"How to Make a Home," a powerful show by playwright Amina McIntyre, is bringing the conversation about homelessness directly into Atlanta living rooms. NCDD Member Org, Out of Hand Theater's innovative production follows Antonio, a single father navigating housing insecurity while caring for his young daughter. Actor Markell Wayne Williams portrays ten different characters in this intimate performance that transforms audiences from passive viewers to engaged participants. The show runs March 7-April 27, 2025, with performances hosted in over 40 homes across Metro Atlanta in partnership with Partners for Home and Mayor Andre Dickens. Read more about the show in the blog post below.

NCDD Friends, National Civic League are hosting the webinar, "Communities for Climate Action: Engagement Strategies That Work", on March 19 at 12:30 Pacific, 3:30pm Eastern. ​Join this insightful webinar exploring the intersection of climate action and inclusive community engagement, where local governments are leading efforts to address environmental challenges while strengthening democratic practices. Featuring experts from the Local Policy Lab and sustainability leaders from cities across the U.S., this session will highlight best practices, case studies, and tools for effectively engaging residents in climate resilience efforts. Attendees will gain practical insights on fostering authentic community involvement and ensuring environmental sustainability through policies that also reinforce democratic participation. Learn more in the blost post below and register here.

Join NCDD Friends, Social Pinpoint, for "Equitable Community Engagement: Moving from Insight to Action," a free webinar on March 12th, 2025. Industry experts will share key findings from the global "Engaging for Equity" survey and practical strategies for inclusive public participation. All registrants receive the full report and session recording. Read more and register here!

Strong local journalism supports democracy by fostering voter engagement, countering polarization, and building community. Democracy Fund’s Equitable Journalism strategy emphasizes local news ecosystems—networks of institutions, collaborations, and individuals that provide essential information. Updated research with Impact Architects has expanded their Healthy News & Information Ecosystem framework to include "Democracy Indicators," which assess factors like access to legal resources for journalists, voting ease, and civic engagement. Democracy Fund’s investments since 2016 have advanced local journalism across the U.S. Read more in the blog post below and find the full article here.

We are sharing an invitation to participate in a research study on hybrid public deliberation and dialogue processes, which combine in-person and online participants. The study seeks individuals who have organized, facilitated, or provided technology for at least four hybrid dialogues. Participants will be interviewed about their practices, technology, challenges, and the future of hybrid processes. Each interview will take around 45 minutes, and participants will receive a $50 Visa gift card. Participation is voluntary, confidential, and can be withdrawn at any time. For more details, visit the consent form link provided. Read more in the blog post below!

NCDD members, the National Civic League, are preparing to launch the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Map and are seeking assistance in ensuring data completeness and accuracy. Their mission is to identify, categorize, and quantify existing organizations, networks, and funders who work to promote and protect healthy democracy in America, and to create a compelling, interactive resource that educates and empowers users. The map aims to offer a comprehensive view of organizations promoting healthy democracy in America, covering various areas like civic education, voter engagement, and civic technology. Read the blog post below, fill out the form, and learn more here. 

NCDD friends, Social Pinpoint, announced a 12-day survey aimed at identifying challenges and successful practices for engaging underrepresented community members. The survey seeks to gather diverse opinions to address equity with innovative solutions. Participants' anonymous insights will contribute to a report on inclusive engagement practices and be presented at the TRB's 2nd Conference on Advancing Transportation Equity. The survey closes on Monday, July 8th, and participants will receive a copy of the final report. Read the blog post below and take the survey here. 

NCDD friends, Campus Compact, supported by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, announced the Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Project to enhance students' abilities in democratic engagement and address societal challenges. The project will create a virtual platform and resources for faculty, staff, and administrators, available free of charge. Immediate input is sought through a survey​​ to shape these resources, with a campus resource guide to be released this summer addressing current issues. Data submitted before July 4th will help shape some immediate resources, while data submitted after will shape our planning and implementation over the coming academic year. Read the blog post below, learn more and take the survey here.

Weave's Social Trust Index and Map show how different neighborhood traits are linked to social trust. They look at behaviors, intentions, and spaces separately but recognize how they all work together. The data, updated annually from sources like Esri and SafeGraph, is collected locally to be specific and timely. Experts chose data linked to social trust, and Datastory analyzed it into easy-to-understand scores. The Index covers community engagement, intentions, and social spaces to help neighbors connect. Check out the blog post below, read the article, and explore the Social Trust Index Map here.