FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

$250,000 for the Next 250: National Issues Forums Institute awards first 35 Spark Grants

The grants will help communities nationwide organize local conversations about their visions for the future as part of the “What’s Next, America?” initiative.

Oct. 21, 2026 — The National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) has awarded its first 35 Spark Grants, providing $1,000 each to organizations and community groups across the country to help them begin local conversations about the future of their communities.

The grants are part of NIFI’s $250,000 “What’s Next, America?” Community Grant Fund, an initiative launched as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary. The fund supports communities, campuses and K-12 classrooms in bringing people together to identify shared priorities and move ideas into nonpartisan civic action.

The first 35 grantees represent a broad cross-section of community life, including universities, schools, museums, civic engagement organizations, youth leadership programs, arts and cultural groups, community development organizations and neighborhood initiatives. Their work spans issues and interests ranging from strengthening local communities and supporting young people to fostering civil discourse, advancing equity, preserving cultural heritage and building connections among residents.

The awards also reflect the geographic breadth of the initiative. Grantees are located across the country, from Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia to communities in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, Tennessee, Vermont and California. The list includes organizations working in major metropolitan areas as well as smaller towns and rural communities, demonstrating the many places where people are coming together to consider what comes next.

“As we mark our country’s 250th anniversary, we have an opportunity to ask what we want to build together for the years ahead,” said Cristin Brawner, executive director of NIFI. “Congratulations to our first 35 Spark grantees, who are bringing that question home. We’re proud to support them as they create opportunities for people to shape their communities’ futures and practice the skills our democracy depends on.”

Spark Grants are designed to help communities organize and begin their “What’s Next, America?” conversations. Funding can support local partner coordination, participant recruitment, outreach and communications, facilitation, and practical needs that make participation possible, including food, childcare, transportation, language translation and accessibility.

Through “What’s Next, America?,” participants consider three fundamental questions: “Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How will we get there?” The process helps people with different perspectives deliberate about their community’s future, identify shared priorities and build toward practical next steps.

Applications for Spark Grants remain open, and additional grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.

From conversation to action

NIFI’s Community Grant Fund also includes Civic Action Grants, which support communities that have already begun their “What’s Next, America?” discussion series and are ready to turn ideas into action. Awards of $2,500 to $5,000 can support local, nonpartisan projects and civic actions that emerge from community discussions and action summits.

Applications for Civic Action Grants opened Sept. 17, on Constitution Day, and are also being accepted on a rolling basis.

Both grant opportunities require communities to use the “What’s Next, America?” conversation format. All grant-funded activities must be strictly nonpartisan and aligned with NIFI’s charitable and educational mission.

The initiative builds on earlier state-based efforts, including “What’s Next, West Virginia?” and “What’s Next, Alabama?,” where community conversations have helped inspire locally driven projects such as arts festivals, after-school programs and addiction recovery support. With the Community Grant Fund, NIFI is expanding opportunities for communities nationwide to shape their own futures through deliberation and collaborative action.

For more information about the “What’s Next, America?” Community Grant Fund, eligibility requirements and how to apply for either grant opportunity, visit the “What’s Next, America?” website.

Congratulations to the first 35 grantees!

To view the geographic diversity of grantees, visit NIFI’s interactive Spark Grant map.

Spark Grant awardees:

• FreeTruth Foundation in Washington, D.C.
• The Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA
• National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, TN
• The Institute for Strengthening Communities in Burton, Michigan
• University of St. Thomas (MN) in St. Paul, MN
• Community Capacity Partners LLC in St. Paul, MN
• South Orangetown Central School community in Blauvelt, NY
• Crossroads Community Development Corporation in Montevallo, AL
• The Maven Consulting / Youth Leadership Oak Ridge in Oak Ridge, TN
• Onyx Culture Collective in North Kissimmee, FL
• Center for Leadership, Equity and Research (CLEAR) in Sacramento, CA
• Friends of Jackson and Manitoba Parks in Milwaukee, WI
• Town Hall Theater with Middlebury College’s Beyond the Page in Addison County, VT
• The Civil Discourse Project in Little Rock, AR
• Town of Akron, University Medical Center in Akron, AL
• Bay Area Black Leaders in San Francisco, CA
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Psi Uspilon Zeta Chapter in Hoover, AL
• Martha’s Vineyard Mediation Center in Martha’s Vineyard, MA
• Scioto County Heritage Museum in Scioto County, OH
• Heathmere Center for Cultural Engagement in Lynn, MA
• Transform Mid-Atlantic in Washington, D.C.
• GenerationNation in Charlotte, NC
• Connection Economy in New York City, NY
• Quechee Village Task Force in Queechee, VT
• Youth Changes in Edgehill, Nashville, TN
• STEAMLabs International in San Diego, California
• My Girls, Inc. in Atlanta, GA
• Mentor Leaders Produce Mentor Leaders in Philadelphia, PA
• Citizen Collab, Inc. in Buffalo, NY
• Boise Civic Trust, Inc. — Boise Rising in Boise Bench, Boise, ID
• We3 Gardens of Culture Trust in Haddington, Philadelphia, PA
• Affordable Housing For The Carolinas in York County, SC
• Crosswinds News in Tulsa, OK
• University of Alabama, College of Community Health Sciences in Tuscaloosa, AL
• Progressive Theater in Lansdale, PA

About “What’s Next, America?”

“What’s Next, America?” is a national initiative that helps communities come together to discuss their future and take action on the issues they care about most. NIFI provides free planning materials, participant guides, trainings and networking opportunities to support local “What’s Next, America?” initiatives nationwide.

About the National Issues Forums Institute

The National Issues Forums Institute is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that equips, empowers and mobilizes people to deliberate together and take action for the public good.

Media Contact:

Christine Fernando
NIFI communications and creative manager
cfernando@nifi.org