A Civic Hub is
A diverse collection of local, nonpartisan organizations, community leaders, and solutionsjournalists.
A base from which community members and partners across sectors and perspectives come together to identify and solve challenges, build civic capacity and resilience, and ensure leaders are more accountable and fairly elected.
Community-led and co-designed solutions centered around trust-based relationships, a shared dedication to democratic values, an orientation towards action, and powerful storytelling.
The fields of democracy and civics have woken up to an idea whose time has come: investing in local civic action that strengthens communities and supports a healthier democracy.
We sense a tremendous opportunity to use a collective funding approach to be the force that brings the field together and emerges the most transformational practices for direct democracy. While we are currently fragmented, there is ample opportunity to both come together at the local and national levels and also engage local organizations and the public in actualizing this vision.
We sense a tremendous opportunity to use a collective funding approach to be the force that brings the field together and emerges the most transformational practices for direct democracy. While we are currently fragmented, there is ample opportunity to both come together at the local and national levels and also engage local organizations and the public in actualizing this vision.
Civic Hub Accelerator Program
What are Civic Hubs Addressing?
Our goal is to build community cohesion and civic capacity. Increasing the impact of nonprofit organizations by re-orienting them to taking community-driven, collective action on the challenges that communities care most about.
Creating a holistic, sustainable, collective impact approach. Transitioning from disengaged/apathetic, civically illiterate communities to a culture of civic engagement through educating, training, and mobilizing community members.
Creating a holistic, sustainable, collective impact approach. Transitioning from disengaged/apathetic, civically illiterate communities to a culture of civic engagement through educating, training, and mobilizing community members.
$2B
a day
Incivility costs the U.S. employers $2 billion a day, $730 billion a year.1
70%
impacted by
polarization
polarization
About 70% of local government officials report that polarization negatively affects their work, diminishing public trust and lowering civic engagement. 2
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” - Abraham Lincoln 1860
Polarization leads to the inability of communities, and by extension the population, to implement large scale initiatives and drive measurable change.
The Civic Hub Accelerator Program works with our partners across the country to co-create and co-design the most impactful approach based on measurable and previously vetted interventions and shared resources.
The Civic Hub Accelerator Program works with our partners across the country to co-create and co-design the most impactful approach based on measurable and previously vetted interventions and shared resources.
Impact Areas of Civic Hubs
Civic Hubs are the keystone organizing force to build community resilience, increase accountability between elected officials and the people, solve community challenges, and strengthen the civic fabric. This builds trust from the ground up, while increasing the community's capacity for generative, constructive conflict.
Civic hubs facilitate community visioning, deliberation, and prioritization processes to identify top issues for their community. During these processes, hub members have the opportunity to inform the community about their focus areas, which enables the community to make well-informed decisions.
Communities then choose to pursue solutions to whatever they believe their biggest challenges are, which can range from meeting local housing needs to main street parking to changing local electoral processes.
Communities then choose to pursue solutions to whatever they believe their biggest challenges are, which can range from meeting local housing needs to main street parking to changing local electoral processes.
BTA’s Core Services
Partnership Development
- Partnerships: Develop MOUs with 30 organizations. including national. place-based, and partners, by 2027.
- Advisory Council: Convene an Advisory Council to guide efforts and expand influence.
- Resource Center: Provide on-demand materials for hub success by 2026.
Why Does Investing in Local Solutions Matter?
•Investing in a civic hub is like investing in an index fund: diversified portfolio with lower risk and higher ROI.
•Community action is inherently nonpartisan, so lower risk of accusations of supporting partisan efforts.
(Hover over the flower petals for more details)
•Community action is inherently nonpartisan, so lower risk of accusations of supporting partisan efforts.
(Hover over the flower petals for more details)
$.5M
annually saved
by local governments
by local governments
20%
improvement
in mental
well-being
in mental
well-being
Regions with strong civic health programs observed a 20% improvement in mental well-being metrics and a 10% rise in community volunterism within the first year of implementation.4
How Can You Be a Part of The Solution?
Civic-minded investors have a rare opportunity to shape the future of civic leadership in America. By supporting this initiative, you’ll be helping to build resilient communities, foster inclusive dialogue, and empower local leaders to create solutions that work.
Our 3 year vision
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Where Your Investment Goes: A $2 Million Collective Fundraising Goal
Below is a summary of where funding will be invested. The largest amount of funding goes right into the Civic Hubs to support their participation in the national support network. That funding will go directly to support hub activities or will go to providing services that accelerate the growth and development of hubs.
Civic Hubs
44%
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Training & Learning
8%
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National Suppport
24%
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Technology
10%
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Impact Measurement
8%
Join Us
Join us in supporting the first 250 hubs over three years
Pathways to get involved
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Sources Cited
- 1: SHRM’s latest Civility Index, 2024.
- 2: How Local Government Leaders Can Overcome Polarization, Polco News & Knowledge, 2023.
- 3: De Gruyter Open Access (2024). Civic Engagement for Economic Development.
- 4: Pede, E. C., Ajmar, A., & Crivello, S. (2024). Climate Justice and Public Urban Spaces. AESOP Annual Proceedings.
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