What We Do
Immediate relief that stabilizes. Civic learning that explains. Participation that’s practical.
How It’s Supposed to Work Foundation runs programs that connect urgent support with clear, nonpartisan civic learning.
We help people navigate moments of instability—hunger, childcare gaps, and short-term financial shocks—while building the knowledge and tools needed to understand how public systems work and where change is possible.
Each part of our work fits into the same path:
short-term stability → systems understanding → long-term civic capacity.
Immediate relief that addresses urgent gaps and creates room to breathe.
Our Starting Points programs focus on short-term stabilization—helping people cover food, childcare, and critical costs during moments of disruption or crisis. When safety is a concern, we prioritize stabilization and referral through trusted partners.
Programs:
Feed to Learn Pop-Up — Food access paired with civic learning.
From Gap to Growth Grants — Small grants that help bridge short-term financial shocks and prevent cascading harm.
These programs are designed to stabilize people first, not force civic engagement before they’re ready.
Clear explanations of how public systems actually operate—without jargon, spin, or partisanship.
This work focuses on systems literacy: how decisions are made, who has authority, what rules apply, and why outcomes often feel confusing or inaccessible. We break down complex systems like housing, healthcare, education, budgeting, and social policy into usable knowledge people can act on.
Resources:
The Basics and How It Really Works — Basics and deeper explainers on housing, healthcare, schools, public safety, budgets, and other core systems.
Words Matter — Plain-language definitions for civic, policy, and political terms.
Facts & Frames — Side-by-side views that separate shared facts from competing interpretations.
Tools that help people participate safely, effectively, and on their own terms.
This work translates understanding into action—helping people engage with public processes like contacting officials, submitting public comment, or navigating local decision-making. Participation is always voluntary, nonpartisan, and grounded in real-world constraints people face.
Tool:
Civics Voices Toolkit — Practical guides for engaging with public systems.
Finds Your Official — Tools to identify who represents you and how to reach them.
We do not publish identifying details and prioritize safety when participation intersects with personal risk.
All of our work—relief, learning, and participation—is designed to meet people where they are and help them move forward without pressure, judgment, or political labeling.