuration

From Tunisia to Tech: Soraya Belhadj Aissa’s Civic-Driven Journey at Murmuration

Building Power to Shape a New Memphis

What does it feel like to live in America right now?

Are people hopeful or burned out? Do they trust their neighbors, their government, or themselves? Are they paying attention to what’s happening around them, or turning away from it all?

At Murmuration, we know that understanding civic life means digging deeper than turnout rates and voting behavior (though we do that too!). To truly understand the state of our democracy, we have to look at how people are feeling, what they care about, how connected they are to their communities, and whether they believe their actions matter.

That’s why we are launching a new data-driven initiative Civic Pulse—to capture the lived texture of civic life, one day at a time.

Civic Pulse is our new daily research initiative designed to give us a real-time snapshot of how people across the country are feeling, thinking, and engaging with civic life. Each day, we will survey 500 individuals about their experiences—as neighbors, workers, parents, community members, and human beings.


Life satisfaction and emotional wellbeing


Our team of data scientists will then use advanced natural language processing and modeling to analyze thousands of open-ended responses each week. This will allow us to surface patterns, extract signals from noise, and generate insights that are both statistically rigorous and human-centered. Our goal is to illuminate the emotional and relational foundations of civic life, and to help those working on the front lines of democracy better understand the people they serve.

Civic Pulse was built on a simple truth: democracy doesn’t begin and end at the ballot box. It’s lived in everyday acts of trust, connection, and care—in how people treat one another, how they show up for their communities, and whether they believe change is possible.

Too often, organizers, policymakers, and funders are forced to operate with stale data or incomplete stories. Civic Pulse will fill that gap with:

Timely, nuanced, and emotionally honest insights

A view of where civic energy is building or unraveling, and

An understanding not just of what people are doing, but why they feel the way they do

New Real-Time Listening Initiative

Gender Differences in Civic Engagement and Political Perspectives Among Gen Z

Gender Differences in Civic Engagement and Political Perspectives

Political Momentum in Gen Z: A Path to Greater Impact in 2024

Murmuration’s Vice President of Partnerships, Gregory Hatcher, has been nominated as the 

Policy Innovators in Education’s Suzanne Kubach Network Weaver of the Year 

as part of the 2024 Eddies Awards. The PIE network is an organization focused on fostering connections and collaboration among K-12 education advocates. 


This nomination honors a leader who embodies the “give and get” spirit of the Policy Innovators in Education network — someone who is a super-connector, working behind the scenes to share ideas, resources, and strategies and to support, connect, and amplify the policy and advocacy work of their peers and intentionally support the leadership of other advocates.

Our partners and team have always recognized Gregory’s brilliance and talent—and we’re proud to see him honored in this way. His nomination reflects the significant impact he has made in the advocacy space and his dedication to utilizing civic engagement to effect lasting change. Several Murmuration partners were also nominated this year, across a variety of categories. These organizations include ConnecticutCAN, DC Charter School Alliance, DFER, GeorgiaCAN, Great MN Schools, National Parents Union, New Mexico Kids CAN, and TennesseeCAN. Congratulations to each of these organizations working to build healthier and more equitable communities.

VP Gregory Hatcher Nominated for PIE 2024 Eddies Award

, launched earlier this year and is seamlessly integrated with our campaign platform, 

—enabling community leaders to identify and activate people in a single platform. 

To ensure our partners are able to mobilize people effectively, our team of data scientists builds Atlas model scores to help our partners understand how likely it is that someone might take a particular action, think a certain way, or fit a particular description. These scores make our partners more efficient so they can spend their time and resources more wisely by targeting individuals in their community who are likely to have a certain propensity towards an action or belief.

We recently developed ten new model scores that will help our partners amplify their impact this fall and beyond. They include:

how likely someone is to fully complete (or not complete) their ballot

how likely someone is to both view the events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 as a violent riot 

 change their voting behavior if their view on democracy protection did not align with the view of their own party’s candidate

how likely someone is to support pro-choice candidates and/or ballot initiatives that safeguard abortion access

how likely someone is to both support abortion access 

 change their voting behavior if their view on abortion did not align with the view of their own party’s candidate

how likely someone is to engage with or volunteer for organizations in their community

how likely someone is to participate in protests/rallies, convince others to volunteer, and/or share/discuss political, social, or local issues on social media

how likely someone is to donate to a political campaign or contact an elected official

how likely someone is to volunteer for political campaigns

how likely someone is to attend religious services at least once a week

how likely someone is to be reachable by either a wireless or landline telephone

News