Category Archives: funding-jobs-awards

Register to Attend the National Dialogue Awards, Oct. 9

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We encourage our members to consider registering to attend the 2nd annual National Dialogue Awards this October 9 in DC, which are hosted by the Sustained Dialogue Institute and supported by the Kettering Foundation, both of which are NCDD member organizations. You can learn more about the awards in the SDI announcement below or by visiting SDI’s new website at www.sustaineddialogue.org.

2nd Annual National Dialogue Awards

We sincerely hope that you will join us for the Second Annual National Dialogue Awards on Friday, October 9th, 2015 beginning at 6:30 pm at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

We will honor those whose lives have been powerfully marked by the principles and values of Sustained Dialogue. Some recipients are drawn from our network, and some from beyond it, but all have displayed the qualities that our organization values. This year’s keynote awardee is Senator George Mitchell, a renowned diplomat and key architect of several peace agreements in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. Our corporate award will be presented to Evolent Health for its expression of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Additionally, we will recognize three leaders from the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network. These leaders include: Lane McLelland – a faculty member and administrator at the University of Alabama, Taylor Sawyer – an alumna of The Ohio State University, and Brittany Chung – a student at Case Western Reserve University.

We would be honored to have you and your guests attend.

Please RSVP at the event website to secure your tickets for this celebration. If you have any questions, please contact Sonia [soniaATsustaineddialogue.org].

Are you or your organization interested in becoming a sponsor? Learn more about sponsoring the National Dialogue Awards.

You can find the original version of this Sustained Dialogue Institute announcement at www.sustaineddialogue.org/?post_type=event&p=1333.

Position Opening at Convergence Center for Policy Resolution

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We recently heard about another job opening that would be an excellent fit for many of our NCDD members, this time from the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution. Convergence is seeking a Program Director for their project on federal budget process reform.

The Director position promises to be engaging and, if the project is successful, has the potential to be impactful on a national scale.

Here’s how Convergence describes it:

The Director will be responsible for launching and managing a new project at Convergence focused on reaching a consensus among major stakeholder groups on the principles of a new framework for developing federal budgets.

The Director will develop and execute project strategy; oversee budget, performance measures, and project timeline; cultivate relationships with stakeholders; oversee consultants, project associates, and others; manage “dialogue a leading to action” with high level influencers and policy thinkers in the federal budget arena; facilitate the creation and implementation of solutions; and advance  the project through fundraising.

You can read more about the position and how to apply by visiting www.convergencepolicy.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/01/Budget-Process-Director-Job-Announcement-July-2015.pdf.

Thanks to NCDD Founding Member Joe Goldman for passing news of the opening along to us! Good luck to all the applicants!

Job Openings at the Center for Collaborative Policy

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Those of our members with conflict resolution backgrounds or interests should definitely take a look at the new Senior Mediator/Facilitator and Lead  Mediator openings that the Center for Collaborative Policy at Sacramento State University recently announced. We’re happy to have the CCP as an NCDD organizational member, and we know that many of our members would make great fits for this position.

Here’s how the CCP describes the Senior Mediator/Facilitator position:

The Senior Mediator/Facilitator serves as senior professional and project manager for multi-party policy consensus building processes dealing with highly complex and controversial public policy issues, using an interest-based approach to problem solving…

The Senior Mediator/Facilitator responsibility includes experience in facilitation, conflict resolution, situation assessments, collaborative process design, public involvement, and strategic planning. The incumbent works independently on large projects, with up to 80 or more external stakeholders. The incumbent also provides project management for client projects including providing work direction to others; contract administration; and quality deliverables on time and within budget.

You can find more information on the Senior Mediator/Facilitator position and the application process by visiting the SSU job site and searching for job opening #101390.

And here is how the CCP describes the Lead Mediator position:

With appropriate oversight, the Lead Mediator/Facilitator serves as lead professional for multi-party consensus building processes dealing with complex and controversial public policy issues, using an interest-based approach to problem solving. This responsibility includes the provision of collaborative process design and situation assessment services as well as the preparation and delivery of facilitation, public involvement, and strategic planning services. The incumbent works independently on large projects, with up to 80 or more external stakeholders. The incumbent also provides project management for client projects. The incumbent coordinates the project work of the Center’s Associate and Assistant practitioners.

