Category Archives: funding-jobs-awards

Mathews Center for Civic Life Seeks Summer Interns

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We encourage our younger and student members to take note of the announcement below from the David Mathews Center for Civic Life – one of our NCDD member organizations. The internships they are offering this summer are great opportunities to gain experience in deliberation, and we encourage you to apply today! Learn more in their announcement below.

Looking for Interns

Our Jean O’Connor-Snyder Internship Program (JOIP) provides experiential civic learning opportunities for college students across multiple disciplines. Students research deliberative practices and asset-based approaches to working alongside Alabama communities in capacity-building projects. We at the DMC administer the JOIP program and collaborate with faculty mentors across the state.

Participating students build civic and professional skills while implementing asset-based, capacity-building projects in Alabama communities. JOIP interns apply their immersive civic learning experiences to their future studies and careers. Through JOIP, we hope to build upon the millennial spirit of civic engagement in Alabama.

For information about eligibility, project guidelines, proposal requirements, and other details, contact Rebecca Cleveland at rcleveland@mathewscenter.org.

We originally found this announcement on the NIF website at www.nifi.org/en/david-mathews-center-looking-interns.

Participatory Budgeting Project is Hiring!

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The team at the Participatory Budgeting Project, one of our NCDD member organizations, recently shared an announcement about job openings within their organization, and we want to encourage NCDD members to consider applying! PBP is a national leader in getting everyday people involved in public budgeting processes, and we know that there are many of our members who would be a great fit for these PBP-Logo-Stacked-Rectangle-web1positions!

There are four positions open with PBP right now, and most of them can be based at PBP’s Oakland, CA or Brooklyn, NY offices. But they are giving priority to applications received before April 18th, so make sure to apply soon!

Below are the job titles and PBP’s descriptions of who they’re looking for:

Operations Manager
You are stoked about managing the operations of an effective, supportive, and fun nonprofit dedicated to social change. Our ideal candidate loves our mission to transform democracy, and wants to make this work possible by building and maintaining our organizational systems. Monthly client invoices? You’re down. Internet is down? You’ll make sure it gets back up!

Individual Giving Manager
You will lead growth of an individual donor base that can support PBP’s work to empower thousands of people and reinvent democracy. Our ideal candidate is a coach and collaborator who is excited about equipping our staff, board, and partners to win hearts, minds, and dollars. And you’re not too shabby at wooing prospects yourself.

Manager, Engagement Technology
Do you believe that technology can be harnessed to advance social justice and make government more responsive? Our ideal candidate is as passionate about code as about collaboration, and is equally comfortable working with software developers and explaining how all those doo-dads work to non-technologist community members.

Executive Assistant
This is a great opportunity to see first hand how a successful nonprofit functions and support staff leaders in keeping it humming. Our ideal candidate loves learning new skills and has a knack for making systems better. The Executive Assistant will provide operational and communications support for PBP’s programmatic and fundraising work.

 

You can find more info about these positions and how to apply by visiting www.participatorybudgeting.org/participate/jobs-internships. We hope to see some NCDDers apply soon!

Good luck to all the applicants!

 

Everyday Democracy Hosts Conn. Civic Health Town Hall

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The good people at Everyday Democracy – an NCDD member organization – recently shared an announcement about a great town hall event they are planning to host with the support a recent grant. The event will share the results of a recent study on Connecticut’s civic health and hopes to spark dialogue about making progress in the state’s public participation. We encourage you to read an excerpt of the announcement below or read the full original post here.

Connecticut Humanities Awards Public Presentation Grant to Everyday Democracy

EvDem LogoConnecticut Humanities has awarded Everyday Democracy a public presentation grant in the amount of $13,500 in support of its humanities program “Connecticut’s Civic Health: A Humanities Perspective.”

The grant will fund a Town Hall Meeting event scheduled for Thursday, June 9, 2016, at Connecticut’s Old State House.  At this event, community and civic leaders, public officials, and humanities scholars will engage in a conversation about civic health data and findings from the newly published 2016 Connecticut Civic Health Index report.

According to Martha McCoy, Executive Director of Everyday Democracy, “learning about civic health through the lens of the humanities helps us bring the past and present into perspective. As we reflect on the changing role of civic associations and participation and on what citizenship and the common good can mean, we can create a more vibrant and robust civic life in our state.”

