​A new piece from Democracy Notes Perspectives, authored by Caitlin Shrigley of the Trust for Civic Life, highlights the often-overlooked role community colleges play as civic infrastructure in rural communities. Using Old Fort, North Carolina, a small town rebuilding its economy around outdoor recreation after the decline of the textile and timber industries, the piece shows how McDowell Technical Community College has become a trusted convener, technical partner, and gathering space for local civic life. The article argues that philanthropy frequently underinvests in community colleges despite their outsized role in sustaining trust and collaboration within rural communities. For NCDD's network, the piece offers a valuable case study in how educational institutions can serve as civic anchors, supporting the cross-sector partnerships and community-driven problem-solving central to collaborative governance. The piece is part of a broader series on higher education and democracy, underwritten by Lumina Foundation.

The University Network for Collaborative Governance, co-hosted with NCDD and the Association for Conflict Resolution, is holding its 2026 national virtual conference, Anchoring Our Future: How Can Collaborative Governance Meet the Moment? The two-day gathering brings together scholars, practitioners, and public leaders to explore how collaborative governance approaches can respond to a rapidly changing political and civic landscape. Hosted by the Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, the conference offers a blend of research presentations, practice-based sessions, dialogue, and networking opportunities for those working across mediation, stakeholder collaboration, and public dispute resolution. For NCDD's network, the event represents a direct extension of the organization's own commitment to collaborative civic action, bringing academic research and applied practice into conversation around shared governance challenges. Sessions will take place on October 30 and November 6, with each day running from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm Eastern. The conference offers dialogue and deliberation practitioners a chance to connect with adjacent fields in conflict resolution and public policy, strengthening cross-sector relationships central to NCDD's mission.

Meet Joshua Barr, an Emmy- and nationally award-winning filmmaker, civil rights attorney, and policy strategist based in the Greater Asheville area. Joshua’s career spans civil rights enforcement, municipal government, documentary filmmaking, and organizational consulting, all grounded in a commitment to using dialogue to bridge differences and create meaningful change. From leading community dialogue initiatives that informed new city policies to creating the award-winning documentary Breaking Bread, Building Bridges, Joshua has demonstrated how structured, face-to-face engagement can help communities move beyond division and toward common ground. Today, through Raising The Barr, LLC, he helps organizations build more inclusive and equitable policies and practices. As an NCDD board member, Joshua brings a unique ability to translate dialogue and deliberation into practical community action, policy change, and storytelling.

NCDD just launched our 2026 Member Experience & Priorities Survey! We’re inviting current NCDD members to share their perspectives and help shape what comes next for the coalition. Members who complete the survey will be eligible for three weekly $75 drawings on October 5, October 12, and October 19; early respondents will have more chances to be selected. The survey closes Sunday, October 18.

We sent the survey directly to current NCDD members and will not share it publicly. If you didn’t receive the survey or think you may need to renew, contact Keiva at [email protected] with any questions about your membership status. Not currently a member? Those who join or renew during the campaign can participate in the remaining drawings. Learn more about joining NCDD at www.ncdd.org/join.  
Read more in the blog post below.

​The National Civic League has released the Summer 2026 issue of the National Civic Review, its flagship publication examining civic engagement and local governance, made available to NCDD's network through the two organizations' ongoing partnership. This issue centers on how communities are revitalizing democracy through civic tradition, collaborative leadership, and grassroots innovation, featuring articles on participatory budgeting, jail-based voting access, inter-field collaboration, and civil discourse strategies on college campuses. Contributors examine timely and often overlooked dimensions of democratic practice, from mid-cycle redistricting's effects on voter confidence to the role of parenting education as civic infrastructure. The issue also profiles Dubuque, Iowa's decades-long transformation through sustained civic participation, offering a concrete example of what inclusive, cross-sector planning can achieve over time. For NCDD's audience, the Review offers rigorous, field-relevant research and case studies that speak directly to dialogue, deliberation, and collaborative governance practice. The publication reflects NCDD and the National Civic League's shared commitment to strengthening the civic engagement field through accessible, practice-oriented scholarship.