As Americans celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that what made America strong didn’t come from Washington. It came from Americans.
Long before Washington debated the size and scope of government, citizens were building churches, charities, civic organizations, schools, hospitals and philanthropic institutions that strengthened communities from the ground up. They saw needs, organized their neighbors, raised private support and built institutions that often outlasted governments. That tradition didn’t simply complement government; it became one of America’s greatest competitive advantages.
Today, however, Congress is debating tax policy with far too little attention to how those decisions affect the institutions that have always strengthened American communities. Public policy doesn’t determine what government can do; it also shapes whether nonprofits, charities and civic organizations have the resources to continue doing what they have done for generations.
If Congress wants proof that this model works, it should look to George Washington’s home. By the middle of the 19th century, Mount Vernon was falling into disrepair. The estate of America’s first president was deteriorating, and there was no guarantee it would survive. Congress didn’t establish a preservation program. The federal government didn’t step in with a rescue plan. Instead, a determined group of women believed the responsibility belonged to the American people.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association organized one of the nation’s earliest nationwide fundraising campaigns, raised private donations, bought the estate and restored it. More than 165 years later, the association continues to preserve Mount Vernon, not because government assumed responsibility but because generations of Americans have continued to invest in its mission.
That isn’t simply an inspiring story from the past. It’s a reminder of what has always made America exceptional.
Nearly two centuries ago, Alexis de Tocqueville observed that Americans had an extraordinary habit of forming voluntary associations to accomplish goals that neither individuals nor government could achieve alone. Citizens built schools, hospitals, charities, churches, museums, universities and civic organizations because they believed the health of a free society depended on more than government action. That tradition became one of America’s defining strengths.
Today, however, our first instinct is often to look toward Washington. Whether the challenge is preserving history, strengthening communities, expanding educational opportunities, supporting veterans, responding to disasters or addressing addiction, the first question is frequently what should Congress or a federal agency do next.
That’s the wrong place to start.
Government has an indispensable role to play, but it was never intended to replace the institutions that knit our communities together. Strong nonprofits don’t simply provide services. They preserve our history, mobilize volunteers, cultivate civic responsibility and inspire Americans to invest their own time, talent and treasure in causes bigger than themselves. They often respond faster, innovate more freely and earn deeper trust than government programs alone ever could.
Those institutions deserve more than our admiration. They deserve public policies that help them thrive. That means protecting charitable giving, preserving incentives for philanthropy, reducing unnecessary burdens on nonprofit organizations and recognizing that private generosity isn’t a nice addition to American life; it is one of the pillars that has sustained this country since its founding.
The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association understood that long before anyone wrote a book about nonprofit leadership. For more than 165 years, it has remained relentlessly focused on one mission: preserving George Washington’s home and educating Americans about the principles that shaped our nation. It hasn’t chased every trend or reinvented itself with every generation. It has earned trust by staying true to its purpose, and donors have rewarded that consistency for more than a century and a half.
Congress should take notes.
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we shouldn’t simply commemorate the ideals of our founding; we should protect the uniquely American tradition that has sustained those ideals ever since: citizens freely giving their time, talent and treasure to build institutions that outlast politics.
George Washington’s home still stands because Americans chose to preserve it. If Congress wants America to be just as strong 250 years from now, it should protect the policies that make that kind of civic leadership and private generosity possible.
Phil Bell is the CEO of Tower K Group, a public affairs firm. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
