Everyday Democracy fact sheet

Everyday Democracy (formerly the Study Circles Resource Center) is a national organization that helps local communities find ways for all kinds of people to think, talk and work together to solve problems. We work with neighborhoods, cities and towns, regions, and states, helping them pay particular attention to how racism and ethnic differences affect theproblems they address.

Everyday Democracy was created as the Study Circles Resource Center in 1989 by The Paul J. Aicher Foundation, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Since 1989, we have worked with more than 550 communities across the United States on many different public issues.

$2.3 million annual budget. Everyday Democracy's core budget is underwritten by The Paul J. Aicher Foundation.
Provides consultation to community leaders, free of charge, at every stage of creating a dialogue-to-change program. This includes advice on: how to develop a strong, diverse organizing coalition; how to set program goals and find ways to assess progress; how to develop or customize discussion guides; establishing the community’s capacity to train facilitators; connecting dialogue to action and change. Staff members or associates make occasional community visits; they also conduct regional workshops.
Publishes how-to materials that are easy to use. These include: a comprehensive guide to organizing dialogue-to-change programs; a guide to training facilitators; and discussion guides on a wide range of issues.
13 full-time staff; and 11 associates working around the country.
Works with national organizations and initiatives, including: Northwest Area Foundation; Annie E. Casey Foundation; Centers for Disease Control; Community Relations Service of the U.S. Justice Department; Neighborhoods USA; NeighborWorks America; and others.

Historical highlights

(as of May 2007)

(* also available in Spanish)