Be Part of the Movement Strengthening Community Connection
Support NCDD’s End-of-Year Fundraising Campaign
Please consider a tax-deductible gift to the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD)!
NCDD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
EIN: 26-3350675
NCDD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
EIN: 26-3350675
In a year defined by deep divides, rising mistrust, and growing uncertainty about our democratic future, one truth has become clearer than ever:
People want to be heard. People need connection. Communities need spaces where real conversations can happen.
And that is exactly what NCDD provides.
In 2025, NCDD served as a lifeline for thousands of people across the country who are trying to build community, navigate conflict, design better public engagement, and strengthen democratic practices where they live and work. We are the trusted home for practitioners, educators, organizers, facilitators, mediators, and community members who believe in the power of dialogue and deliberation.
NCDD’s value is unique:
We want to see communities where people feel heard, connected, and capable of working through differences with care. Every day, NCDD members and partners help make this possible by hosting conversations, sharing tools, and supporting one another and our communities. When we talk to each other, we learn, we prosper, and we thrive. If this vision resonates with you, we invite you to help grow this work.
NCDD has never been more needed.
And we cannot do this work without you.
People want to be heard. People need connection. Communities need spaces where real conversations can happen.
And that is exactly what NCDD provides.
In 2025, NCDD served as a lifeline for thousands of people across the country who are trying to build community, navigate conflict, design better public engagement, and strengthen democratic practices where they live and work. We are the trusted home for practitioners, educators, organizers, facilitators, mediators, and community members who believe in the power of dialogue and deliberation.
NCDD’s value is unique:
- We are a community that welcomes people from every background.
- We are a hub and clearinghouse for tools, resources, and practical methods.
- We are a space for support, training, connection, and inspiration.
- We help people build better conversations that strengthen communities and democracy for all.
- We also help people move from difficult conversations to meaningful action, because dialogue done well fuels belonging, connection, and community resilience.
We want to see communities where people feel heard, connected, and capable of working through differences with care. Every day, NCDD members and partners help make this possible by hosting conversations, sharing tools, and supporting one another and our communities. When we talk to each other, we learn, we prosper, and we thrive. If this vision resonates with you, we invite you to help grow this work.
NCDD has never been more needed.
And we cannot do this work without you.
Why Your Support Matters Right Now
In a time of growing alienation, polarization, loneliness, lack of trust, and the weakening of democratic norms, people are searching for community and often finding it in harmful or polarizing places. This moment also affirmed something powerful:
Dialogue and deliberation are essential tools communities need to navigate this moment, fostering connections and shared understanding that support people in meeting challenges together.
Bring what you care about into the future, and support the people doing this work on the ground.
This year, NCDD:
We are doing all of this with a tiny budget, an entirely part-time staff, and an intensifying demand for support from the field. Your contribution makes a real and immediate difference.
Dialogue and deliberation are essential tools communities need to navigate this moment, fostering connections and shared understanding that support people in meeting challenges together.
Bring what you care about into the future, and support the people doing this work on the ground.
This year, NCDD:
- Hosted member calls and public events that helped people feel seen, heard, and supported.
- Expanded partnerships across sectors like libraries, higher education, social justice organizing, public administration, media, and more.
- Supported emerging leaders through our national internship program.
- Grew our membership and strengthened our digital systems to serve the field better.
- Advanced the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative to connect facilitators with opportunities to support communities during a historic period.
- Continued our partnership with the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative to train librarians as community conversation facilitators.
- Fielded more requests for help, resources, and collaboration than at any point in the past five years.
We are doing all of this with a tiny budget, an entirely part-time staff, and an intensifying demand for support from the field. Your contribution makes a real and immediate difference.
Our Goals for 2026
This movement for better conversation, connection, and deliberation is growing, and 2026 is a pivotal year. Together, we can expand this work in powerful and necessary ways. We’re stepping into the new year with ambitious goals to strengthen community connection nationwide, and your gift directly supports the programs, people, and partnerships that make this possible. Here are some of our top priorities for the year ahead:
1. Support communities to build trust and connection
At a time when people feel unheard, isolated, and pushed to extremes, NCDD equips communities with the tools and relationships they need to restore trust and belonging. No matter which candidate gets your vote, your voice matters beyond the ballot. NCDD helps people participate meaningfully in the decisions that shape their lives.
2. Expand programming and member support
Your donation will strengthen monthly forums, member calls, training opportunities, network-building, and national outreach efforts. We help everyday people become the influencers their communities need through knowledge, partnerships, and shared skill-building.