The June 2016 event will feature the nationally renowned civic leader Eric Liu, co-author ofThe Gardens of Democracy, as keynote speaker; Ms. Martha McCoy of Everyday Democracy; and a distinguished panel that includes: The Honorable Secretary of the State Denise Merrill; Dr. Richard D. Brown, Professor Emeritus of History, UConn; Dr. Bilal D. Sekou, Professor of Political Science, University of Hartford; and Ms. Alma Maya, Latino community advocate and Former Bridgeport Town Clerk. The program will be moderated by award-winning journalist and producer Diane Smith and produced by The Connecticut Network (CT-N). It will be aired live-and live-streamed on CT-N and will accessible for viewing during the month of June through CT-N on demand.

The program will offer various humanities perspectives on the importance of civic health to the economic resiliency of Connecticut communities. It will also examine opportunities and barriers to civic participation and draw strategies and best practices from Mr. Liu’s talk and the panel discussion. Topics that will be addressed include the meaning of “great citizenship,” the importance of inclusive civic engagement and public participation, and the role of everyday people in finding solutions to local problems. The conversation will also highlight the essential voices of communities of color and young people in our state and will help concerned citizens and groups and associations from all sectors chart strategies and welcoming pathways for participation in public life.

The program draws from the underlying message of William D. Adams, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, that “the common good is central to democratic political theory and expresses both the right and the obligation of citizens to debate and determine the general welfare; it is the aspirational goal, the guiding ambition that anchors citizenship and participation in democratic politics.” Hence, the program will also create a space for learning on how the humanities can play a vital role in public life…

 

You can find the full version of this Everyday Democracy post at www.everyday-democracy.org/news/connecticut-humanities-awards-public-presentation-grant.

Host a 2016 Text, Talk, Act Mental Health Conversation

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It’s the time of year again to get ready for Text, Talk, Act – the youth mental health conversation initiative launched in 2013 by NCDD-supported Creating Community Solutions (CCS). As most of you know, Text, Talk, Act comes around every Spring to help young people start talking about mental health issues that they or their friends may be facing and connecting them with ways to get help, and we always encourage our members to host their own conversation.

On Text Talk Act days, young people across the country will be having a nationwide conversation on mental health and how to help a friend in need through a text messaging platform. Small groups receive discussion questions to lead them through a conversation that seeks to help end the silence about mental health, and you can host one of these transformational discussions!

Anyone can register to host an event as part of the 2016 Text, Talk, Act days. This year’s dates are:

  • April 19th (with Active Minds’ Stress Less Week)
  • May 5th (with SAMHSA for National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day)
  • May 21st (with the National Hook-Up of Black Women)
  • The month of June (with 4-H chapters across the country)

We know these events are helping make a difference in the lives of young people across the country, and we want to support this innovative way to engage young people in dialogue, so we encourage our NCDD members to consider signing up to organize a Text, Talk, Act event in your community! Be sure to check out the toolkit CCS created to support event organizers.

Also, don’t forget that schools, colleges, and community organizations that participate in this spring’s conversations are eligible to win the contest for one of five $1,000 prizes!

Contact Raquel Goodrich at rgoodrich@email.arizona.edu for additional information.

Want to know more about Text, Talk, Act? You can learn more in the video below or by visiting www.creatingcommunitysolutions.org/texttalkact.

Innovations in Am. Government Award Accepting Applicants

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We want to make sure that our members are aware of a great opportunity for recognition in public participation from Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation – one of our NCDD member organizations.

Ash logoThe Ash Center operates the Innovations in American Government (IAG) Awards Program and the Bright Ideas Initiative, both of which are aimed at recognizing creative and effective governance models and disseminating ideas about promising government practices or programs. We are positive that many of the programs and initiatives that our NCDD members work on every day would make great candidates for these honors, so we encourage you to nominate a program you know about or apply yourself!

The winners of the IAG Award are eligible for a $100,000 grant, and even the finalists are eligible for a grant of $10,000, so what do you have to lose? The deadline to apply is April 15th, so make sure you get started soon!

Both of these prestigious awards have a long history of recognizing leading innovations in governance. Here’s how the Ash Center describes the Innovations in American Government Award:

Since its inception in 1985, Innovations in American Government Awards has identified and celebrated outstanding examples of creative problem solving at the state, city, town, county, tribal, and territorial government level. In 1995, the Innovations Awards were expanded to incorporate innovations in the federal government. The Awards program accepts applications in all policy areas; from training employees to juvenile justice, recycling to adult education, parks to the management of debt, public health to e-governance, Innovations applicants reflect the full scope of government activity.

And here is how they describe the Bright Ideas Initiative:

…[I]n 2010 the Innovations Program launched a recognition initiative called Bright Ideas that serves to further highlight and promote creative government initiatives and partnerships so that government leaders, public servants, and other individuals can learn about noteworthy ideas and can adopt those initiatives that can work in their own communities.

Beginning with these Bright Ideas, the Innovations Program seeks to create an open collection of innovations in order to create an online community where innovative ideas can be proposed, shared, and disseminated.

