It may seem fortuitous that the 2021 National Day of Racial Healing is the day before inauguration day, but perhaps this event will provide an opportunity for some wounds to heal prior to the next era in U.S. governance. Sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the event started as “an opportunity to bring ALL people together in their common humanity and inspire collective action to create a more just and equitable world.” Learn more.

The challenges of 2020 have been well documented and discussed, sometimes ad nauseum. A global pandemic, racial reckoning, economic crisis, and a divisive national election made this a year unlike any other. In spite of it all, the important work of advancing civic engagement and good governance at the National Civic League not only continued, but also reached more people than ever before.

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NextFifty Initiative has awarded the National Civic League funding for the program “Enhancing the Equity and Inclusiveness of Age-friendly Initiatives.” Support from the Colorado-based foundation will fund a 2021 project by the League to help communities in Colorado add a racial equity dimension to their work on behalf of older adults, an effort that the League hopes to apply to other states as well.

Widespread protests in response to civilian deaths at the hands of police have put pressure on local governments to make lasting reforms to police and public safety budgets. The Government Finance Officers Association and Results for America have just released a new research report, Time for Change: A Practical Approach to Rethinking Police Budgeting, to help local governments find a way forward on decisions about police funding. Read more.

The League is part of the national SolSmart designation program, which provides no-cost technical assistance to communities to remove barriers to solar energy growth. Recognizing the important role regional organizations can play in influencing their constituent communities and harmonizing regional policies to align with best practices, SolSmart is inviting regional organizations to apply to join the 380 communities currently designated. Learn more.

As part of the ICMA’s leadership development program, a cohort of local public managers has been participating in a series of “learning exchanges” organized by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation to trade ideas and experiences on innovative forms of citizen engagement and democratic governance. A new cohort of public managers is being assembled to focus on fostering racial equity and inclusion.