​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 National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is now inviting organizations to sponsor NCDD2027, its 10th national conference, taking place May 18-20, 2027, in Chicago, Illinois, with pre-conference events on May 17. The gathering will bring together an expected 450 to 500 participants from across North America, including practitioners, researchers, public officials, funders, educators, and community members working across dialogue, deliberation, civic engagement, and conflict transformation. Sponsorship packages range from Friend-level support starting at 1,000 dollars to Visionary-level partnerships above 100,000 dollars, with benefits scaling across conference registrations, membership, guidebook placement, and plenary recognition. Organizations can also invest directly in specific priorities, including accessibility accommodations, scholarships for students and early-career practitioners, and inclusive participation funds that reduce financial barriers to attendance. For NCDD's network, sponsorship represents a direct way to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the broader dialogue and deliberation field, extending relationships and ideas well beyond the three days of the conference itself. The opportunity connects funders and organizations with a national community focused on helping people navigate differences and act together; read more in the blog post below.

Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), a national network of funders supporting civic engagement, opens a new three-part series arguing that philanthropy across every sector, not just dedicated democracy funders, has a role to play in strengthening civic life. Written by Shannon Green, the piece contends that trust, belonging, and community participation are not a niche issue area but the foundation that makes progress possible on any cause a funder cares about, from health to education to housing. It points to health, humanities, and youth development funders already investing in connection and civic participation as evidence that this shift is already underway, and previews a forthcoming PACE guide distilling shared practices for grantmakers new to civic philanthropy. The series' central claim, that every funder can be a civic funder regardless of their primary mission, speaks directly to NCDD's mission of expanding who sees themselves as invested in the health of dialogue, deliberation, and democratic life.

The Council on Foundations has launched the Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator, a new grant opportunity designed to help U.S. community foundations deepen their capacity to bring people together across social and political divides. The program pairs direct funding, including a $20,000 planning grant and up to $45,000 in follow-on support, with expert coaching and a structured peer learning agenda, giving foundations both the resources and the skills to design local strategies for working across differences. Selected organizations commit staff time to a bimonthly peer learning circle and at least one additional capacity-building program, such as the Council's Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort. Applications are due September 4, 2026, and are open to U.S. community foundations, with preference given to Council members and organizations planning for long-term engagement. The accelerator reflects a growing recognition among funders that bridging divides requires sustained investment, positioning it as a valuable resource for NCDD's network of practitioners and philanthropic partners.

​The Council on Foundations has launched the Community Foundations Working Across Differences Accelerator, a new grant program supporting community foundations that want to build local capacity for bridging divides in their communities. The Accelerator combines direct funding, expert coaching, and peer learning to help selected foundations design and implement strategies for working across differences, treating that work as a core function of civic leadership rather than a side initiative. Eligible U.S. community foundations can apply for a $20,000 planning grant, with the possibility of $45,000 in follow-on implementation funding, by submitting an online application before the September 4, 2026 deadline. This opportunity gives NCDD's network of practitioners and funders a concrete example of philanthropy investing directly in dialogue and bridge-building infrastructure at the community level.