Ease Divisions.
Prevent Violence.
Solve Problems.

ABOUT US

Our North Star

We envision a world where everyone’s dignity is valued and celebrated.

Our mission is to inspire individuals and organizations to prioritize dignity in order to heal divisions and unite communities.

Where we began

It started in 2018 with a question: What would it take to ease the divisions in our country? We believed the answer had something to do with how we treat each other, especially when we disagree.

In 2021, we began developing the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale that measures the way we treat each other, or the language we use, when we disagree. The scale ranges from contempt—language that deepens divisions, to dignity—language that helps us solve problems and move forward together. The Dignity Index reveals both the language and the mindset behind the language used in moments of conflict.

Our work rests on three beliefs:

Contempt causes division; dignity eases division.

If we put a spotlight on dignity and contempt, we will use more dignity and less contempt.

Every person has the power to help ease divisions: a dignity culture starts with each one of us.

From an Idea to a Movement

In October 2022, we piloted the Dignity Index during Utah's midterm elections by scoring political speech used in debates, websites, and campaign literature. Our goal was to determine if people across the political spectrum could agree on what dignity and contempt looked like, as scored by the Index. Not only did the pilot test report high rates of interrater reliability, but soon people were asking how to use the Index in schools, on college campuses, in workplaces, and even with family and friends.

We noticed a pattern during the pilot project which continues to this day: people often see the Index as a way to score the speech of others, but they quickly realize it’s a tool to reflect on their own language. We call this the Mirror Effect, and it’s the most powerful impact of the Dignity Index. This discovery has fueled our work and ignited the dignity movement.

In the Utah project and the response since then, we’ve identified three findings that give us confidence the Index can make a national impact:

THE ELECTRIFYING EFFECT

The Index sparks a striking demand among people who want to learn more, share it with others, and contribute to healing divisions.

THE MIRROR EFFECT

At first, observers treat the Index as a tool for judging others, then find it is a mirror for seeing themselves.

THE AGENCY EFFECT

When people spend time with the Index, they discover that contempt is the problem, that they contribute to it, and they can take action to help solve it.

Today, Dignity.Us works in classrooms, universities, workplaces, communities, faith groups, and public life across the country. We teach and train on the Dignity Index, share dignity practices and skills, and nurture our growing dignity community.

Our Work

K-12 and Higher Education

Students, teachers, and campus leaders use our tools to handle disagreement, encourage robust and thoughtful debate, build stronger relationships, and make dignity part of school and campus cultures.

Politics and Public Leadership

We partner with elected officials, civic leaders, and organizations to encourage dignified debate and real problem-solving. Our Dignity Voter campaign asks Americans to notice how candidates treat others and to expect dignity from anyone seeking their vote.

Workplaces and Organizations

Dignity Works offers training and workshops that help strengthen work cultures where teams communicate better, work through conflict, and solve problems more effectively.

Community Engagement

The Dignity Community connects people nationwide who want to bring dignity into their families and neighborhoods. Members share resources, host conversations, and take action together.

Faith

Faith leaders and congregations partner with us to strengthen relationships across differences, lead honest dialogue, and affirm the worth of every person.

Research and Innovation

Our research tracks how Americans experience dignity and contempt. In 2026, we launched the Dignity Barometer, the first national baseline for measuring dignity in America. We also build learning resources and technology that make the Dignity Index easier to use every day.

What we’re learning

Our 2026 Dignity Barometer found that 94% of Americans believe every person deserves dignity, yet only 31% believe we actually treat each other that way. We call this the Dignity Gap. And the data show that Americans are eager to close the gap!

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