Tips & Tools
The Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship are both working to build a movement toward greater participation in civic life in order to support healthier, stronger communities. The resources on this page have been developed to help your organization, program, or community increase your capacity to address local problems.
What is Civic Engagement?
The term "civic engagement" or "civic life" can be used to describe diverse activities, and generally includes activities that build on the collective resources, skills, expertise, and knowledge of citizens to improve the quality of life in communities. Civic engagement is, in essence, the common thread of participation in and building of one's community and can be done alone or with a group, and can also include activities that are done formally through an organization (such as volunteering with a nonprofit) or less formal. While many varieties of social and civic participation could be classified as civic engagement, our research focuses on activities that can be classified into five main categories:
- Service, including formal volunteering through an organization and less formal ways of helping others, such as working with neighbors to fix or solve a community problem;
- Participating in a group; including participating in activities of religious institutions and community associations;
- Connecting to information and current events, including accessing news in print or online;
- Social connectedness, including the informal ways that people interact with their family, friends and others in their community such as exchanging favors with their neighbors; and
- Political action, including registering to vote and voting.
There are many ways organizations across the country work to build better communities through civic participation. We have highlighted a few here.
KaBOOM! Breaks New Ground Using the Internet to Scale
KaBOOM! is an award-winning, 15-year-old national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that works to ensure a "great place to play within walking distance of every child." Best known for building playgrounds in low-income communities, the organization is now breaking new ground by using technology to take its model to scale.
Rejecting the "local chapter" approach to growth favored by many nonprofits, KaBOOM! is instead using digital technology to disseminate its proven model, empowering local communities to build their own playgrounds using free resources and guidelines on the KaBOOM! website. What KaBOOM! has learned while pioneering this path is informative for any organization that wants to use technology to increase its impact.
Read more about the KaBOOM! approach at: kaboom.org
BEST Neighborhoods Emphasizes the Power of Neighbors Helping One Another
Volunteer Florida's Build-Engage-Sustain-Transform (BEST) Neighborhoods initiative is using CNCS Volunteer Generation Funds as seed money to solve community problems. The BEST Neighborhoods grant is based on "neighboring," a model concept of community engagement that uses volunteering as a tool to empower, mobilize and facilitate positive changes within communities. In 2010 there were 16 grantees operating in 17 counties in Florida. "I am thrilled to partner with these organizations throughout our state to strategically reinstate a strong sense of community in our neighborhoods," said CEO Wendy Spencer. "Every resident in a community has something to offer that can help a neighbor, and the BEST model will build upon these existing frameworks and utilize the strength of local connections for the collective good of our state."
For example, at Volunteer Services of Manatee, a BEST grantee, bucket gardens were assembled in Myakka City after a local nursery donated 700 assorted vegetable plants including tomatoes, eggplants, sweet and hot peppers, and onions that were planted by 178 youth and family volunteers. Youth volunteers also painted the buckets. More than 50 buckets were distributed to families in need and an additional 30+ buckets were sold by the neighbors as a fundraiser.
Through the efforts of another BEST grantee, Chautauqua Charter School, "Alice In Wonderland" came to life for Panama City pre-schoolers. The students of Chautauqua Charter School hosted a "Tea Party" and read the book while costumed students acted out the parts and mingled with their little guests. Party-goers were treated to "flamingo croquet" and a search for the "Cheshire Cat." The Chautauqua students, who were dressed in costumes, made sure to stay "in character" throughout the event to give the pre-schoolers the best day possible.
Students and volunteers created imaginative centerpieces, prepared the food, created flamingo croquet mallets and painted backdrop scenery. The event involved 108 volunteers, including 79 new volunteers!
To read more about Volunteer Florida's BEST program, click here: Volunteer Florida.org
To learn more about The Corporation for National and Community Service's Volunteer Generation Fund, click here: National Service.gov
Case Foundation's Online Civic Engagement Campaign "Change Begins With Me" -- Calls on Citizens Everywhere to "Be the Change"
The Case Foundation has hosted an innovative online civic engagement campaign – "Change Begins With Me" – to galvanize Americans throughout the country to "Be the Change." People across the nation are invited to visit the Case Foundation’s web site and make a personal commitment by finishing the sentence, "Change begins with me…" Through the campaign, individuals can share their commitments to change their neighborhood, community or the world.
"The Case Foundation is committed to providing all citizens the opportunity to connect with their neighbors, decide what matters most to them, suggest solutions and take action," said Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation. "There is no idea that is too big or too small – whether it’s shoveling a neighbor’s snow-covered sidewalk or helping to eradicate malaria in a foreign country. We believe everyone can play a vital role in making our communities, our nation and our world a better place."
To learn more about this campaign, click on the link: Case Foundation.org
To view the 2009 Change Begins with Me winner, click on the link: Case Foundation.org
The National Conference on Citizenship Builds Awareness of the Importance of Civic Life
The National Conference on Citizenship Builds Awareness of the Importance of Civic Life
NCoC is a dynamic, non-partisan nonprofit working at the forefront of our nation’s civic life. They continuously explore what shapes today’s citizenry, define the evolving role of the individual in our democracy, and uncover ways to motivate greater participation. Through their events, research, and reports, NCoC expands our nation’s contemporary understanding of what it means to be a citizen. They seek new ideas and approaches for creating greater civic health and vitality throughout the United States
The National Conference on Citizenship is an annual event that focuses on the state of civic engagement in America, and brings together civic leaders, educators, CEOs, and representatives from each branch of government to address issues related to our nation¹s civic health. It is convened around Constitution Day. More information is available at NCoC.net/conference
Read their most recent Issue Brief: Civic Health and Unemployment: Can Engagement Strengthen the Economy?
NCoC offers a wide variety of resources available on their website. You can learn more by going to www.ncoc.net.
For additional resources, see the Resource Center.
The Resource Center, tools and training for volunteer and service programsTools and Tips on Civic Life