These leading organizations in the dialogue and deliberation community are generously supporting the 2023 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation. We are so grateful for their commitment to the conference and this community. We couldn’t do it without them!
Our Platinum Producers are the Democracy Fund and the Interactivity Foundation.
Our Gold Star Sponsors are Forum Foundation/National Dialogue Network and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
Our Sustaining Sponsors are Essential Partners, the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at James Madison University, Mismatch™ by AllSides, National Issues Forums Institute, and Worldwide Civility Council.
Our Sponsoring Organization is Auburn University Office of Public Service.
And our Conference Friends are American Leadership Forum, Keys to the City Community Coaching, Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration, National Civic League, Public Agenda, and The Public Square Academy.
Want to join their ranks? Learn more about sponsorship here.
Our Platinum Producers are the Democracy Fund and the Interactivity Foundation.
Our Gold Star Sponsors are Forum Foundation/National Dialogue Network and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
Our Sustaining Sponsors are Essential Partners, the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at James Madison University, Mismatch™ by AllSides, National Issues Forums Institute, and Worldwide Civility Council.
Our Sponsoring Organization is Auburn University Office of Public Service.
And our Conference Friends are American Leadership Forum, Keys to the City Community Coaching, Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration, National Civic League, Public Agenda, and The Public Square Academy.
Want to join their ranks? Learn more about sponsorship here.
Platinum Producers
The Democracy Fund
The Democracy Fund is a bipartisan foundation established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that the American people come first in our democracy. Today, technologies and innovations offer new opportunities for public engagement in a more vibrant democracy — even as serious challenges including hyper-partisanship, money in politics, and struggling media threaten the health of our political system. The Democracy Fund invests in organizations working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people.
www.democracyfund.org
The Democracy Fund is a bipartisan foundation established by eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar to help ensure that the American people come first in our democracy. Today, technologies and innovations offer new opportunities for public engagement in a more vibrant democracy — even as serious challenges including hyper-partisanship, money in politics, and struggling media threaten the health of our political system. The Democracy Fund invests in organizations working to ensure that our political system is able to withstand new challenges and deliver on its promise to the American people.
www.democracyfund.org
The Interactivity Foundation
The Interactivity Foundation believes in the importance and power of civic discussion. More specifically, we believe that the capacity of our country’s citizens to engage collaboratively in meaningful civil conversations about public matters is a necessary and vital component of our democracy. The Interactivity Foundation’s mission is to strengthen our democracy through the use of a small-group discussion process to explore diverse perspectives and generate an expanding set of divergent possibilities. We often abbreviate the name of the Foundation as “IF” to convey our focus on possibilities and that we are always exploring “what if …?”
www.interactivityfoundation.org
The Interactivity Foundation believes in the importance and power of civic discussion. More specifically, we believe that the capacity of our country’s citizens to engage collaboratively in meaningful civil conversations about public matters is a necessary and vital component of our democracy. The Interactivity Foundation’s mission is to strengthen our democracy through the use of a small-group discussion process to explore diverse perspectives and generate an expanding set of divergent possibilities. We often abbreviate the name of the Foundation as “IF” to convey our focus on possibilities and that we are always exploring “what if …?”
www.interactivityfoundation.org
Gold Star Sponsors
Forum Foundation/National Dialogue Network
Essentially the Forum Foundation and its National Dialogue Network is a philanthropic nonprofit in Seattle interested in developing systems for large-scale dialogic venues — for example across political boundaries such as precinct, house and congressional districts, and for city, county, state, and federal constituencies. Allowing self-motivated individuals to engage in meaningful conversations about relevant issues without bogging down elected representatives to do it. Our tools produce a unique “Polarization-Consensus Rating” that graphically shows where different demographics are similar or different — allowing more insight into the issues and helping to find common ground forward.
www.nationaldialoguenetwork.org
Essentially the Forum Foundation and its National Dialogue Network is a philanthropic nonprofit in Seattle interested in developing systems for large-scale dialogic venues — for example across political boundaries such as precinct, house and congressional districts, and for city, county, state, and federal constituencies. Allowing self-motivated individuals to engage in meaningful conversations about relevant issues without bogging down elected representatives to do it. Our tools produce a unique “Polarization-Consensus Rating” that graphically shows where different demographics are similar or different — allowing more insight into the issues and helping to find common ground forward.
