Everyday Democracy is a capacity-building organization that provides technical assistance to individuals and groups working to build multiracial democracies within their local communities.

We train and coach communities to organize, facilitate dialogues, and use democratic decision-making to address local issues with a justice and equity lens. We are unique and unparalleled in the community engagement field because we help people create the spaces where they can develop the skills to address difficult topics effectively over the long term.

Everyday people have power within and beyond our institutions — but not everyone has access to the tools to participate. You can invest in Everyday Democracy’s programming, enabling us to provide tools, training, and other resources to communities nationwide as we bring people together for equitable change.

Your gift today will support projects like:

• Train 30 youth as non-partisan agents of change to increase civic engagement and participation in Connecticut.
• Equip 75 librarians across the U.S. and Canada in equitable facilitation skills so that they can lead conversations in their communities.
• Deepen the civic skills and collective leadership practices of 45 residents of Queens, NY so that they can become effective change-makers in their community.
• Build a coalition of organizations, faith leaders, residents, university students, and other stakeholders to discuss immigration and establish a long-term, people-powered movement that fosters belonging, challenges harmful narratives, and strengthens civic capacity to support immigrant communities in Hartford, CT.

Everyday Democracy measures success through both outcomes and continuous improvement. Our Research and Evaluation department uses standardized tools and a data-driven approach to track progress, including pre- and post-training surveys to assess participant learning, skills, and attitudes; satisfaction surveys; and qualitative feedback from participants and staff.

Success for us means that participants gain civic skills and confidence, communities deepen connections across differences, and programs achieve sustainable impact. We employ continuous quality improvement (CQI) practices to analyze data, enhance performance, and ensure our programs are effective — and most beneficial for the communities that need them the most.

Everyday Democracy strengthens democracy from the ground up in local communities across North America. We’ve worked alongside more than 600 communities in 42 states to address issues such as education, poverty, mental health, racism, immigration, and criminal justice reform. By bringing people together across differences, we help residents turn dialogue into action and create lasting change in their communities.

Everyday Democracy embodies a vision of democracy that extends beyond voting to encompass a full spectrum of voice and participation in civic life. Thriving, multiracial democracies require vibrant public spaces where people can gather, connect, and engage in meaningful conversations. Yet, research confirms what many of us already sense: community connection is fading, and loneliness is on the rise.

Everyday Democracy is featured in the strengthening civic spaces area because we partner with libraries, museums, and cultural institutions to preserve and activate these trusted spaces as places for dialogue, public discourse, and democratic practice. Our approach ensures that civic spaces remain inclusive, accessible, and central to building community and strengthening democracy.