The Lead Mediator/Facilitator assumes Center development responsibilities, including assisting with attracting client work to the Center and preparing responses to Request for Proposal (RFP) solicitations, but is not responsible for securing billable work. Coordinates the professional development activities for Associate and Assistant practitioners and other internal development tasks.

You can find more information on the Lead Mediator position and the application process by visiting the SSU job site and searching for job opening #101409.

Good luck to all the applicants!

Jefferson Center Wins Knight News Challenge on Elections Award

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We invite you to join us in congratulating the team at the Jefferson Center, one of our NCDD member organizations, on the recent award they received from the Knight Foundation for a great program they’ve planned to engage Millennials and media outlets in Ohio around 2016 local elections. We encourage you to read more about it in JC’s announcement below or find the original here.

Up for Debate Ohio Wins Knight News Challenge Award

JeffersonCenterLogoOur Up for Debate Ohio initiative, aimed at uniting young voters and traditional media outlets to improve the substance of political conversations during election season, was named a winner of the Knight News Challenge on Elections. The project will receive funding through the Knight Prototype Fund, which supports early-stage media and information ideas with $35,000 in funding.

Many eligible voters, particularly younger ones, cite negative campaigning and a lack of substantive information as primary reasons they avoid the polls on Election Day. The Up for Debate Ohio pilot will engage Millennials in Akron, OH to recommend opportunities for local media to be more responsive to the information needs of younger voters. Local media outlets will use the input from young voters to shape their coverage of the 2015 Akron mayoral election.

We know that young Americans are incredibly committed to strengthening their communities. Too many, unfortunately, feel disconnected from electoral politics, especially at the local level. Up for Debate Ohio will generate insight into the best opportunities to bring young people into dialogue about politics and the future of their community.

Along with our partners in Northeast Ohio, including the Akron Beacon Journal, WKSU Public Radio, and the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, we’ll share what we learn in an effort to create more substantive voter information resources for the 2016 campaign cycle.

Up for Debate Ohio was selected as one of just 22 projects funded through the News Challenge out of 1008 original submissions. We’re excited to be in such great company.

“This project has the potential to provide voters in Ohio, a key swing state, with a forum to discuss and connect around important community issues, so they make informed choices and meaningfully participate,” said Chris Barr, Knight Foundation director for media innovation, who leads the Prototype Fund.

The Knight News Challenge on Elections funds ideas that inform voters and increase civic participation before, during and after elections. For more, visit www.newschallenge.org.

You can find the original version of this Jefferson Center post by visiting www.jefferson-center.org/knight-news-challenge-award.

Ford Foundation to Include Civic Engagement in New Funding Priorities

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We recently read some news that our NCDD members and others in the D&D field should find encouraging. The Ford Foundation – the nation’s second largest philanthropic organization by assets – recently announced that after long deliberation and consultation with non-profit organizations, it is changing some important aspects of its focus in giving and how it gives. And we would all do well to take note.

In his letter about the change, Ford Foundation president Darren Walker wrote that the Foundation will turn its funding focuses to fighting global inequality. And in positive news for those in our field, Ford has identified “unequal access to the government and decision making” as one of six key drivers of global inequality, and has named “civic engagement and government” as one of the five areas that they will dedicate more of their funding toward to address political inequality.

Here’s an excerpt of the letter Ford released:

Among these many trends, the one we returned to again and again was the growth of inequality in our world. Not just the economic disparities that have emerged in global debates these past few years but also inequality in politics and participation; in culture and creative expression; in education and economic opportunity; and in the prejudicial ways that institutions and systems marginalize low-income people, women, ethnic minorities, Indigenous peoples, and people of color…

Remarkably, although manifestations varied by region, the assessment of underlying drivers was strikingly constant across the world. Broadly stated, we found five factors that consistently contribute to inequality:

