Those of you in the DC area may want to add this to your calendars… Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation (an organizational member of NCDD), is launching a new “Reclaiming Main Street Campaign” next week.  On Monday (Oct 28th) at 6pm, you can join him at the MLK Memorial Library for the launch! Here’s how Rich describes the effort on his blog: Next week, on the heels of the government shutdown, I’ll be launching my new Reclaiming Main Street Campaign. […] (continue)

Tired of tense, unproductive public meetings? Want to embed better online and face-to-face processes in the way governments work? Making Public Participation Legal, a new publication of the National Civic League, presents a valuable set of tools, including a model ordinance, set of policy options, and resource list, to help communities improve public participation. The publication is being released at a launch event at the Brookings Institution this Wednesday, October 23rd. RSVP today if you can join us! Most of the laws that govern public participation in […] (continue)

The National Dialogue Network — winners of the 2012 NCDD Catalyst Award in the civic infrastructure category — launched a few weeks ago with their inaugural topic, “Poverty & Wealth in America.” Led by John Spady, the National Dialogue Network (NDN) seeks to coordinate local conversations into mindful national dialogue. NCDD encourages all of you to get involved so we can learn as much as possible from this project!  Here are two things you can do right now: Download the “conversation kit” to host/facilitate your own gathering […] (continue)

NCDD is proud to be collaborating as a Media Partner in next week’s Online Facilitation Unconference! The Unconference is a free, fully digital convergence of folks from around the world interested in sharing and learning about virtual facilitation (i.e. facilitating and moderating online). You can read the event description below or find out more and register for the Unconference at http://ofu13.eventbrite.com. You won’t want to miss this innovative event, so make sure to register ASAP!  We’d love to see lots of NCDD members participating. The Online Facilitation Unconference is part […] (continue)

NCDD would like to join our partners with CommunityMatters in congratulating the winners of the Successful Communities contest!  The contest encouraged local groups to create projects to improve their communities, and awarded $500 to four winning communities, and the winners were recently declared: Last month, CommunityMatters asked people to come together, listen to our August call on the Secrets to Successful Communities with Ed McMahon, then decide on one completely achievable action for making their community more successful. To sweeten the deal, the Orton Family Foundation offered […] (continue)

We hope you will join us in extending a huge congratulations to our friends at Healthy Democracy, who were just awarded with the IAP2 2013 International Project of the Year Award for their Citizens’ Initiative Review project, which we recently highlighted on our blog. Both Healthy Democracy and IAP2 USA are members of NCDD, and we couldn’t be more pleased to celebrate both organizations’ excellent work.  You can read more about all of IAP2’s 2013 awards in their press release below. Congratulations to all the award […] (continue)

Here’s an important heads-up for NCDDers… During a plenary session at the Independent Sector’s annual conference on September 30, 2013, Stephen Heintz, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, unveiled planning for a “National Purpose Initiative,” an effort to reunite Americans around a common purpose. The project aims to engage hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of Americans in a dialogue that will culminate in a broadly shared agenda of national priorities by 2016. Other funders of the planning, proof of […] (continue)

My friend Ileana Marin at the Kettering Foundation brought my attention to this announcement the other day, thinking it would be of interest to some NCDD members… CIVICUS is looking for Expressions of Interest by potential convening partners to conduct locally-initiated multi-stakeholder dialogues, following the methodological approach proposed by the project New Social Contract. The dialogues shall take place between November 2013 and May 2014.  Selected partners will receive a financial contribution of $4000. We’re looking for NGOs, CBOs, CSOs, umbrella organisations and other relevant […] (continue)

The Institute for Local Government is recruiting for a public engagement program manager. The position, based in Sacramento, offers an exciting opportunity for an energetic individual who shares the Institute’s passion for good government at the local level and the role that public education and engagement can play in building greater public trust and confidence. Salary depends on qualifications, but the salary range starts at $73,488 per year. The position has primary responsibility for developing and recommending the overall strategy and workplan for the program, planning, […] (continue)

I recently asked NCDD supporting member Marty Jacobs to write a primer for the NCDD blog on “collective impact.” This strategy for large-scale collaborative change has been gaining momentum among funders and nonprofit thought leaders, and we wanted to make sure NCDD members are aware of the concept. Marty Jacobs has been teaching and consulting for 20 years, applying a systems thinking approach to organizations. As of September 30th, Marty is bringing her Collective Impact expertise to the VT Department of Mental Health in her new […] (continue)