Our Founder and CEO, Emma Bloomberg, joined Amna Nawaz, Co-anchor and Co-managing Editor of PBS NewsHour, at Semafor’s Future of Philanthropy forum for a conversation about the future of civic engagement—and the role philanthropy can play in building stronger, more connected communities. The discussion explored how local organizations can be better equipped with the data, tools, and long-term support they need to understand and respond to the challenges people are facing every day.
Drawing on insights from Murmuration’s ongoing research and listening efforts, Emma emphasized that technology should deepen human connection, not replace it. Through initiatives like Civic Pulse, which speaks with 500 Americans each day about what’s happening in their communities, we’ve seen that people don’t experience life through issue silos. Housing, economic opportunity, and public safety are deeply interconnected, making collaboration across organizations—and across sectors—essential to creating lasting change and stronger communities.
A major theme of the conversation was reemphasizing Emma’s idea of creating more “accomplices” in civic life: organizations that move beyond simply supporting one another to actively sharing responsibility for the well-being of the communities they serve. As Emma noted, no single organization can solve the complex challenges facing communities today, yet funding models often reward isolated outcomes over shared impact. Reimagining philanthropy means investing in the conditions that allow organizations to work together—to share data, resources, and strategies, and to treat each other’s priorities as their own. That kind of collective action, grounded in local community collaboration and sustained over time, combined with the necessary data, tools, and insights, is what builds the power communities need to create lasting change.
Watch the full panel here. If you want to hear more from Emma about forward-thinking and community-focused philanthropy, check out her series of op-eds for Inside Philanthropy here.