  • Cultural narratives that undermine fairness, tolerance, and inclusion
  • Unequal access to government decision making and resources
  • Persistent prejudice and discrimination against women as well as racial, ethnic, and caste minorities
  • Rules of the economy that magnify unequal opportunity and outcomes
  • The failure to invest in and protect vital public goods, such as education and natural resources…

To address and respond to these drivers of inequality, we will be working in six program areas, very much reflective of the five drivers. They are:

  • Civic Engagement and Government
  • Creativity and Free Expression
  • Gender, Ethnic, and Racial Justice
  • Inclusive Economies
  • Internet Freedom
  • Youth Opportunity and Learning

The naming of “civic engagement and government” as a focus area for funding is obviously great news for those of us who have become familiar with the sad reality that it is quite a challenge to find money for the kind of work that we in the D&D field do. Much of our work fits quite naturally into this category, so hopefully Ford’s shift is an omen that this dynamic may be changing down the road.

But we should also note that the naming of “youth opportunity and learning” as another focus area could be important for our field as well. As many of you know, NCDD has been thinking since the run up to our NCDD 2014 conference about how our field can support Democracy for the Next Generation – both in terms of integrating next generation technology, but also in terms of involving young people, our literally “next” generation of adults and citizens. D&D work is especially impactful when it gives young people the skills, knowledge, and access they need to participate in deliberation and public choice work in their communities. And given that many of us already work with young people or could conceivably shift our work in that direction with relative ease, we should not forget that Ford’s new focus on youth could present an opportunity for groups in our field to attract funding by focusing simultaneously on civic engagement and youth learning.

The other important shift that Ford announced in the letter is not only will it shift its funding in different a direction, but it will also be changing how it funds non-profits. Walker wrote in his letter that, having heard a great deal of feedback about the instability that solely project-based funding can create for non-profit organizations, Ford will also begin working to make more of its funding work to help non-profits achieve long-term financial sustainability by funding more operational and day-to-day costs that organizations need to handle. This should also come as welcome news, as many of us are far too familiar with the conundrum of finding funding that will not only keep our projects afloat, but also our organizations.

If a leading foundation like Ford is shifting its focus and giving methods in these ways, it may also signal that other foundations will be paying attention and soon following suit. Maybe that’s reading too much into the announcement, but either way, the news from Ford bodes well for the future of our work.

We wanted to share this bit of hopeful news with you all not to encourage everyone to go running to Ford with new grant proposals, but to help us all stay aware of the shifting dynamics of our field and keep an eye on the ways our work and influence can continue to evolve in positive directions.

You can find the full text of the Ford Foundation’s letter at www.fordfoundation.org/equals-change/post/whats-next-for-the-ford-foundation.

Davenport Offers CA Cities $50,000 for Public Engagement

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We encourage our NCDD members in California to check out an exciting grant opportunity being offered by NCDD organizational member the Davenport Institute. Davenport is offering $50,000 worth of training and support for public engagement work, and the deadline to apply is Sept. 14th, but don’t wait to apply. You can learn more in the announcement they recently made below or by clicking here.

2015 Davenport Institute Public Engagement Grant Program Application Period Now Open!

DavenportInst-logoIf you have a public engagement project that could use some financial support, now is the time to apply for the eighth annual Davenport Institute Public Engagement Grant Program! This year we will be awarding up to $50,000 in funded consulting services to California cities, counties, special districts, and civic organizations looking to conduct legitimate public processes on issues ranging from budgets to land use to public safety to water policy.

The Grants are made possible through funding from the James Irvine Foundation’s California Democracy Program. We anticipate awarding 2 – 4 grants with a minimum individual grant amount of $5,000 and a maximum individual grant amount of $20,000. Prior to beginning their public engagement campaign, grantees will receive training and consultation from the Davenport Institute to build understanding and support for the civic engagement effort amongst administrative and elected officials.

The deadline for the 2015 Public Engagement Grant is Monday, September 14.

Here are some FAQs:

Q1: Does the proposed public process need to occur immediately?

A: No. Most of our granted projects have taken place within one year of the application date.

Q2: Can we recommend a facilitator or web platform to receive support from the Grant Program?

