Measuring and Strengthening Civic Health: NIFI at the National Conference on Citizenship

The National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) was proud to sponsor and participate in the 2025 National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), held September 16 in Washington, D.C. This annual gathering convenes leaders from across the nation to explore the state of America’s democracy and to chart pathways for strengthening civic life.

One highlight of the conference was a session moderated by NIFI’s Executive Director, Cristin Brawner, titled “Measuring and Strengthening Civic Health: Lessons from Local to National.” This panel reflected NIFI’s enduring mission: helping communities use data and deliberation to talk, decide, and act for the public good.

Civic Health in Focus

The session began with an overview of the Civic Health Index (CHI) — a tool developed with NCoC and local partners to track measures of democratic life. These include voting and contacting public officials, talking with neighbors, volunteering, and working together to improve communities.

Panelists from North Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, and We the Veterans and Military Families shared insights from their reports:

• North Carolina ranked high in social connectedness but low in political action.
• Arkansas reported strong neighborliness but significant structural challenges around rurality and poverty.
• Georgia highlighted civic engagement initiatives like youth councils and leadership programs.
• Alabama showed a decade of growth in working with neighbors and attending public meetings.
• We the Veterans and Military Families showcased how veterans and their families contribute to civic life, from volunteering to the Vet the Vote campaign.

From Data to Action

A central theme of the session was the importance of moving from data to dialogue to action. Civic Health Indexes are not just diagnostic tools; they can inspire new initiatives.

Examples included:

• North Carolina’s Civic Health Summit and forthcoming youth engagement strategy.
• Arkansas’s Civic Arkansas initiative, rooted in the “Rockefeller Ethic” of civil discourse.
• Georgia’s Young Gamechangers program, empowering future leaders to generate community solutions.
• Alabama’s Statewide Deliberative Dialogue Series, designed to help residents talk, decide, and act together.
• We the Veterans’ Military 250 initiative, mobilizing service and engagement leading up to America’s 250th anniversary.

NIFI at the Bridging Movement Summit

NIFI’s role at NCoC highlighted how deliberation and civic health go hand in hand. Building on this momentum, NIFI also participated in the Bridging Movement Summit hosted by the Listen First Project, September 24–26, 2025, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

This gathering of bridge-builders spotlighted innovative approaches to overcoming polarization, strengthen connections across adjacent movements like media and recreation, and celebrate community teams through the Bridge-Building Innovation Showcase.

By attending both NCoC and the Bridging Movement Summit, NIFI affirms its commitment to being part of a larger civic ecosystem — one that connects data, dialogue, and bridging work to strengthen democracy at every level.

Through its sponsorship at NCoC and participation in the Bridging Movement Summit, NIFI continues to position itself as a national hub for deliberative democracy. By equipping communities to combine civic health insights with dialogue and bridge-building, NIFI helps ensure that Americans are ready to talk, decide, and act for the public good.