The sixth article in a seven-part series. A 2026 Gallup survey found that small business is viewed positively by 95%, while free enterprise ranks second at 77%, down nine points since 2010. Letters from CSS Distribution Group, the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, Johnson Consulting, Sagac Public Affairs, and Future 500 make the case that free enterprise’s promise was never success, but the chance to try, and that it depends on fair competition, trust, and the rule of law.
The fifth article in a seven-part series. A May 2026 Gallup survey found that learning more about American history is the most popular way Americans want to mark the 250th. Five letters from business leaders — in Gwinnett, Lancaster, Wilmington, Carson City, and Charleston — show how a community’s founding story still shapes what it believes about itself today.
The fourth article in a seven-part series. Pew Research has found a consistent gap between how Americans rate their own community (63% headed in the right direction) and how they rate the country as a whole (just 18%). Letters from Omaha, Buffalo Niagara, Eugene, and York, Pennsylvania show why: America is experienced locally long before it’s judged nationally, and up close, the story looks sturdier than the headlines suggest.
The third article in a seven-part series. A 2026 Gallup study found that 78% of Americans still believe the American Dream is worth striving for — but only 46% believe everyone has the opportunity to pursue it. Four letters from business leaders across the country, from Los Angeles to the Bronx, make the case that the Dream was never a guarantee. It’s a chance, and each of them took it.
The second article in a seven-part series. Across more than 100 letters from business leaders nationwide, one answer kept repeating: America's story isn't written by famous names. It's written daily by truck drivers, factory workers, farmers, and small business owners — the people showing up before sunrise.
Technology, investment and democracy leaders gather October 8 for the Innovators & Investors for Democracy Forum. Speakers include Chris Yeh of Blitzscaling Ventures; Nicole Ozer of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Sarah Bonk of Business for America; and others.
The first article in a seven-part series, exploring what 100+ letters from America's business community reveal about the country at 250. A university poll found 74% of Americans believe we have more in common than what divides us — and these letters back it up.
Sarah Bonk writes in an op-ed for The Fulcrum: "Business has always been part of how America marks its biggest moments. When the country turned 200 in 1976, companies of every size found ways to be involved… That moment has come once again. That's why I'm inviting every business leader to write a Birthday Letter to America: a personal letter… about what the 250th means to them."
Sarah Bonk, founder and CEO of nonprofit Business for America, a nonpartisan group that has urged Congress to ban lawmakers from trading individual stocks, praised Shreve’s decision. “We welcome any representative to take steps to show their constituents that they’re prioritizing their constituents’ interests and not their own trading portfolio,” Bonk told NOTUS. “There are plenty of other ways for them to benefit from our markets.”
BFA Founder Sarah Bonk and Resolutionaries Executive Director Kara Revel Jarzynski write about the Building Civic Bridges Act (BCBA), business-friendly federal legislation that supports local initiatives helping Americans connect across differences and healing our social and political divides.
Groups outside Congress are also clamoring for additional curbs. Richard Eidlin, the policy director of Business for America, a group that educates and advocates on a variety of civic matters, told the Washington Examiner, “This type of financial activity by members of Congress … making financial decisions while also acting as regulators and policymakers presents tremendous conflicts of interest.”
BFA Founder and CEO Sarah Bonk writes that when U.S. senators and representatives with access to non-public information-confidential briefings, early policy drafts, and classified data-are permitted to buy and sell individual stocks, it's not just unethical; it sends the message that the game is rigged.
BFA Founder and CEO Sarah Bonk writes about the business reasons for Congress pass a ban on congressional stock trading. In business and in government, trust is everything. And public service should be a sacred trust—not a trading strategy.
The nonprofit group Business for America recently held an event in Washington, D.C., “Across the aisle: How leaders find common ground in a divided era.” The event featured members of Congress and staff discussing the factors in finding common ground in partisan times. Highlights included the bipartisan collaboration between Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) who found common bond as veterans transcending divisive politics.
Partisanship is high, but collaboration still happens—often behind the scenes. In this op-ed, BFA advisor Brad Fitch shares surprising stories from BFA's Across the Aisle event in DC, from examples of bipartisan success in Congress to a sausage company’s push for unity, and reminds us that civility is still possible.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle and business leaders discussed how Americans can find common ground despite the country’s current divided political climate at an event titled Across the Aisle, hosted by Business for America — a nonprofit organization focused on improving civic engagement, reducing polarization, and guiding businesses to engage in the politics. Companies featured included Cummins, International Paper, Johnsonville, and Salesforce.
PAC managers: secure your seat at "Across the Aisle," the must-attend Capitol Hill event where Problem Solvers Caucus members and corporate government relations leaders reveal how to drive real results in today's divided climate. Sarah Bonk from Business for America joins the podcast with details on this exclusive opportunity to network with lawmakers who make things happen beyond the headlines.
“Local organizations are often made up of business owners and can provide a platform to discuss legislation,” says Nancy Bocskor, development director at Business For America.
“Laying low is the dominant tactic right now,” says Sarah Bonk, head of Business for America, a non-profit membership group of businesses that want to make government work better. Still, she says she has heard from members that are worried about the increasing risks associated with doing business in such an uncertain environment, and what regulatory chaos will mean.
