Community Assistance

National expertise to support your local engagement efforts

National Civic League facilitates strategic planning processes, community engagement trainings, and development of local engagement plans and materials- helping local governments and institutions engage and involve residents in ways that lead to tangible outcomes.

The National Civic League consults with communities in a variety of capacities, including:

• Resident-led strategic planning
• Lead local engagement trainings to increase institution’s internal engagement capacity
• Partner with local communities to develop specific conversation guides, engagement plans and other relevant tools.
• Developing organizational and community-wide engagement plans
• Civic engagement coaching and support for local leaders

Our Approach

National Civic League’s community assistance philosophy encourages communities to view civic engagement as more than presenting information, or distributing questionnaires (though both are important); instead, we promote listening to, and learning from, residents consistently and using those insights to shape how programs are administered, designed and executed. We set a different expectation for engagement.

“We tried to engage ‘them’ but no one showed up” is not enough; engagement of racial and ethnic minorities and others traditionally excluded from decision-making is not “going above and beyond,” it must become the new expectation – the baseline for legitimate engagement efforts.  Click here to read more about Why Engagement Matters

Our key strengths include:

• Identifying ways to move from conversation to action, from ideas to implementation
• Ensuring that engagement reaches beyond those who typically engage
• Developing materials and processes to fit the unique context, challenges and history of the community
• Designing and implementing public engagement processes that lead to enhanced resident knowledge, input and buy-in
• Ensuring ongoing participation through newly formed networks across the community

Contact the League to talk about your local challenges and how engagement might help move the needle for your community.