www.nationaldialoguenetwork.org
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research. Founded in 1927 “to sponsor and carry out scientific research for the benefit of humanity,” the foundation is inspired by the innovativeness and ingenuity of its founder, the American inventor Charles F. Kettering. For the past four decades, the foundation’s research and programs have focused on the needs of democracy worldwide.
www.kettering.org
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation rooted in the American tradition of inventive research. Founded in 1927 “to sponsor and carry out scientific research for the benefit of humanity,” the foundation is inspired by the innovativeness and ingenuity of its founder, the American inventor Charles F. Kettering. For the past four decades, the foundation’s research and programs have focused on the needs of democracy worldwide.
www.kettering.org
Sustaining Sponsors
Essential Partners
Founded in 1989, Essential Partners helps people build relationships across differences to address their communities’ most pressing challenges. Our research-based framework, Reflective Structured Dialogue, interrupts the dysfunctional dynamics that stifle trust, understanding, and collaboration—particularly those that arise from differences of identities, values, and perspectives. It is uniquely effective in halting cycles of polarization in the spaces where we live, work, worship, and learn together. Learn more about our history, approach, and impact at whatisessential.org.
Founded in 1989, Essential Partners helps people build relationships across differences to address their communities’ most pressing challenges. Our research-based framework, Reflective Structured Dialogue, interrupts the dysfunctional dynamics that stifle trust, understanding, and collaboration—particularly those that arise from differences of identities, values, and perspectives. It is uniquely effective in halting cycles of polarization in the spaces where we live, work, worship, and learn together. Learn more about our history, approach, and impact at whatisessential.org.
The Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at James Madison University
The Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at JMU serves to advance the practice of designing and facilitating conversations that help communities talk and think together. ICAD believes that encouraging people to engage in problem-solving in their communities strengthens the promise of democracy. We educate and train students, faculty, staff and community members to be able to facilitate campus and community conversations, conversations that ask tough questions and that encourage people to come together to gain an understanding of each other as they seek to address challenges and envision possibilities. We also advance research about dialogue, deliberation, and collaboration, and partner with national organizations interested in ensuring these processes are inclusive, accessible, and benefit from collective wisdom.
www.jmu.edu/icad
The Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at JMU serves to advance the practice of designing and facilitating conversations that help communities talk and think together. ICAD believes that encouraging people to engage in problem-solving in their communities strengthens the promise of democracy. We educate and train students, faculty, staff and community members to be able to facilitate campus and community conversations, conversations that ask tough questions and that encourage people to come together to gain an understanding of each other as they seek to address challenges and envision possibilities. We also advance research about dialogue, deliberation, and collaboration, and partner with national organizations interested in ensuring these processes are inclusive, accessible, and benefit from collective wisdom.
www.jmu.edu/icad
Mismatch™ by AllSides
Mismatch is an online conversation platform from AllSides, built to foster human connection and respectful dialogue between middle school, high school, and college students in different parts of the United States. Like a modern-day “pen pal” program, Mismatch matches students across distance and divides, and guides them through structured, meaningful conversations with one another on a range of important topics. Through Mismatch™, we aim to build a stronger democratic society by exposing students to perspectives different from their own and encouraging civil dialogue.
www.mismatch.org
Mismatch is an online conversation platform from AllSides, built to foster human connection and respectful dialogue between middle school, high school, and college students in different parts of the United States. Like a modern-day “pen pal” program, Mismatch matches students across distance and divides, and guides them through structured, meaningful conversations with one another on a range of important topics. Through Mismatch™, we aim to build a stronger democratic society by exposing students to perspectives different from their own and encouraging civil dialogue.
www.mismatch.org
National Issues Forums Institute
National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization with a nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk—to deliberate about common problems. These forums, organized by a variety of organizations, groups, and individuals, offer citizens the opportunity to join together to deliberate, to make choices with others about ways to approach difficult issues and to work toward creating reasoned public judgment. Forums range from small or large group gatherings similar to town hall meetings, to study circles held in public places or in people's homes on an ongoing basis. NIFI hosts a resource hub of issue guides and materials developed with and by NIFI for local forums for public use and shares lessons learned across its network dedicated network of professionals and organizations who practice Dialogue & Deliberation. Therefore, NIFI maintains a wealth of knowledge and information for those entering into the Dialogue & Deliberation space to gather advice on organizing events, facilitating dialogue, developing materials, and understanding the importance and potential of such programs.
