Key Reorienting Ideas
HOW WE DO THE WORK IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE DO
CIVIC FAITH
A practical philosophy which holds that placing people, community and shared responsibility at the center of our shared lives will create a more just, fair, inclusive and hopeful society for all.
THE POWER OF PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE
A focus that guides and drives shared action beyond simply gathering public knowledge—to use public knowledge to reframe public concerns, enlist allies, develop strategies that focus on what matters to people, and serve as an ongoing reference point to align action over time.
BEING TURNED OUTWARD
A fundamental orientation and practice of making the community the reference point for growing Civic Faith and creating change—the act of “Turning Outward” is where one keeps people and the community in their line of sight.
THE SWEET SPOT
When individuals, organizations, groups, and networks in communities take actions to address public concerns and build the underlying community conditions for change to take root and spread.
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE
The act of naming, telling, and sharing stories of progress to gain a sense of possibility and authentic hope—only by making “visible” the invisible stories of change can a community move forward with a growing can-do narrative and spirit.
THE CHAIN REACTION
A dynamic that is unleashed in a community that is made up of ever-expanding actions that address what matters to people and strengthen the community’s civic culture—these actions are catalyzed, take root, grow, and ultimately spread like a positive contagion throughout a community.
CIVIC LEARNING
People actively learning—from one another, from the work they are engaged in, and from the community—and actively putting that learning to use to make more intentional choices and judgments about their individual and collective efforts moving forward.