Ideas at work

Find initiatives and collaborations working to increase civic engagement and learn about effective strategies for action.

INITIATIVES AND COLLABORATIONS

Center of the American Experiment
A nonpartisan, tax-exempt, public policy and educational institution that brings conservative and free market ideas to bear on the hardest problems facing Minnesota and the nation.
Citizens League
The Citizens League builds civic imagination and capacity in Minnesota.
e-democracy
A non-profit, non-partisan, volunteer-based project whose mission is to expand participation and build stronger democracies and communities through the power of information and communication technologies and strategies.
Hands On Twin Cities
Brings people together to strengthen communities through meaningful volunteer action.
Minneapolis - Engaging our Community
In May 2007 the Minneapolis City Council approved a three-track work plan that outlines the next steps related to improving the City's community engagement system.
Minnesota 2020
Minnesota 2020 is a progressive, non-partisan think tank, focused on what really matters.
Minnesota League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization
that encourages the informed and active participation in government,
and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Minnesota Participation Project
An effort to support and expand the capacity of Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations to effectively engage in permissible nonpartisan voter engagement efforts-registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) activities.
Neighborhood Leadership Program
Develops the skills of existing and emerging community leaders, enhancing their ability to act on important community issues through three different programs: a six-month leadership course, short-term, culturally- or community-specific courses, and Link-Up workshops. This program is offered by Amherst H. Wilder Foundation's Wilder Center for Communities.

Research-based strategies

Listed below are proven, effective strategies linked to reports that provide data and information about how the strategies were implemented.

Activities to engage youth in the political process and their communities (3)
- Young voter mobilization techniques: A compilation of the most recent research on traditional & innovative voter turnout techniques
  The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University, September 2006, 13 pp.
  Outlines the best ways to reach and turn out young voters.
- Youth Vote Coalition
  The Youth Vote Coalition, March 2004, 49 pp.
  A how-to guide on mobilizing young voters.
- Best practices in youth philanthropy
  Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth, July 2002, 48 pp.
  Looks at best practices in youth philanthropy.
Formal volunteer management programs (1)
- RespectAbility in America: Promising practices in civic engagement of adults 55+
  National Council on Aging, August 2006, 64 pp.
  Discusses "what is working" and "how it is working" from local organizations and community-wide initiatives experiencing demonstrable success in engaging adults 55+ in service to their communities.
Inclusive, nonpartisan community partnerships (2)
- Citizens at the center: A new approach to civic engagement
  The Case Foundation, July 2006, 31 pp.
  Describes ways to make service and civic engagement a deeper and more entrenched cultural value and ethos in American communities.
- Developing effective volunteer based partnerships with tough communities
  Points of Light Foundation, September 2003, 16 pp.
  This paper shares the key learnings on the nature of volunteering in under-resourced communities. The paper explores the role that traditional volunteer agencies play in fostering and supporting volunteer mobilization in “tough” communities and the strategies organizations can take to effectively partner with low-income communities to mobilize volunteers.
Outreach to special populations to increase voting participation (1)
- New experiments in minority voter mobilization
  The James Irvine Foundation, September 2007, 44 pp.
  Reports on the California Voter Initiative, a multiyear effort to increase voter participation in targeted areas and evaluate the effectiveness of various nonpartisan strategies for increasing voting rates.
Strong civic infrastructure (1)
- BetterTogether
  Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, December 2001, 100 pp.
  Discusses social capital and principles for social capital building in the workplace; arts; politics and government; religion; and schools, youth organizations and families.