Spotlight on Solutions: 5 Strategies for Local Civic Innovation
Months before the 2024 presidential election took place, I had the privilege of witnessing democracy in its most fundamental form—at the local level. Through the William Monroe Trotter Collaborative for Social Justice at Harvard’s Kennedy School, I worked alongside colleagues to support expanded voting rights in partnership with Black Voters Matter. We spent a number of days in Atlanta, Georgia—a state with both a storied history and ongoing reality of voting rights restrictions—meeting with leaders who brought us face-to-face with the work that ensures democracy isn’t just an abstract ideal every few years but a lived reality happening day in and day out, in ways both large and small.
On one of those days, over grits and sweet tea, I sat with an organizer who described her daily work: knocking on doors in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods, answering questions about voter registration, explaining how city government works, and helping people understand how policies directly shape their lives. Tears filled her eyes as she described bills that, if passed, would further restrict how people engage with their government. The hours she spent in these one-on-one conversations weren’t glamorous or headline-making, but they are the backbone of civic engagement.
The efforts this activist described emerge from generations of organizing and grassroots advocacy. Without those foundations, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to imagine and implement the next wave of civic innovation—new strategies, tools, and approaches that can deepen engagement and ensure that democracy remains strong in spite of growing skepticism.
Faith leaders and institutions play an important role in this effort. Deeply rooted in local communities, they serve as hubs for connection, dialogue, and moral reflection, often enabling people from diverse socio-economic and political backgrounds to find common connection. Their ability to convene and inspire is grounded in centuries of traditions of gathering, ritual, and shared values. During a time when our democracy faces unprecedented challenges, these leaders have unique potential to guide us toward new visions of civic engagement. By leveraging their moral authority and trusted positions within communities, they can help shape a more inclusive and participatory democratic future - one rooted in the everyday acts of connection and care that sustain a healthy society.
Many organizations, both faith-based and secular, are inspiring and shaping new models of civic engagement. We highlight a few of them below. Their work offers strategies we can apply in our own communities:
Create intentional spaces where civic participation can flourish - environments that invite openness, dialogue, and action. Citizen University's Civic Saturday offers community events modeled on weekly faith gatherings and designed to build community and inspire action. These types of spaces can signal the importance of community engagement and the value of every voice.
Improve information access and understanding. It's not always clear how to find accurate information about local civic matters, especially given a decline in local newsrooms and the rapid spread of misinformation. Understanding what it all means or how to engage can also be complicated. City Bureau and CivicLex are innovating models to create and track local civic news and information in ways that drive engagement and improve “civic health.”
Equip leaders with tools to navigate conflict productively. Initiatives such as Resetting The Table show that conflict, when approached constructively, can catalyze growth, foster understanding, and yield transformative outcomes. Faith-inspired leaders, who often sit at the intersection of moral authority and community trust, are uniquely positioned to lead these efforts, but doing so requires intentional preparation and training in conflict resolution and facilitation.
Build partnerships–especially those that bridge divides or involve unconventional allies. By crossing traditional boundaries, as the One America Movement and Team Up do, leaders can amplify their reach and effectiveness, creating more inclusive solutions to shared challenges. Other organizations, like FaithActs for Education, highlight the power and potential of mobilizing faith communities to partner toward local legislative change.
Support young people as civic leaders and changemakers. Young people are not just leaders of the future; they are leaders now. Their perspectives, energy, and creativity can help us reimagine and build a more participatory and equitable society. Organizations like Peace First, LearnServe International, and Mikva Challenge engage young people as leaders, supporting them to envision and implement their own ideas for change.
How can you create spaces for challenging yet productive dialogue? What might it look like to empower young leaders within your context? How can your faith’s wisdom and traditions inspire greater civic participation? By asking these questions, you take the first step in advancing a vision where civic engagement at the local level and collective action guide us toward a vibrant and inclusive democracy.
Author: Abigale Haug
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Learn more about some of the innovative initiatives we mention above:
Civic Saturday, a signature program of Citizen University, is a non-religious gathering inspired by faith traditions to spark civic engagement and a shared sense of purpose. Featuring readings from civic texts, reflections, and a “civic sermon” on democracy and collective identity, these events blend storytelling, rituals, and small-group discussions. Designed to build community and inspire active citizenship, Civic Saturday encourages participants to embrace democratic values, foster dialogue across differences, and create meaningful change.
City Bureau transforms local journalism through inclusive, community-centered practices. Their Documenters Program trains residents to record public meetings, creating transparency and engagement in local governance while the Public Newsroom workshops teach media literacy and foster collaboration between journalists and communities. City Bureau reimagines journalism as a public service, empowering residents to participate in civic life and hold institutions accountable.
CivicLex seeks to make local government accessible. They do this by offering a number of programs, which simplify complex policies using educational resources, hosting community engagement workshops, and providing digital tools for tracking legislative processes. .
The One America Movement partners with faith communities across religious, political, and racial divides to confront toxic polarization in our society. By bringing people together across lines of difference, they hope to build community, foster collective action, and promote a sense of shared identity while maintaining our unique distinctions.
Resetting the Table bridges divides by fostering constructive dialogue on divisive cultural, political, and religious issues. Through tailored workshops, structured discussions, and facilitation training, they empower leaders and communities to navigate difficult conversations with empathy and collaboration. Much of this work is made possible by deep partnerships with faith communities, universities, and nonprofits.
Team Up is a collaborative initiative from Interfaith America, Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International, and the YMCA, focused on fostering community resilience and addressing local challenges through interfaith partnerships. By leveraging the strengths of their partnerships, Team Up mobilizes diverse faith communities to tackle critical issues such as housing insecurity, disaster response, and youth development.
FaithActs for Education, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, mobilizes communities and people of faith through community development and civic engagement to advocate for equal access to high quality education.
Peace First provides young people worldwide with the tools, mentorship, and funding to design and lead social change projects in their communities. By emphasizing courage, compassion, and collaboration, Peace First supports youth in tackling pressing social issues and becoming leaders for peace and justice.
LearnServe International equips high school students with the entrepreneurial skills and global perspectives needed to address social challenges. Through its dynamic fellowship and exchange programs, LearnServe helps students develop ventures that create tangible change, both locally and globally.
Mikva Challenge provides young people with tools, mentorship, and support to gain hands-on experience with social change projects in their communities. They support the development of youth to be empowered, informed, and engaged citizens who will promote a just and equitable society.