The role of the state in fulfilling needs is something people talk about (and propose to expand) all the time. Business is also claiming a large and growing place in addressing public issues, through companies ranging from FedEx to SpaceX. What is much less often recognized is that our country has a third sector with potent capacities for solving public problems. We call this third sector civil society, or the independent sector, or philanthropy and voluntary action.

The institutions of the independent sector don’t wield the commanding authority of the state, and they don’t enjoy the profit incentives that give commercial enterprises their power. Yet they can be highly productive. There are many places where neither power nor money are adequate for repairing rips in the national fabric, while charitable acts can provide strong reinforcement.