Alexis de Tocqueville was one of the first to understand civil society’s critical role in holding democracy together and he worried how that role would fare in the future. Current trends suggest he was right to worry -- the fragmenting forces of private interests make it ever more difficult to achieve public good. The pressures experienced by modern nonprofit organizations reflect this tension.  In this forum, Bruce Sievers, Visiting Scholar and Lecturer at Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at Stanford University, discusses how nonprofits and philanthropy can address these issues. A panel discussion follows, with these speakers:

• Janine Lee, President, Southeastern Council of Foundations
• Pat Willis, Executive Director, Voices for Georgia’s Children
• Jamil Zainaldin, President, Georgia Humanities Council