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BUILDERS NETWORK INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 990538269 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE R30 · Civil Rights & Advocacy · Medium ($1M-$10M) · buildersmovement.org
revenue
$5.3M
expenses
$3.9M
net assets
$1.4M
employees
21
volunteers
328
program ratio
97%
mission · from form 990

THE ORGANIZATION MISSION IS TO EQUIP CITIZENS TO OVERCOME TOXIC POLARIZATION AND SOLVE OUR TOUGHEST PROBLEMS TOGETHER BY PROMOTING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, COOPERATION, AND DIALOGUE AMONG GROUPS THAT ARE OFTEN SEEN AS AT ODDS. IT SEEKS TO COMBAT THE CURRENTLY WIDESPREAD PERCEPTION THAT AMERICANS AND OTHERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE DIVIDED AND UNABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON IMPORTANT ISSUES, WITH ONE FACTION UNABLE TO LISTEN TO, UNDERSTAND OR COMPROMISE WITH OTHERS.

profile · synthesized from sources

Nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing toxic polarization and fostering cross-partisan dialogue among citizens in the United States and globally. The org equips individuals with tools and skills to engage constructively across differences through media content, discussion groups, and civic mobilization. It operates primarily through national outreach programs and targeted international initiatives to strengthen democratic resilience.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $1.60M
    BUILDERS USA: BUILDERS USA APPROACH IS TO REACH AND TEACH PEOPLE AT SCALE WITH POWERFUL CONTENT, EQUIP THEM WITH NEW SKILLS AND INNOVATIVE TOOLS, AND MOBILIZE THE GROWING BUILDERS MOVEMENT WITH GRASSROOTS CIVIC PROGRAMS TO HOLD POLITICAL LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEING BUILDERS. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE (I) SOCIAL MEDIA PROGRAMMING THAT DEVELOPS AND DISTRIBUTES SHORT VIDEOS OF HUMAN STORIES, NEWS MEDIA, AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO FOSTER FLEXIBLE THINKING AND CONSTRUCTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING; (II) CONVENING DISCUSSION GROUPS OF CITIZENS WITH WIDELY DIFFERING VIEWS ON DIVISIVE ISSUES, FACILITATING ATTEMPTS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON THOSE ISSUES AND PUBLICIZING THE RESULTS IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT CONSENSUS AND COOPERATION ARE POSSIBLE; (III) PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER THAT ILLUMINATES THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF TOXIC POLARIZATION AND DEMONSTRATING THE POWER OF CITIZENS WORKING TOGETHER ACROSS LINES OF DIFFERENCE.
  2. #2 $121K
    BUILDERS UKRAINE: TO RAISE AWARENESS AND EDUCATE AMERICANS ON THE GLOBAL FRAGILITY AND INTERCONNECTIVITY OF DEMOCRACY.
named programs · 2 · from sources

