What is civic health and why does it matter?
Strong, ongoing connections between residents, robust relationships between people and public institutions, and positive attachments between community members and the places they live are highly correlated with a range of positive outcomes, from better physical health to higher employment rates to better resilience in the face of natural disasters.
Civic health can be measured by the quality of civic opportunities and the strength of civic infrastructure. When these supports are weak, people of different backgrounds and political perspectives are less likely to communicate or work together, which exacerbates partisan polarization. When these supports are distributed inequitably, they deepen economic and social inequities.
Civic Health Wheel
How can I get involved?
Community Foundations for Civic Health: Reflections, Insights & Next Steps
Join us for a virtual follow-up to the Community Foundations for Civic Health convening in Chicago. This webinar will bring together participants from the in-person gathering and other interested community foundation leaders to reflect on key themes, share insights, and explore actionable next steps in strengthening civic health across our communities.
Community Foundations for Civic Health – an initiative led by CFLeads, the Rhode Island Foundation, the National Civic League, and partners – is committed to increasing the number of community foundations confidently and effectively engaging in civic health work. Strong civic health means stronger communities: better health outcomes, higher employment, and increased resilience in the face of challenges.
In this session, we’ll revisit the key takeaways from Chicago, lift up promising practices from peers, and look ahead to upcoming opportunities for collaboration and support.
Webinar Details
- Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
- Time: 2 – 3 p.m. Eastern
Who
This webinar is designed for community foundation CEOs and/or one other senior member of your staff who is leading civic health work (or who is likely to be part of future work).
Please follow the link below to learn more and register.
Support this work
We invite fellow philanthropic organizations, funders, and partners across sectors to join us. By working together to strengthen civic health, we can ensure that our communities are not only more resilient but also more equitable, inclusive, and capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century. To learn more about supporting this work, please contact Sarah Aguirre Origer, Director of Partnerships and Innovation, at soriger@cfleads.org.