3. Support the next generation of leaders
Our internship program has become one of the strongest pipelines in the country for emerging practitioners. Your gift helps us move toward offering paid internships and deeper support. These young leaders are stepping into a world that needs their courage, creativity, and commitment to connection.
4. Invest in the next national convening
Our field is hungry to gather again. Practitioners are ready to reconnect, learn from one another, and work together on shared challenges, and our next convening will create the space for that collaboration. Your contribution helps us plan a sustainable, multi-coalition gathering that is accessible, energizing, and action-oriented.
5. Strengthen NCDD’s infrastructure
NCDD is upgrading our core systems to serve our members and the broader field better. Your support helps us build a refreshed website, develop a streamlined CRM, and launch a member-only portal with resources and networking spaces that make connection and engagement easier.
1. Support communities to build trust and connection
At a time when people feel unheard, isolated, and pushed to extremes, NCDD equips communities with the tools and relationships they need to restore trust and belonging. No matter which candidate gets your vote, your voice matters beyond the ballot. NCDD helps people participate meaningfully in the decisions that shape their lives.
2. Expand programming and member support
Your donation will strengthen monthly forums, member calls, training opportunities, network-building, and national outreach efforts. We help everyday people become the influencers their communities need through knowledge, partnerships, and shared skill-building.
3. Support the next generation of leaders
Our internship program has become one of the strongest pipelines in the country for emerging practitioners. Your gift helps us move toward offering paid internships and deeper support. These young leaders are stepping into a world that needs their courage, creativity, and commitment to connection.
4. Invest in the next national convening
Our field is hungry to gather again. Practitioners are ready to reconnect, learn from one another, and work together on shared challenges, and our next convening will create the space for that collaboration. Your contribution helps us plan a sustainable, multi-coalition gathering that is accessible, energizing, and action-oriented.
5. Strengthen NCDD’s infrastructure
NCDD is upgrading our core systems to serve our members and the broader field better. Your support helps us build a refreshed website, develop a streamlined CRM, and launch a member-only portal with resources and networking spaces that make connection and engagement easier.
Call to Action
Your support strengthens the people who improve our community life and our democracy. Your gift today ensures that NCDD can keep serving the field with the leadership, community, and resources that our moment demands.
Whether you give $10, $100, or $1,000, your donation helps us continue this essential work and build a stronger NCDD for 2026 and beyond.
If you believe in the power of people coming together across differences, stronger conversations, more connected communities, and a healthier democracy, your support will help grow and sustain this work nationwide. Please check out our donation page or give directly here.
Want to pay by check?
Please email our bookkeeper, Joy Garman, at [email protected] to give her a heads up and send your check addressed to:
National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, PO Box 150, Boiling Springs, PA 17007
If you'd also like to stay connected throughout the year, we warmly invite you to join NCDD as an official member. Membership is a meaningful way to engage with this work, access resources, and be part of the community you’re helping strengthen. Become a member at: ncdd.org/join !
Whether you give $10, $100, or $1,000, your donation helps us continue this essential work and build a stronger NCDD for 2026 and beyond.
If you believe in the power of people coming together across differences, stronger conversations, more connected communities, and a healthier democracy, your support will help grow and sustain this work nationwide. Please check out our donation page or give directly here.
Want to pay by check?
Please email our bookkeeper, Joy Garman, at [email protected] to give her a heads up and send your check addressed to:
National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, PO Box 150, Boiling Springs, PA 17007
If you'd also like to stay connected throughout the year, we warmly invite you to join NCDD as an official member. Membership is a meaningful way to engage with this work, access resources, and be part of the community you’re helping strengthen. Become a member at: ncdd.org/join !
A Heartfelt Thank You
NCDD’s staff is small but mighty, and every one of us is deeply aligned with this mission. For more than 23 years, we have worked alongside our members to knit the practices of dialogue and deliberation into the fabric of our communities, making this work as accessible and meaningful as possible. As we strive to carry NCDD into the next year, the next decade, and beyond, we are committed to continuing to build a robust, welcoming space for connection, learning, and action. You help make that possible. We are profoundly grateful that you are reading this, supporting this work, and being part of this coalition. A coalition is nothing without its people, and we are honored to be in this work with you - learning, growing, and creating a more connected future together.
With Deep Care,
Keiva Hummel
NCDD's Executive Director
With Deep Care,
Keiva Hummel
NCDD's Executive Director