​SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue convened nearly 40 civic leaders and organizations in March 2026 to prioritize recommendations from BC's Special Committee on Democratic and Electoral Reform, which had received input from nearly 1,000 individuals and organizations. Participants identified seven high-impact, implementable priorities — including establishing a non-partisan democratic engagement centre, strengthening civic education, countering election misinformation, and considering a people's assembly on electoral reform. The Centre for Dialogue, which presented to the Special Committee directly, frames the current moment as a rare policy window where public concern and institutional momentum are aligned. For NCDD's network, the initiative demonstrates how deliberative convening can translate broad institutional reform agendas into focused, collectively owned priorities — a model with clear relevance beyond British Columbia.

​The Kettering Foundation has named 15 Dayton-area community members as its 2026 Dayton Democracy Fellows, recognizing leaders from nonprofit, government, faith, arts, and advocacy sectors who are advancing inclusive democratic practice. The cohort reflects a wide range of civic approaches, from cooperative economics and tenant organizing to Indigenous advocacy and community media. The fellowship supports Kettering's Democracy and Community focus area, which holds that democratic renewal depends on the everyday work of people rooted in their communities. For NCDD's network, the Dayton Democracy Fellowship offers a concrete example of how structured community leadership programs can cultivate the civic relationships and capacities that dialogue and deliberation efforts depend on.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation warns that civil society is under growing threat worldwide, with shrinking funding and rising restrictions, intimidation, and retaliation against leaders. As core freedoms decline in 60 countries—including increasing limits on protest and politicized free speech in the U.S.—these trends jeopardize the ability of advocates and organizations to serve communities. The Foundation argues that philanthropy must invest in strengthening civic infrastructure, protecting the sector, and supporting movements, emphasizing that democracy depends on people’s ability to organize and act peacefully. Read more in the blog post below.

​National Civic League is partnering with Local Policy Lab and Spread the Vote to expand its democracy work, alongside programs like Civic Genius and the Center for Democracy Innovation. Local Policy Lab contributes a model for embedding resident voice into city governance as durable civic infrastructure, while Spread the Vote strengthens voter access and participation—together creating a continuum from ballot access to sustained civic engagement. This integration positions the League to scale inclusive, locally driven democracy solutions nationwide, advancing trust, equity, and institutionalized community participation.

​New America’s Political Reform Program, Democracy Notes, and CivicLex will host a virtual discussion on April 27, 2026 (11 AM–12 PM EDT) on the first fully locally run civic assembly in the U.S., organized by CivicLex in March 2026, with 30+ randomly selected residents to propose reforms to Lexington’s Urban County Charter. The assembly advanced three recommendations—raising council salaries, creating public accountability standards, and requiring Charter review every eight years—marking a milestone in locally led deliberative democracy without national facilitation. Speakers include Hollie Russon Gilman, Richard Young, Kit Anderson, and Lilly Bramley, who will share practical lessons, challenges, and insights for implementing civic assemblies at the local level.

​Healthy Democracy and Sortition USA are offering a Leadership Training for Democracy program (apply by April 30, 2026) to help participants move from learning to action through local organizing around civic assemblies. The two-weekend virtual training (May 23–24 and May 30–31) covers how assemblies use lottery selection and facilitation to improve decision-making, with case studies and practical guidance for advocacy. Limited to 10 participants, the program requires ~4 hours/week post-training for outreach and organizing, and includes six months of support (mentorship, check-ins, peer network, and potential seed funding) to help participants build local initiatives and advance democratic innovation.

Designed Learning, founded by Peter Block in 1980, delivers workshops in 35 countries and five languages based on Flawless Consulting, The Empowered Manager, and Community: The Structure of Belonging. Its “Connecting for the Common Good” program teaches that authentic community emerges through small-group conversations where people share gifts, name fears, and commit to collective well-being. Emphasizing that transformation starts with the quality of these conversations, the program equips participants to design gatherings that shift focus from problems to possibilities, fostering accountability, belonging, and the common good in workplaces and communities.

The Interactivity Foundation is launching summer 2026 opportunities to build collaborative discussion and facilitation skills through its Collaborative Discussion Project, including coach trainings, certifications, and five fully funded cohort grants that bring training directly to campuses or communities. The program focuses on developing “collaborative intelligence”—the ability to think constructively across differences—through hands-on, practice-based training that results in certification, facilitation tools, and entry into a broader community of practice. It also supports a train-the-trainer model, enabling participants to run their own programs and expand local capacity for dialogue. Participants gain access to a 40+ activity toolkit and ongoing resources, with applications open through April 2026 and trainings running through 2027.

A Kettering–Gallup study of 20,000+ Americans finds widespread doubt about whether citizens have real influence in democracy, but shows that community involvement and civic education strongly increase civic confidence and participation. Most Americans want to engage but face major barriers—especially time constraints, lack of invitation, and uncertainty about how to participate—disproportionately affecting low-income people and young adults. Those with strong civic education or regular community involvement are far more likely to volunteer and believe citizens can drive change. Heavy social media use has mixed effects, increasing feelings of empowerment but also correlating with lower democratic support and greater acceptance of political violence.

​Everyday Democracy’s virtual conversation, “Doing Democracy: Using Civic Imagination to Shape Our Next 250 Years,” explores how creativity, art, and community rituals fuel democratic change. Despite 76% of Americans believing the political system needs significant change, only 25% are confident it can change. The panel features Chandanie Orgias, Shawnee Benton Gibson, and Nadine Bloch, moderated by Everyday Democracy President Merle McGee. They discuss how civic imagination bridges desire for change and belief in feasibility through embodied practice, cultural organizing, and art as dialogue. The event introduces the OurNext250 gathering guide, inviting communities nationwide to host inclusive gatherings that build connection, spark shared vision, and practice democracy. This work advances NCDD’s mission by demonstrating how civic imagination transforms participants into civic agents, reshapes community connections, addresses barriers, and recognizes democracy as created through everyday actions, storytelling, and cultural organizing.