August Newsletter: Political Conduct; Where Next for the Campaign; Public Innovator Spotlight

Aug 27

“The work of community change is never done alone. It is rooted in listening deeply, showing up with intention, and choosing to build alongside others for the common good. I am proud to be part of a larger movement of public innovators and changemakers who are committed to forging a new civic path through the Harwood approach.” - Edna Garcia-Dipini, RIZE Youth Arts Organization

Why Libraries and funders look to the institute

This month, the Institute held two special virtual spaces: one for library leaders focused on rejuvenation, another for funders on how to get nonprofits to work together.

Hundreds of library and philanthropic leaders representing practically every state signed up to join these spaces. Because at a time when so much of society feels stuck, people across this country yearn to get their communities on a better trajectory. They’re in search of how to find the energy necessary to keep going. They’re in search of how to get different groups and organizations to work better together. They’re in search of a more hopeful way forward.

And they’re looking to the Institute for support in that journey. That’s why we built the Harwood School to offer practical, engaging, rejuvenating spaces for leaders across all sectors.

In fact, our Public Innovators Labs are designed to help you get unstuck and moving with greater intention so you can create the change your community needs. We want to help you and your organization get moving again. Reserve your spot in our October Public Innovators Lab. And let’s get going—together.

Where the campaign is headed next

Our campaign isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Here’s what we have in store:

First up, a west coast swing starting in Eugene, OR. Then Rich is heading to Portland to engage hundreds of United Way professionals at the United Way Western Regional Conference before flying down to El Dorado County, CA.
After that, Rich is off to Indianapolis to speak to hundreds of philanthropic leaders at the Indiana Philanthropic Alliance’s annual conference.
Later in September, Rich will speak to Florida International University’s Civic Leadership and Service Series, then head back to Rockingham County, NC, to lead a Public Innovators Lab as part of our ongoing community initiative there.
Then the Free Library of Philadelphia is bringing the campaign to Philly to engage community leaders around how they can get on a new civic path. Soon after, we’re holding an Unleashing Impact Lab in Richmond, VA, as part of the ongoing Richmond Ripple Project in partnership with the United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg.
We round out this busy stretch with our final event in our series with Lincoln’s Cottage and our annual Harwood Summit.

Americans across this land know that we can do better and be better. Join this campaign and let’s move our country forward in a more hopeful way—together.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

Political conduct still matters

This year’s primary campaigns for the upcoming midterms have played out against a backdrop of voices claiming Americans want a different kind of politician right now: “fighters.” Indeed, some go so far as to claim many Americans are willing to overlook personal integrity and other key values if they think their “fighter” can win.

It’s a dangerous bargain. It’s also dead wrong. Rich unpacks why in his latest for The Fulcrum, titled, “Political Conduct Still Matters, But Not How You Might Think.”

read rich's latest in the fulcrum

Public Innovator Spotlight: BLAIR mitchell in alamance county

Our deep engagement with Alamance County concluded earlier this year when we released our report Alamance County’s Ripples of Change: Choosing Hope Over Division. But the work isn’t slowing down. Action teams continue to unleash ripples of change that are growing and spreading. The Narrative Team in particular continues to work at lifting up positive stories of change to help shift a longstanding negative narrative in the community that change isn’t possible.

One member of the Narrative Team is Blair Mitchell, a student at Elon University, who was recently featured by Impact Alamance as their Public Innovator of the Month. When asked what one small step he would encourage others to take toward building a stronger community, Blair said: “I would encourage everyone to be a storyteller in their own way by sharing the positive news happening in their community as much as possible. Oftentimes, we hear more about the negative than the good. But if we communicate the positive actions being done, I believe the impact of it can be even greater.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Renewing the Dream Launch Event | August 28, 2026
Sixty-three years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. It is hallowed ground. But the stone marker showing where he stood is distressed. Worn, tired, and faded, millions of visitors walk past it each year. Many step on it. A few stop, but most do not see the remnant of one of the loudest moral summonses in American history. This marker should be renewed, and so should the dream.

On Friday evening, August 28, please join our friends at the Prohuman Foundation at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, at the launch of Renewing the Dream, an initiative to revitalize the I Have a Dream Marker and the brotherhood it represents. For more information and to RSVP for the event, click here.

Getting Started Virtual Public Innovators Lab | October 2026
You want to create real, lasting change. Our Getting Started Virtual Lab, a signature offering of The Harwood School, can teach you how. And the next edition is headed your way this October. The result of nearly four decades of innovation and learning, this Lab offers the very best of Harwood’s time-tested approach in an accessible, high-impact experience. Bring your team, build capacity, and be equipped to unleash a new chain reaction in your community. Register now to secure your spot.

Third Annual Safe Haven for Funders | January 28-29, 2026
The Institute’s annual Safe Haven for Funders is a special gathering designed to activate and develop philanthropic leaders who seek to be catalytic by embracing a new approach to community-led change. This year’s Safe Haven—held in Sarasota, FL, on January 28-29—will examine what it really takes for communities to transform themselves at a time of such deep divides. And how you can actively support those efforts in ways that go beyond financial capital. Learn more about the Safe Haven.