Welcome to NCDD: The World Café Community Foundation

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) has welcomed The World Café Community Foundation as its newest member, uniting two organizations dedicated to the transformative power of conversation in strengthening communities and democracy. The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and steward of the World Café method developed by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, promotes a structured yet adaptable approach to dialogue that brings diverse participants together to share perspectives, uncover collective wisdom, and inspire collaborative action. Committed to keeping the practice accessible and evolving, the Foundation offers global training, mentoring, and online spaces while operating on principles of generosity and inclusion. Its emphasis on conversational leadership—rooted in hosting and deep listening rather than hierarchy—resonates deeply with NCDD’s mission to enhance civic engagement and equity. Together, they aim to expand opportunities for meaningful dialogue across cultures and communities, building the infrastructure of democracy one conversation at a time.

---

---

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation is pleased to welcome The World Café Community Foundation as our newest member. This partnership brings together two organizations deeply committed to the transformative power of conversation and the belief that meaningful dialogue can reshape our communities and our world.

​Transforming the World Through Conversation

The World Café Community Foundation operates with a bold and beautiful mission: to transform the world for the benefit of all life through convening and supporting collaborative conversation worldwide. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Foundation serves as the steward of the World Café method, a structured conversational process that has become a cornerstone of participatory practices around the globe.
​
Developed by co-founders Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, the World Café approach creates hospitable spaces where diverse perspectives can gather, listen deeply, and discover collective wisdom. The method typically brings people together in small groups around café-style tables, rotating participants to cross-pollinate ideas, listening for patterns, and ultimately harvesting insights that emerge from the collective intelligence in the room. This isn't just about having nice conversations—it's about creating the conditions for genuine understanding, innovation, and collaborative action on the issues that matter most to communities.

A Living Practice for Democratic Engagement

What sets The World Café Community Foundation apart is its commitment to keeping this methodology both accessible and evolving. The Foundation doesn't simply promote a static technique; it nurtures a living practice that adapts to changing global needs while maintaining core values of hospitality, diverse participation, shared listening, and emergence.

Through their Signature Learning Programs, the Foundation builds capacity among practitioners worldwide, offering training and mentoring that honors different cultural contexts. Their Stewardship Council, which includes long-time hosts and international contributors, ensures that the integrity and foundational values of the practice remain strong while encouraging innovation and responsiveness to new challenges.
​
The Foundation's work extends far beyond training events. They maintain vibrant online spaces, convene global conversations on pressing issues, and support a worldwide network of hosts and practitioners through their Community Table subscriptions. Much of this work operates on principles of generosity and gift economy, with volunteers contributing their time and expertise to keep the practice accessible to those with limited resources.

Strengthening Our Collective Capacity

The World Café Community Foundation's membership in NCDD represents a natural alignment of values and vision. Both organizations recognize that the quality of our conversations shapes the quality of our democracy. Both understand that bringing diverse voices to the table—and creating conditions where those voices can truly be heard—is essential work in our polarized times.

The Foundation's emphasis on conversational leadership resonates deeply with NCDD's commitment to strengthening civic engagement. Rather than leadership rooted in hierarchy and authority, the World Café approach cultivates leaders who can host, listen, and enable others. This shift in how we understand leadership has profound implications for how communities tackle complex challenges, from local policy decisions to global issues requiring collective wisdom.

As we face increasingly complex challenges that demand collaborative solutions, The World Café Community Foundation's work becomes even more vital. Their focus on accessibility—ensuring that people across cultures, geographies, and economic circumstances can participate in meaningful dialogue—aligns perfectly with NCDD's commitment to equity and inclusion in deliberative practice.

We're excited to have The World Café Community Foundation as part of the NCDD network and look forward to the conversations, learning, and collaborative possibilities this partnership will generate. Together, we can continue building the infrastructure of democracy, one meaningful conversation at a time.
​
Learn more about The World Café Community Foundation and connect with their global community of practitioners at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-cafe-community-foundation/