For more details on eligibility requirements, selection criteria, or to apply for these awards, visit https://innovationsaward.harvard.edu/IAGAwards.cfm.

Good luck to all the applicants!

DOJ Community Relations Service is Hiring Conciliators

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Last week, Grande Lum – the former director of the Dept. of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS) and a keynote speaker at NCDD 2014 – shared on an announcement on our NCDD Discussion Listserv about a couple job openings at the CRS that we wanted to mention here, too.

The CRS is hiring for Conciliation Specialists, and we encourage our NCDD members to apply or share about the opportunity with people in your networks. The CRS seeks to serve as a neutral convener and mediator for communities dealing with conflict, and we know that some of our members would make great additions to their national staff.

Here’s how the CRS describes the positions:

Are you interested in a rewarding and challenging career? Join the U.S. Department of Justice!
The Department of Justice (DOJ), Community Relations Service (CRS) is seeking to hire highly qualified Conciliation Specialists for various Regional Offices. CRS has responsibility for assisting state and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.

You can find the job announcements at www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/431163900 and
www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/431163900. But the deadline to apply is Monday, April 4th, so if you think you’re a good fit for this position, be sure to apply soon!

Good luck to all the applicants!

2016 Taylor Willingham Legacy Award Winner Announced

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NCDD would like to join our organizational member the National Issues Forums Institute and the rest of the field in congratulating the winner of the 2016 Taylor L. Willingham Legacy Award – Edward W. “Chipps” Taylor III.

Here’s a bit of what NIFI wrote about the granting of the award:

The National Issues Forums Institute has announced that Edward W. “Chipps” Tayor III is the 2016 recipient of the Taylor L. Willingham Legacy Fund Award. This fund was created to support NIF logoindividuals who are becoming involved in the deliberative democracy movement for the first time and who have the passion, vision and commitment to create opportunities for deliberative dialogue in their organizations and communities….

Elder Chipps Taylor has been “pursuing liberty in the face of injustice” for the NAACP for more than 28 years, and he is not tired yet. It all started in Arizona, in 1987, when all the states except Arizona were celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday. Governor Evan Mecham rescinded MLK Day as his first act in office, setting off boycotts of the state. That was when Elder Taylor got on the battlefield for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was also a member of the MLK Committee, which protested for 13 years until it became a state holiday…

You can read more about the Willingham Award and Edward Taylor’s accomplishments in NIFI’s blog post about the award by visiting www.nifi.org/en/groups/winner-2016-taylor-l-willingham-legacy-award-edward-w-chipps-taylor-iii.

Pluribus Project Seeks Narrative Projects & Ideas to Fund

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We strongly encourage our NCDD members to take note that the Aspen Institute’s Pluribus Project is calling for projects and ideas aimed at changing the national narrative about citizen participation that it wants to fund with grants of up to $50,000, and we know many of our members could be eligible. All are encouraged to apply for this great opportunity, but the deadline is March 15th, so don’t delay! Read more in the Pluribus Project’s announcement below or find the original here.

Pluribus Project Narrative Collaboratory: Open Call For Fundable Projects

Our nation’s founders envisioned a republic in which the people would be the ultimate source of power. Today, however, a pervasive cultural narrative – across the right and the left – tells Americans it is pointless to participate in civic life because the game is rigged and their voices just don’t matter. At the Pluribus Project, we believe that it’s time to counter this dominant negative narrative and to displace it with a storyline of citizen empowerment so that Americans can begin to see that change is possible and how to become a part of it.

The reality is that many Americans in communities across the country are finding ways to come together and create real change. They may be a minority but they are not uncommon and they are still noticeably absent from the mainstream conversation. That’s why we created the Narrative Collaboratory, a platform for generating and propagating new narratives of citizen voice and efficacy, coupled with the tools of power and action that others can use. Think of it as a venture platform to seed experiments in media, storytelling, organizing, and experience design.

We are now announcing an Open Call for experiment and project ideas. We intend to select and support multiple proposals that creatively and effectively spread narratives of citizen power. Selected projects will be eligible for financial support, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, from the Pluribus Project, and will be featured to additional donors and potential supporters through various media and events including the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Ultimately, we believe that with a sense of collective purpose, some trial and error, and the ingenuity of the many (that’s you), there is real opportunity right now to reinvent our civic reality, and to help create a more representative and responsive democracy.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Promise: All projects should show great promise to counter the pervasive, disheartening narrative that discourages citizens from engaging in their democracy. We are looking for platforms for experimentation that can generate or propagate new, durable, and contagious narratives of citizen power and efficacy.