www.nifi.org
National Issues Forums (NIF) is a nonprofit nonpartisan organization with a nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the simple notion that people need to come together to reason and talk—to deliberate about common problems. These forums, organized by a variety of organizations, groups, and individuals, offer citizens the opportunity to join together to deliberate, to make choices with others about ways to approach difficult issues and to work toward creating reasoned public judgment. Forums range from small or large group gatherings similar to town hall meetings, to study circles held in public places or in people's homes on an ongoing basis. NIFI hosts a resource hub of issue guides and materials developed with and by NIFI for local forums for public use and shares lessons learned across its network dedicated network of professionals and organizations who practice Dialogue & Deliberation. Therefore, NIFI maintains a wealth of knowledge and information for those entering into the Dialogue & Deliberation space to gather advice on organizing events, facilitating dialogue, developing materials, and understanding the importance and potential of such programs.
www.nifi.org
Worldwide Civility Council
The Worldwide Civility Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping people understand the importance of, and how to achieve and maintain, a standard of civility in their various roles and organizations.
www.civilitycouncil.org
www.certifiedcivil.org
The Worldwide Civility Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping people understand the importance of, and how to achieve and maintain, a standard of civility in their various roles and organizations.
www.civilitycouncil.org
www.certifiedcivil.org
Sponsoring Organization
Auburn University Office of Public Service
The Office of Public Service (OPS), housed in University Outreach promotes faculty, student and staff engagement through the development of community and institutional partnerships, strengthening the relationship between the university and the public we serve. The Office of Public Service supports service learning, student engagement and community & institutional partnerships. Our AuburnServes network lists more than 140 community partners available for collaborative engagement projects. The office serves as an institutional representative for Campus Compact, the Gulf South Summit on Service Learning, the Alabama Poverty Project and other engagement resources.
auburn.edu/outreach/ops
The Office of Public Service (OPS), housed in University Outreach promotes faculty, student and staff engagement through the development of community and institutional partnerships, strengthening the relationship between the university and the public we serve. The Office of Public Service supports service learning, student engagement and community & institutional partnerships. Our AuburnServes network lists more than 140 community partners available for collaborative engagement projects. The office serves as an institutional representative for Campus Compact, the Gulf South Summit on Service Learning, the Alabama Poverty Project and other engagement resources.
auburn.edu/outreach/ops
Conference Friends
American Leadership Forum
American Leadership Forum joins and strengthens diverse leaders to serve the common good. We do this through a year-long Fellows Program in each Chapter's community in which leaders can engage in dialogue, differ, and build relationships. ALF strengthens Fellows’ capacity to address public issues collaboratively and builds a strong leadership network to work for positive change in the communities we serve.
www.alfnational.org
American Leadership Forum joins and strengthens diverse leaders to serve the common good. We do this through a year-long Fellows Program in each Chapter's community in which leaders can engage in dialogue, differ, and build relationships. ALF strengthens Fellows’ capacity to address public issues collaboratively and builds a strong leadership network to work for positive change in the communities we serve.
www.alfnational.org
Keys to the City Community Coaching
At Keys to the City Community Coaching, LLC, our team of community development professionals intentionally and strategically partners with communities both large and small to bring about positive, sustainable change. We specialize in addressing sensitive issues and overcoming barriers that hold your community back from building a shared vision. Working with you to build the capacity needed to better serve your citizens and realize your common goals is a key priority. Using the tools of co-learning, co-creating, and generative collaboration to identify your community’s hidden assets, we bring to the field the perspective of alternate possibilities. Ultimately, we help pave a pathway to access the resources needed to unlock your community’s potential, opening the door to sustainable success.
www.keystothecity.co
At Keys to the City Community Coaching, LLC, our team of community development professionals intentionally and strategically partners with communities both large and small to bring about positive, sustainable change. We specialize in addressing sensitive issues and overcoming barriers that hold your community back from building a shared vision. Working with you to build the capacity needed to better serve your citizens and realize your common goals is a key priority. Using the tools of co-learning, co-creating, and generative collaboration to identify your community’s hidden assets, we bring to the field the perspective of alternate possibilities. Ultimately, we help pave a pathway to access the resources needed to unlock your community’s potential, opening the door to sustainable success.
www.keystothecity.co
Kansas State Leadership Communication Doctoral Program
K-State's Leadership Communication doctoral program is an interdisciplinary research degree grounded in community-engaged scholarship. Through this program, you engage in innovative and challenging coursework that examines the theories and methods of leadership and communication needed for collaborative change.