A: Yes. Again, the purpose of our grants is to fund participatory (as opposed to “PR”) projects. Of course, we’d like to interview your recommended facilitator, but we’ve worked with designated consultants before. This actually helps us build our own “rolodex” of consultants!

Q3: Is the Davenport training an added expense?

A: No. Training for the grant recipient is now an integral part of the Grant Program, and is offered as part of the grant. All expenses – including travel – are assumed by Davenport.

Q4: How many grantees do you anticipate this year?

A: We tend to support between 2-4  grantees each year with the Grant Program.

Q5: Do you support “capacity building” efforts like “block captain”, “neighborhood watch”, “citizen academy”?

A: No. As a practice, the grants are intended to support actual public projects around “live” issues – from budgets to land use. We find with the training added, these grants build “civic capacity” through actual engagement.

The criteria are straightforward and the online application form is easy.

After reviewed by members of our Advisory Council, our 2015 grantees will be announced by early October. Please feel free to contact Ashley Trim at ashley[dot]trim[at]pepperdine[dot]edu or 310-506-6878 with any questions.

Director of Public Engagement Opening at Public Agenda

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We are pleased to announce that the good people at Public Agenda, one of our NCDD member organizations, recently announced that they are hiring for a new Director of Public Engagement.

PublicAgenda-logoIt’s a great job opportunity that many of our NCDD members would be an excellent fit for, so make sure to apply as soon as you can!

Here’s some of how Public Agenda describes the position:

The director of public engagement leads a team in the development and execution of public engagement projects on a variety of local and national issues, and leads the ongoing development of our public engagement methods, products and services. Reporting directly to the president, the PE director:

  • Is instrumental in helping the organization design and fund new public engagement projects aligned with our strategic goals, including cultivating funder/client relations and playing a leading role in project design, proposal writing, and budgeting. In this, s/he often works in close coordination with the president and always with our directors of project development and finance.
  • Oversees all public engagement projects, personally leading some and coaching/supervising team members in leading others. Also, ensures the coordination of occasional cross-departmental initiatives that combine members of the public engagement, research and/or communications teams in an integrated program.
  • Builds and supervises the public engagement team and facilitates their professional development…

You can find the full job description and directions for how to apply by visiting www.publicagenda.org/pages/opportunities-at-public-agenda#sthash.XdGQ4RjK.dpuf.

Good luck to all the applicants!

Job Opening with Healthy Democracy

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We are pleased to announce that the good people with Healthy Democracy, one of our NCDD member organizations, recently announced that they are hiring for a new Program Manager. I have to admit, I’ll be a little jealous of whoever gets this position, which will include opportunities to travel the country promoting the Citizens’ Initiative Review, building partnerships, institutionalizing deliberation into American democracy!

It’s a great job opportunity that many of our NCDD members would be an excellent fit for, but the deadline to apply is March 31st, so make sure to apply as soon as you can!

Here’s how Healthy Democracy describes the position:

Job Description: The Program Manager will work with partners in multiple states to build coalitions and expand the use of the Citizens’ Initiative Review. Each CIR brings together 20 citizens from around the state for a four-day public review of a ballot measure, requiring strong team building and project management skills.

The Program Manager will run CIR events and conduct trainings, and provide support to partner organizations in other states as they run their own CIRs. In this role, the Program Manager will provide program delivery and consultation services to key partners and clients and serve as a key spokesperson for the organization.

If this sounds like a job you or someone in your network would be a good fit for, we encourage you to read the full description on Healthy Democracy’s website by visiting www.healthydemocracy.org/healthy-democracy-is-hiring-a-program-manager.

Good luck to all the applicants!

$3M Knight Competition Seeks Ideas for Increasing Civic Participation

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Today, the Knight Foundation begins accepting submissions in a competition for part of a $3 million pot that we know many of our NCDD members could do well in. The Knight News Challenge calls for creative ideas about how to increase civic participation around elections, and we encourage all of our NCDDers to consider applying before the March 19 deadline. You can learn more in the KF blog piece below or by visiting www.newschallenge.org.

Knight-Foundation-logoOn Feb. 25 we will open the next Knight News Challenge with this question:

How might we better inform voters and increase civic participation before, during and after elections?