A Diversified Portfolio: We are looking for projects that are diverse in type. Some may be media ventures, involving traditional journalism, digital media, or social media. Some might be organizing initiatives. Others might political ideation ventures. Some may even be hybrids. All projects must be non-partisan, and we prefer projects that are trans-partisan.

Scalable with a proof of concept: We are structure-agnostic – meaning that we will consider both for-profits and nonprofits. We generally prefer ventures with demonstrated proof of concept and a clear plan for reach and sustained impact. All funded ventures will be required to enter into a formal written agreement with the Pluribus Project, committing to use grant funds for specific purposes—including the charitable and educational ends—outlined in their proposal.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications are due March 15, 2016. We will choose a set of projects to fund by April 15 and these projects will be implemented through the calendar year.

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a team of experts in civic engagement, innovation, and investment. The final portfolio will be financed at the discretion of the Pluribus Project Narrative Collaboratory team, who will receive advice and input of the experts engaged throughout the process.

TO APPLY

Please answer the following questions. Email your answers to narrative@pluribusproject.org. You may also include relevant attachments. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2016.

(1) Describe the narrative project or experiment. What exactly are you are doing, or do you plan to do, in order to generate or propagate new, durable, and contagious narratives of citizen power and efficacy? (500 words max.)

(2) How will you use the money and why will your project benefit from this investment? (250 words max.)

(3) What results have you achieved to date (if applicable), and what results do you anticipate for the next year? (250 words max.)

(4) Please provide brief bios for each core team member.

You can find the original version of this Pluribus Project announcement at www.pluribusproject.org/news/narrative-collaboratory-open-call.

Seeking Nominations for Inaugural Civilution Awards by 2/14

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We want to encourage NCDD members to consider submitting nominations for the inaugural Civilution Awards, hosted by the Bridge Alliance – an NCDD member organization. NCDD was one of the founding members of the Alliance because we respect their efforts to foster ” transpartisan” politics in the US, and the Civilution Awards are a way to recognize those leading the way. We’d love to see an NCDDer win this year, so be sure to submit your nominations before the deadline on Feb. 14th! Learn more about the Civilution Awards in the Bridge Alliance announcement below, or find the original here.

Civilution Awards

Get out your tux. Your designer gown. Start preparing your acceptance speech.

We’ll see you on the Red, White, and Blue carpet!

The inaugural Bridge Alliance Civilution Awards, presented by the “Academy of Civility and Bridge-Building Arts & Sciences,” will honor one individual and one organization for truly embodying the Civilution Declaration and exemplifying best bridge-building practices.

Civilution Declaration

  • Engage in respectful dialogue with others, even if we disagree.
  • Seek creative problem solving with others.
  • Support elected officials and leaders who work together to address and solve our nation’s challenges.

All nominees – both individuals and organizations – will be considered based on the following core principles and criteria:

  • Collaborative partnership: Excellence in collaboration with other individuals or organizations, finding creative ways to work together.
  • Innovative solutions putting country before party: Creatively addressing even the most challenging of problems across political divides or special interests.
  • Display of curiosity and inquisitiveness in political conversations: Demonstration of openness and curiosity, display of respect and civility.

Nominations for this prestigious award will be accepted February 1st  through February 14th with a culminating virtual awards ceremony to recognize excellence in our field on February 28, 2016.

Judges will review submission, media stories, blogs and websites.  Judges are volunteers and staff of the Bridge Alliance.

Please include contact information for your nominee. If you would like to make more than one nomination, email info@bridgealliance.us.

Communications Job Opening at Everyday Democracy

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We encourage our NCDD members to take note that Everyday Democracy – a long-time NCDD member organization – EvDem Logois hiring for a Communications Fellow. We’re positive that there are many folks in our network who would be a great fit for the job, so we encourage you to consider applying!

Everyday Democracy is based in Boston, MA and this position is slated to be a year-long opportunity.

Here is how the EvDem team describes the position:

Everyday Democracy is seeking someone interested in helping to spread the word about people changing their communities and being part of an organization where we pay special attention to the connection between racial equity and the issues communities face.

Working in a flexible and creative environment, the fellow will have opportunities sharpen their communications skills during the one-year term. The Communications Fellow will report to the Communications Manager and will be a critical support person to the communications team.

During the fellowship, there will be opportunities to work with other internal teams on local and national initiatives. When possible, the fellow will have the opportunity to visit local communities to collect stories and see change happen on the ground. However, majority of the work will be done behind-the-scenes creating stories, evaluating our communication tools, and developing marketing plans with the communications team.

Applications are due by March 11, 2016, so make sure not to wait too long to apply. You can find out more about the position at how to apply by clicking here.

Good luck to all the applicants!