January Newsletter: Funder Safe Haven; 2026 Campaign Plans; The Need to Revive Civic Culture

Jan 30

“The lack of a strong, working civic culture is why our country is at an impasse. We cannot move forward without forging new ways for people to interact, work together, and get things done. Reviving our civic culture is our central task today.” - Rich Harwood

HOW THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEW CIVIC PATH WILL SUPPORT YOU IN 2026

As the new year began, we faced a choice: continue the Campaign for the New Civic Path or end it? There’s no question our country needs to figure out where it is going politically. But our challenges are deeper than just politics. We face a cultural, even human, challenge. And last year’s campaign proved that Americans all across this country continue to yearn for an apolitical message from an apolitical messenger.

So this campaign isn’t done yet. It’s not time to surrender or step back or give in. We are going to keep spreading a more hopeful message about the path forward—a path that begins locally, builds on the good that still exists, and restores our belief in one another.

Indeed, the 250th anniversary of our nation is the perfect time to renew ourselves as a people and a nation. It’s time to figure out who we are and who we seek to become. It’s time to take action that finally makes us a more perfect union. Here are four ways our campaign aims to support you in 2026.

Virtual spaces that build a movement—Register for our National New Civic Path Book Circle on March 31. This isn’t just about reading a book. It’s about activating yourself and others in becoming agents of hope. We also just partnered with Faith250 for a virtual event and the Prohuman Foundation for a New Civic Path book club. More about the impact of those spaces soon.
Resources that spark a hopeful discussion—Watch our short documentary Selma, Beacon of Hope, and use our discussion guide as a tool with friends and colleagues to talk about the contribution each of us can make to move forward in a more hopeful way.
Campaign events that lift up the good—We want to bring our Campaign for the New Civic Path to your community in 2026 to lift up the good things happening and propel your community forward. Just get in touch.
Deep learning experiences that help you catalyze change—The Harwood School has equipped thousands of Americans in all sectors of society with the mindset and tools needed to get their community on a new civic path. Transform your impact and join this nationwide network of changemakers by securing your spot for the Virtual Public Innovators Lab in April or the Harwood Catalytic Guide Program in June.

A SAFE HAVEN FOR FUNDERS: CREATING SPACE TO MOVE FORWARD

Funders and philanthropic leaders, like so many of us, are under immense pressure and stress these days. Still, many are rolling up their sleeves, leaning in, and seeking to help move their communities forward by embracing a different approach. Just last week, nearly 40 leaders from across the country came together to engage and learn from one another at our second annual Safe Haven, hosted by The Harwood Institute’s CIRCLE of Catalytic Funders in partnership with The Patterson Foundation.

The Safe Haven is designed to help leaders wrestle with questions like: “How is it that when it feels like our country is coming apart at the seams, we can pull ourselves back together?”

One overarching theme emerged from the Safe Haven: the need to create space. Space for leaders to authentically engage with their community. Space for teams and organizations to work together in new ways that strengthen civic culture. Space for funders to engage their boards in a different kind of conversation about what it takes to catalyze change.

We concluded the event by having participants complete a Personal Covenant as a way to recommit themselves to the work that is needed to move their communities forward. It’s clear, the funders at this year’s Safe Haven are working tirelessly to pull their communities and this nation back together. If you are a funder interested in embracing a new approach to creating change, consider joining the Harwood CIRCLE of Catalytic Funders.

WE NEED TO REVIVE OUR CIVIC CULTURE

With each passing day, more chaos and confusion envelops us as a nation: from battles in local communities over Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the burning of synagogues to attempted cuts in childcare support.

In Rich’s latest for The Fulcrum, he writes that no amount of talk or politics can save us. We need to revive our civic culture. And what better time than amid the backdrop of America’s 250th anniversary as a nation?

Read Rich's Latest in the Fulcrum

BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT CREATING CHANGE

Creating change is hard. The prevailing myths we frequently encounter about how change happens only make things harder. But we can move forward in a more hopeful way. The Harwood School helps leaders like you bust myths to move forward in a more hopeful way. Here’s two examples.

Myth 1: “We need new resources or funding to make a difference.” Time and again, we’ve heard leaders say they just need more funding to make a bigger impact. No doubt, financial resources are important. But in our experience, taking action on what matters to people rarely requires new funding to get started. Reading, PA, offers a perfect case study. None of the community’s efforts around early childhood education, after-school activities, and English as a second language started with new funding. They started by embracing a different approach that gets people to work together in a new way, which is what we teach at The Harwood School. Inevitably, their success did attract new funding over time.

Myth 2: “We need a comprehensive plan to tackle this issue.” The Institute wants deep, systemic change in society. But we’ve seen too many comprehensive plans launch with fanfare only to fizzle out or fade away. That’s why the Harwood School emphasizes “starting small to go big.” Our report on Winchester, KY, titled One Step at a Time, demonstrates this principle in action as community members tackled major concerns like healthcare, drug addiction, and racial divides by “starting small to go big.”

You and your team want to change the world. The Harwood School will help your team focus on how change really happens, and what you can do to unleash it. Here are your next two opportunities.

→ April 2026 Virtual Public Innovator Lab: Learn to Turn Outward and unleash your ability to create real change in your community.

→ Summer 2026 Harwood Catalytic Guide Program:Learn to effectively drive organizational and community change efforts that generate widespread impact.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The New Civic Path National Book Circle | March 31, 12:30 pm EST
Our New Civic Path National Book Circle will pair you up with other changemakers from communities nationwide to discuss The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation and its implications for you and the work you do each day to make a difference in your community. This event is for you if you’ve already participated in a New Civic Path Book Circle locally, want to use this event as a launchpad to host a book circle with friends or colleagues, or just want to discuss this compelling manifesto with your fellow Americans. Register now.

Getting Started Public Innovators Virtual Lab | April 2026

You want to make community work for all of us. Our Getting Started Lab, a signature offering of The Harwood School, can teach you how. A result of nearly four decades of innovation and learning, this Lab offers the very best of the time-tested Harwood approach in an accessible, high-impact experience. This isn’t your typical approach. And it’s not your typical training. This Lab will catalyze you to develop the capacity and capabilities you and your team need to create real, lasting change. Register now.