The challenge is a collaboration between Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund, Hewlett Foundation, and Rita Allen Foundation, all of which plan to contribute funds, expertise and outreach as well as helping to review entries. What’s at stake, for the winners, is a share of more than $3 million.

As with past challenges, this one will cast a wide net. We are looking for innovative ideas on new ways that news organizations, civic tech entrepreneurs and others can better inform voters and increase civic participation. Projects could range from bringing more transparency to money and politics, to making voting easy, efficient and fair, to converting election participation into longer-term civic engagement – on the local, state or national level.

With newsrooms and civic organizations gearing up for the 2016 elections, this is a prime moment to explore new ways to engage Americans in the political process and increase participation in our democracy.

Here’s what you should know before the contest opens for ideas:

  • We are interested in ideas from anyone, including journalists, civic technologists, academics, students, startups, nonprofits, governments and individuals.
  • The challenge will open for submissions on Feb. 25 and close at 5 p.m. ET on March 19.
  • Winners will be announced in June.
  • The challenge will not fund projects involving voter registration, lobbying or advocating for specific parties, initiatives or candidates.*

News Challenges usually have at least $2.5 million at stake, with winners receiving funding of anywhere from $35,000 to several hundred thousand dollars. This time, Knight has three partners, and the Democracy Fund has already announced it will contribute up to $250,000. Hewlett Foundation and Rita Allen Foundation are still finalizing details of their participation, but all partners will stimulate ideas, do outreach and help review entries. Other reviewers will include a diverse set of experts in journalism, governance and civic tech.

The challenge follows a mid-term election that had both the lowest turnout since World War II, as well as the most spending on a mid-term ever by political parties and outside groups. Many voters are apathetic, or feel that their vote doesn’t make a difference. We see that as a challenge. We see civic participation as the way communities take hold of their futures. New forms of civic participation are emerging, some enabled by technology, but elections remain central.

What if voters felt better informed and more confident going into elections? What if they could easily find and track trustworthy  information on the issues they cared about? What if the election process were more pleasant and felt empowering? What if voters made connections – to information, or people – in the course of elections that made them want to become more engaged in their communities after they cast their ballots?

The goal of a News Challenge is to find organizations and people out there who may have answers.

* The Knight News Challenge will only support nonpartisan ideas. There are categories of ideas the challenge will not fund, under laws governing elections and nonprofit organizations. It will not support ideas that are aimed to influence the outcome of any specific election or legislation. Nor will it fund, directly or indirectly, a voter registration drive. We will be offering virtual office hours during the application period and otherwise responding to questions to make sure applicants are clear on the parameters.

The original version of this Knight Foundation blog post at www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/2/12/knight-news-challenge-focus-elections.

Job Opening with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center

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We are excited to share that the William D. Ruckelshaus Center – one of the wonderful co-sponsors of our NCDD 2014 conference – is hiring! The Ruckelshaus Center is seeking a Development and Communications Coordinator to work with them in Washington state, and will be accepting applications until February 25th.

Ruckelshaus works to foster collaborative problem solving across the Pacific Northwest, and we know that many of our NCDD members could be a great fit for the job. Here’s how the position is described:

The Development and Communications Coordinator is a development professional with strong written, oral, visual and interpersonal communications skills. The position supports the work of the Project and Development Lead by overseeing preparation of grants, contract proposals and reports for the William D. Ruckelshaus Center Foundation, as well as coordinating development-related events. The position assists in research, refinement and implementation of Center fund raising strategy including relationships with the Center’s Advisory Board Development Committee, university development staff and current/potential donors and funders, and coordinates donor stewardship. The Development and Communications Coordinator also supports the work of the Communications Specialist by coordinating the design, writing, editing and publishing of Center printed and electronic communications including outreach materials, brochures, newsletter, eNews, website, reports, etc.

We encourage all who are interested to check out the full job listing by visiting www.wsujobs.com/postings/16810. You can also learn more by visiting the Ruckelshaus Center’s website at http://ruckelshauscenter.wsu.edu.

Good luck to all the applicants, and thanks again to the Ruckelshaus Center for supporting NCDD!