“Collaboration is Ingrained in Our City’s Culture.” So said Mayor Jimmy Gray of Hampton, VA, as he joined hundreds of local residents in celebrating Hampton’s designation as an All-America City on Sunday. Hampton was one of ten communities designated in this year’s program, which focused on community collaboration to advance sustainability and resilience. Read more.

Doug Linkhart

President

National Civic League

Congratulating New and Familiar Faces

Civic Exchange:

Betting on Democracy

A Guide for Reimagining Public Meetings

The Center for Democracy Innovation’s (CDI) Director, Matt Leighninger, has been named Vice President of the National Civic League. Matt will retain his position as CDI Director while taking on new responsibilities central to League operations, such as supporting the Board of Directors and contributing to budget planning. The League is also welcoming two new team members—Mikayla Townsend and Anna Corning—who will work on specific projects, with potential for expanded roles. Read more.

The Civic Exchange is a people-powered, collaborative fundraising platform offering a portfolio of initiatives and organizations across the Civic Ecosystem all working to build a brighter future. The Civic Exchange offers the public a transparent and collaborative way to engage in civic life beyond casting a ballot once per year. As an inaugural partner, the League is raising money to support our work to transform our democracy to be more participatory, equitable, and effective. Learn more.

Public meetings are where decisions are made, but they’re often seen as unwelcoming, overly formal, or ineffective spaces for two-way dialogue. If you’ve ever left a meeting thinking, there has to be a better way, you’re not alone. While one option is to disband public comment sections entirely, another is to explore new ways to make these meetings meet the needs of both the public, and elected officials. Here’s a step-by-step roadmap for improving your public meetings. Read more.

Community Foundations, the Civic X-Factor

Where Democratic Innovations Fall Short

Interview: Newark’s Public Health Approach to Crime

With millions of Americans feeling shut out of decision-making and disconnected from public life, our nation faces a crisis of public problem-solving. Community foundations are stepping up to bridge the gap by helping residents engage meaningfully, build trust, and strengthen civic health. Read how the Community Foundations for Civic Health project is supporting community foundations as essential partners in solving local challenges and why municipalities should tap into this underutilized civic resource. Read more.

A recent article in the National Civic Review, makes the case that even promising democratic innovations can frequently fall short because they fail to elevate the well-being of people in economically disadvantaged regions. What’s missing is a democratic system that is geographically integrated and institutionally enables collective decision-making in development, infrastructure, and investment. In the article, Nick Vlahos provides four geographically and economically integrated innovations. Read more.

League President Doug Linkhart and Mayor Ras Baraka discussed Newark’s innovative approach to crime reduction—treating it as a public health challenge. By partnering with the community to analyze data, address root causes, and provide trauma-related services, Newark has achieved a long-term decline in crime that outpaces national trends. The interview offers valuable insights into how collaborative, data-driven strategies can strengthen community safety.

Watch.