www.k-state.edu/lead-comm
Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State
Since 2004, the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State has advanced civic discourse, democratic decision-making, and public deliberation through collaborative research, teaching, and service. By promoting the scholarship and teaching of democratic participation, ICDD seeks to strengthen democratic society.
www.k-state.edu/media-communication/about/icdd
K-State's Leadership Communication doctoral program is an interdisciplinary research degree grounded in community-engaged scholarship. Through this program, you engage in innovative and challenging coursework that examines the theories and methods of leadership and communication needed for collaborative change.
www.k-state.edu/lead-comm
Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State
Since 2004, the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State has advanced civic discourse, democratic decision-making, and public deliberation through collaborative research, teaching, and service. By promoting the scholarship and teaching of democratic participation, ICDD seeks to strengthen democratic society.
www.k-state.edu/media-communication/about/icdd
Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration
The Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) is a research center and the state office for public collaboration serving government agencies and citizens of Massachusetts as a neutral forum for conflict resolution and consensus-building and an administrator of public mediation programs. Established by statute in 1990, MOPC provides effective forums for collaborative planning, problem-solving and public engagement on contentious public issues, and builds capacity within state, regional and municipal government through evidence-based programming and expedited procurement of resources.
www.mopc.umb.edu
The Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MOPC) is a research center and the state office for public collaboration serving government agencies and citizens of Massachusetts as a neutral forum for conflict resolution and consensus-building and an administrator of public mediation programs. Established by statute in 1990, MOPC provides effective forums for collaborative planning, problem-solving and public engagement on contentious public issues, and builds capacity within state, regional and municipal government through evidence-based programming and expedited procurement of resources.
www.mopc.umb.edu
National Civic League
The mission of the National Civic League is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. We achieve this by inspiring, supporting and recognizing inclusive approaches to community decision-making. Founded in 1894 by a group of civic leaders that included Theodore Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis, the National Civic League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Today, more than ever, the work of the National Civic League is critical to helping create vibrant and healthy communities and a strong democracy.
www.nationalcivicleague.org
The mission of the National Civic League is to advance civic engagement to create equitable, thriving communities. We achieve this by inspiring, supporting and recognizing inclusive approaches to community decision-making. Founded in 1894 by a group of civic leaders that included Theodore Roosevelt and Louis Brandeis, the National Civic League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Today, more than ever, the work of the National Civic League is critical to helping create vibrant and healthy communities and a strong democracy.
www.nationalcivicleague.org
Public Agenda
Public Agenda is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and public engagement organization headquartered in New York City. We strive to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity for all Americans. Public Agenda began to take shape in 1975 when social scientist and public opinion research pioneer Daniel Yankelovich and public official and statesman Cyrus Vance decided to do something about a fundamental problem they thought was endangering our democracy: the growing disconnect between governing elites and the general public. Through nonpartisan research and engagement, Public Agenda provides people with the insights and support they need to arrive at workable solutions on critical issues, regardless of their differences.
www.publicagenda.org
Public Agenda is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and public engagement organization headquartered in New York City. We strive to strengthen democracy and expand opportunity for all Americans. Public Agenda began to take shape in 1975 when social scientist and public opinion research pioneer Daniel Yankelovich and public official and statesman Cyrus Vance decided to do something about a fundamental problem they thought was endangering our democracy: the growing disconnect between governing elites and the general public. Through nonpartisan research and engagement, Public Agenda provides people with the insights and support they need to arrive at workable solutions on critical issues, regardless of their differences.
www.publicagenda.org
The Public Square Academy
The Public Square Academy (PSA) promotes a robust democracy by helping individuals become better all-around citizens. We offer partners a turnkey program that delivers revenue and membership development solutions using hi-impact education and communication models. We promote a small group model with interactive programs to advance our participant’s skills, knowledge, and perspectives. We seek partner organizations and subject matter experts for program design, delivery, and collaborative marketing.
www.publicsquareacademy.com/partnership/
We’re Better Together
The Public Square Academy (PSA) promotes a robust democracy by helping individuals become better all-around citizens. We offer partners a turnkey program that delivers revenue and membership development solutions using hi-impact education and communication models. We promote a small group model with interactive programs to advance our participant’s skills, knowledge, and perspectives. We seek partner organizations and subject matter experts for program design, delivery, and collaborative marketing.
www.publicsquareacademy.com/partnership/
We’re Better Together