Allstate Backs $5 Million Effort to Strengthen Trust in Local Communities

With the season of giving underway, Allstate is focusing on rebuilding something many Americans feel is fading — trust. Through a collaboration with the Aspen Institute, Allstate has launched the Trust in Practice Awards, a $5 million grant program designed to strengthen trust within local communities.

Louise Packard, Allstate’s Director of Thought Leadership, says creating a stronger society starts in neighborhoods, schools, and community organizations. But trust is slipping: new Allstate research shows only 41 percent of Americans trust one another, continuing a decades-long decline. Still, there is hope. Seventy-four percent of people remain optimistic about the future of their local community — a sign that investment at the neighborhood level can make a national impact.

Nonprofits applying for the Trust in Practice Awards must propose innovative ideas that bring people together and encourage collaboration. Each application must include at least two partner organizations, focusing on areas like civic engagement and intergenerational volunteering. Selected groups will receive between $100,000 and $1 million to expand their work and accelerate community-driven change.

Packard says even small acts — like helping a neighbor or starting a conversation — can grow into stronger community bonds and a greater sense of unity.

More information, including grant details and examples of local trust-building projects, is available on the Alliance for Social Trust website.

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