The National Civic League has launched CyberSim and Take9—a new initiative with Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Aspen Digital to strengthen civic digital resilience. Using immersive cybersecurity simulations adapted from the National Democratic Institute’s role-playing models, the program helps local governments and civic leaders understand cascading impacts, clarify roles, and build cross-sector coordination. With 44% of officials facing daily cyberattacks, breach costs averaging $6.53 million, and federal funding shrinking, communities increasingly shoulder the security burden themselves. The 2026 rollout includes in-person simulations, train-the-trainer expansion, and conference programming. By linking technical cybersecurity to public trust and democratic participation, this work advances NCDD’s mission and underscores how digital resilience is now essential civic infrastructure.

​Essential Partners facilitated the Bridging the Divide on Firearm Policy initiative, where 23 gun rights and gun safety advocates created a comprehensive state-level model gun policy to reduce gun violence while protecting constitutional and due process rights. Directed by Dr. Michael Siegel from Tufts University School of Medicine, the initiative brought gun owners and non-gun owners together to develop balanced, evidence-based policies on background checks, extreme risk protection orders, dealer regulation, suicide prevention, secure storage, safety education, and community violence intervention. The 67-page policy package at BridgeTheDivideNow.org demonstrates that Americans can solve hard problems by listening and seeing each other as neighbors with real experiences, rather than adversaries in zero-sum political battles. This initiative advances NCDD’s mission by showing how structured facilitation creates conditions for groups with deep ideological differences to find common ground on contentious policy issues, offering a model for collaborative problem-solving that transcends polarization through focusing on practical solutions, building trust, and committing to data-driven approaches.

A coalition of civic practitioners from groups including Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange, Join or Die, The Village Square, Department of Public Transformation, and Warm Cookies of the Revolution released an open letter outlining a vision for community-led civic renewal based on five principles: participatory engagement, vibrant civic culture, locally rooted leadership, trust-based relationships, and generational commitment. The letter critiques approaches that treat communities as managed spaces, emphasizing that America’s civic renewal depends on nurturing local stewardship. This framework supports NCDD’s mission by promoting trust, place-based accountability, and long-term civic cultivation, inviting stakeholders to strengthen networks of grounded leaders across thousands of communities.

Be The People is a nationwide collaborative campaign launched alongside the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to reinvigorate civic participation and community problem-solving in the United States. Convening more than 50 philanthropic foundations, nonprofits, businesses, and civic organizations under a shared framework, the initiative—led by Stand Together—aims to address the widespread public desire to contribute locally but uncertainty about how to do so meaningfully. Rather than creating a new institution, it connects existing efforts to resources, visibility, and shared narratives, emphasizing community members as active problem-solvers. With a first-year budget exceeding $200 million and a 10-year horizon, the campaign seeks to counter narratives of division and hopelessness by highlighting tangible local progress on issues such as poverty, addiction, violence, and economic mobility, supported by data collection and storytelling that elevate successful civic action.

More in Common and Democracy Notes, with support from New Pluralists, have launched a nine-month communications community of practice for professionals working across the pluralism ecosystem. Building on prior social media research and peer-learning cohorts, the program brings together a small cohort of communications practitioners for monthly facilitated sessions focused on practical skill-building, experimentation, and shared problem-solving around messaging for democratic renewal, bridge-building, and inclusive civic participation. Participants receive peer support, individualized coaching, and shared funds to test new approaches, with no cost to participate. Applications are due February 13, 2026, and the cohort will begin in late March.

The JAMS Foundation and National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) are launching the 2026-2028 Community Mediation Mini-Grant Program, awarding up to five organizations $15,000 per year to develop preventive approaches using community mediation skills to de-escalate family conflict during critical transitions like substance abuse treatment, assisted living moves, or mental health services navigation. Grant recipients will participate in a structured Learning Community facilitated by NAFCM using the Listening for Action Leadership Process, meeting twice monthly for the first six months and monthly thereafter to share challenges, test approaches, and develop replicable resources while creating at least one policy or procedure change over the two years for lasting systemic impact. This collaborative model emphasizes deep listening, collaborative problem-solving, community co-creation, and attention to power dynamics—principles aligned with NCDD values—with all materials shared across the broader field to strengthen community mediation practice nationally and internationally, creating pathways for families to work through disagreements collaboratively before they escalate into formal legal proceedings or institutional interventions.

​In a recent article for the Nonprofit Quarterly, Chicago-based civic educator and arts activist Tom Tresser made a compelling case for why arts and culture organizations should follow a proven model for civic engagement—one that the far right has successfully employed for over 50 years. Drawing on his experience as a former actor, theater manager, and arts activist, Tresser outlined practical strategies for using creative spaces to build community power and deepen democratic participation.

​Dinner and a Fight/Dialogue (DaaF/D), developed by Fighting to Understand and adapted from Arizona State University's Hot Topics-Cool Heads method, creates structured spaces where community members engage in productive dialogue over shared meals to address divisive local challenges. The 2.5-hour format balances informal relationship-building during dinner with a unique deliberative structure where five volunteers occupy chairs labeled from "Agree-strongly" to "Disagree-strongly," creating a live demonstration of diverse perspectives that normalizes disagreement and models respectful dialogue across difference. DaaF/D has demonstrated real-world impact in communities like South Haven, Michigan, where it was combined with the digital platform Polis to address contentious short-term rental issues, helping residents move past entrenched positions toward a shared understanding while developing practical skills in constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. Read more in the blog post below.

​This article highlights lessons from three National Issues Forums Institute–connected research projects that examine how communities can effectively deliberate on environmental challenges in ways that lead to meaningful, locally guided action. Through examples from Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, and other Southern states, the piece shows that successful environmental deliberation requires centering participants’ lived experiences, responding flexibly to community needs, and ensuring discussions connect to real decision-making pathways. It emphasizes the importance of adapting processes—such as shifting from deliberation to dialogue when communities need more sensemaking—and underscores how building local leadership strengthens trust, accessibility, and long-term impact. Together, these insights point to the value of community-rooted, action-oriented deliberation that aligns with existing structures and amplifies local knowledge and leadership.

​The Fall Edition of the National Civic Review spotlights how communities across the country are putting democratic ideals into practice by transforming shared challenges into opportunities for collaboration and innovation. This article explores real-world examples of civic engagement in action—from cities addressing homelessness through cross-sector partnerships to small towns building trust through inclusive dialogue. By centering stories of residents, local officials, and community organizations working side by side, “Democracy in Practice” illustrates how the health of democracy depends on the everyday work of people coming together to solve problems. The piece underscores a central NCR theme: that democracy thrives not in theory, but through lived, collective effort.