What they call their work

BUILDERS UKRAINE
International initiative aimed at educating Americans about the fragility and interconnectedness of global democracies, using Ukraine as a focal point to highlight the importance of democratic solidarity and civic responsibility.
BUILDERS USA
National program that distributes educational media content, facilitates cross-partisan discussion groups, and mobilizes civic engagement through a weekly newsletter to reduce polarization and demonstrate consensus-building among citizens with differing views.
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Civic Engagement and Voter Mobilization 2 activities
    • Conducting research on shared values across political lines
      Conducted a national poll in partnership with NORC finding that approximately 90% of Republicans and Democrats strongly agree on the importance of six fundamental values.
    • Increasing civic participation through targeted campaigns
      Launched a multi-pronged strategy to boost voter participation in the Texas Primaries on March 3rd.
  • Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 2 activities
    • Producing media content to promote constructive conflict and shared humanity
      Creates and shares stories, short-form videos, and other media highlighting problem-solving across divides, emphasizing shared values and constructive approaches to conflict, distributed via social media and newsletters.
    • Providing civic education on global democratic fragility
      Conducts educational programming focused on Ukraine to raise awareness among Americans about global democratic fragility and interconnectivity.
  • Leadership & Policy Dialogue Forums 1 activity
    • Convening cross-partisan dialogues for state-level problem solving
      Convenes Americans across political divides to co-create solutions to divisive state-level issues through structured dialogues, including the Citizen Solutions program piloted in Tennessee and Wisconsin, with planned sessions in Texas.
  • Educator Training in Equity and Inclusion 1 activity
    • Distributing educational resources to reduce polarization
      Provides educational tools, curricula, and frameworks—including a high school curriculum and the Builders Toolkit—to help individuals address societal divides in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Distributing newsletters and digital content to build constructive habits
      Shares weekly newsletters with reflections, practical guidance, and actionable steps to cultivate curiosity, compassion, and courage as daily habits in addressing societal challenges.
  • Cultural Exchange and Community Integration Events 1 activity
    • Facilitating cross-perspective gatherings through community events
      Hosts the Builders BBQ Challenge, providing starter kits with recipes and conversation guides to support community-led gatherings that foster connection across differences.
  • Local High School Scholarship Programs 1 activity
    • Funding student leaders to deliver polarization-reduction workshops
      Funds $650 grants—comprising a $150 stipend and $500 for expenses—to 10 selected student leaders to deliver the Builders Mindset Crash Course to their student groups.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Delivering skill-building programs to transform conflict
      Offers a 30-day bootcamp and crash courses, including the Builders Mindset Crash Course piloted on college campuses, to teach flexible thinking, constructive problem solving, and the principles of being a Builder.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$5.30M
Contributions & grants$5.29M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$8K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$3.86M
Program expenses97%
Admin / overhead3%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$1.15M
Grants paid out$20K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$1.58M
Cash$1.56M
Investments$0
Liabilities$144K
Net assets$1.44M
Liquid reserves4.9 mo
1 years on record · 2024–2024
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ASHLEY PHILLIPS HEAD OF PROGRAMS 40 $160K
board members · 4
  • DANIEL LUBETZKY — DIRECTOR
  • JULIANNA STORCH COHEN — SECRETARY
  • JUSTIN MERVIS — DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL JOHNSTON PRESIDENT — THRU 2/23/24, DIRECTOR
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • Adam Grant Partner — Psychologist and bestselling author who endorses the Builders Movement's mission to foster humility, curiosity, empathy, and mental flexibility.
  • Adam Grant Partner — Psychologist and bestselling author who supports the Builders Movement as a public advocate and thought leader.
  • AllSides Partner — Includes the AllSides Media Bias Chart in its toolkit, reflecting a partnership to promote media literacy and balanced news consumption.
  • Amanda Ripley Partner — Investigative journalist and author who promotes curiosity as a tool to combat contempt, in alignment with the Builders Movement.
  • BUILDERS UKRAINE Partner — International program partner focused on educating Americans about democratic fragility through the lens of Ukraine.
  • Braver Angels Partner — Collaborates by featuring Braver Angels' eLearning course on depolarization as part of its resource toolkit.
  • Builders Bloc Partner — Collaborates with Builders Bloc, an independent nonpartisan 501(c)(4) advancing citizen-led policies in Texas.
  • Builders Movement Network — Builders TX is part of the national, nonpartisan Builders Movement.
  • Common Ground Committee Partner — Features the Common Ground Scorecard as a tool to identify shared values across divides, indicating a partnership in promoting common ground.
  • Convergence Center for Policy Resolution Partner — Launched the Citizen Solutions program in partnership with this organization.
  • Daniel Lubetzky Partner — Co-founded Builders with entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Lubetzky.
  • Daniel Lubetzky Partner — Co-leads virtual training session with student leaders for the Builders Mindset Crash Course.
  • Daniel Lubetzky Partner — Founder of KIND Snacks who endorses the Builders Movement as a community for creating change.
  • Empatico Partner — Features Empatico’s online activities and games to foster empathy among students globally, indicating a partnership to promote global understanding.
  • Essential Partners Partner — Distributes Essential Partners' Guide to Dialogue Across Generations, showing a partnership to support intergenerational conversation.
  • Fast Company Government — Recognized Citizen Solutions as a finalist in the World Changing Ideas awards.
  • José Andrés Partner — Chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen who endorses the Builders Movement’s mission of inclusive solution-building.
  • Liev Schreiber Partner — Actor and humanitarian who publicly aligns with the Builders Movement to counter algorithmic division and rekindle shared values.
  • Lonnie Ali Partner — Co-leads virtual training session with student leaders for the Builders Mindset Crash Course.
  • Lonnie Ali Partner — Founder of Muhammad Ali Enterprises and public supporter of the Builders Movement, advocating for unity over division.
  • Lonnie Ali Partner — Founder of Muhammad Ali Enterprises who supports the Builders Movement's vision of building a kinder world through curiosity, kindness, and compassion.
  • More In Common Partner — Shares research such as "Defusing The History Wars" to support dialogue across historical divides, indicating a collaborative relationship.
  • NORC Partner — Partnered to conduct a national poll on shared values across political lines.
  • Psychology Today Partner — Cites research from Psychology Today on the 25% tipping point for social change.
  • The Dignity Index Partner — Partners with The Dignity Index by promoting its tool to assess dignity in discourse as part of its resource offerings.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Builder Mindset with 4Cs Framework
    methodology: builder_mindset_4cs
    By cultivating curiosity, compassion, courage, and creativity, the organization fosters flexible thinking and constructive engagement across differences, because these traits are believed to reduce dehumanization and enable collaborative problem-solving.
  • Citizen-Powered Common Ground Problem Solving
    methodology: citizen_powered_deliberation
    By convening ideologically diverse citizens in structured dialogue and deliberation, the organization generates viable policy solutions, because prioritizing shared problem-solving over partisanship is believed to produce feasible outcomes and model cooperative norms.
  • Constructive Engagement Through Skill-Building and Tools
    methodology: polarization_detox_skill_building
    By providing actionable tools, objection-handling resources, and skill-building programs like the 30-day Polarization Detox, the organization shifts individuals from blame to constructive conflict resolution, because structured practice and accessible resources are believed to rewire polarized thinking patterns.
  • Relationship-Building Through Shared Experiences
    methodology: relationship_building_shared_experiences
    By facilitating shared meals and structured conversations, the organization builds humanizing connections across divides, because personal interaction is believed to reveal shared humanity and reduce polarization.