Articles

Home  >  Articles     Printable Version Tell a friend
  
match any match all

News Articles

View By:   [Date]  Category

  • Rich' Contributes Essay to "Rebooting America" How would the Founding Father's redesign American Democracy if they lived in the Internet Age?  This provocative question is at the heart of Rebooting America , a collection of 44 essays each seeking to examine American in the Internet Age. Rich Harwood was asked to contibrute a...    more...  
  • Rich Talks with Leadership Montgomery about the 3As Monday, Rich spoke with more than 75 civic, educational, and business leaders from Leadership Montgomery (Montgomery County, MD) about the importance of the 3As and about the hard work of making good on their urge to do good.  Leadership Montgomery is nationally known and...    more...  
  • Rich's Article in "Parents for Public Schools" Newsletter For its fall newsletter Parents for Public Schools - a national organization working with public school parents and other supporters to improve and strengthen local public schools - asked Rich Harwood to write an article examining how parents can work to create meaningful...    more...  
  • Thoughts on Volunteering from Our Network With Rich attending President Bush's speech on Volunteering, we asked people in our network what they would have Rich say to President Bush on the topic.  What we found was a wide variety of stories, suggestions, reflections and insights into the way that public innovators think about...    more...  
  • Rich to Attend White House Event on Volunteering Next Monday, September 8th, Richard C. Harwood will attend a White House speech by President Bush on the topic of Volunteering.  Rich's invitation further reinforces his status as a leading expert on communities and creating the conditions for civic engagement and change.   We will...    more...  
  • Voices from the Summit A diverse and impressive group of public innovators came together for the 3rd Annual Public Innovators Summit. To read their reactions, reflections, challenges and thoughts about the Summit go here    more...  
  • The 2008 Harwood Public Innovators Summit The 2008 Annual Public Innovators Summit This weekend the Harwood Annual Public Innovators Summit brought together leaders from the non-profit, foundation, public media, academic, journalism, faith-based and corporate sectors to discuss some of the most challenging issues...    more...  
  • Shaping Debate About the Meaning of Patriotism Discussion about patriotism has long been a source of division. As in the past, Rich Harwood is helping to shape how people think about what it means to be patriotic and who gets to define the term. On the Fourth of July, Rich was a guest on Conversations with Joy Cardin a...    more...  
  • Using Hope Unraveled to Create Change in Nigeria I n Hope Unraveled: The People's Retreat and Our Way Back , Rich Harwood drew upon years of travel, research and conversation with Americans.  What he saw led him to believe that Americans were retreating from public life.  But, just last week, an email from...    more...  
  • Rich Addresses the United Way's NPC Rich addressed United Way's National Professional Council. NPC serves as a "national leadership body for the nearly 1,300 member United Way organizations" and is working to create pathways for local United Ways to address the drop-out rate, one of the three core issues that make up the...    more...  
  • How Can We Live United and Advance the Common Good Rich Harwood served as moderator for The 2008 United Way Community Leaders Conference's Opening General Session discussion about what it means to advance the common good. Before more than 1,800 community leaders from throughout the United Way system, Rich led p anelists Paul...    more...  
  • Rich quoted in Tampa Bay Tribune article on patriotism In a Memorial Day article, the Tampa Bay Tribune wrote about formerly apolitical symbols of patriotism becoming tied to political views of the war in Iraq.  "Some complain that the symbols we use to show loyalty to homeland have morphed into pro-war emblems." For some lapel pins and...    more...  
  • Wed. 5/14/08, 3:15pm EST: Watch Webcast as Rich Moderates Panel at United Way Conference on Advancing the Common Good This Wednesday, May 14th, 3:15pm E.S.T., The 2008 United Way Community Leaders Conference Rich Harwood will moderate the Opening General Session discussion of what it means to advance the common good. Panelists include Dr. Paul Light, Professor of Public Service at NYU, Michelle Rhee,...    more...  
  • Harwood Institute Helps Shape Newest Public Radio Show: The Takeaway    Today, for the first time in more than two decades a new national morning news show debuted on public radio - The Takeaway with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji. Through its 2008 Baltimore Public Innovators Lab, The Harwood Institute worked with The Takeaway staff...    more...  
  • Columbia Missourian Runs Rich's Blog as Op-Ed    Friday, the Columbia Missourian ran Rich's last blog in its entirety as an op-ed piece .  The very next day, Tom Warhover, used Rich's piece as part of his analysis of the rarity of racial discussions in election coverage.  Warhover argued, whether there truly are few honest ...    more...  
  • Washington Times Article on Obama Speech Quotes Harwood    In its March 19th coverage of Barack Obama's recent speech on race and its place in the national discourse, The Washington Times quoted Rich as saying that "... this needs to stay on public agenda through the remainder of the campaign because he's tapping into a latent desire...    more...  
  • Rich Speaks to Hundreds of Volunteers in Sonoma    Rich spoke with hundreds of volunteers in Sonoma County    more...  
  • Listen to Rich on KNPR Rich Harwood appeared as a guest on KNPR's State of Nevada to discuss how communities can create a web of support.  This in the wake of a school shooting which has rocked Las Vegas. Rich's segment begins at {28:10) Listen here    more...  
  • Rich Harwood on "Here On Earth"    Rich Harwood was the guest on "Here on Earth"    more...  
  • Thank You Message Austin Lab Alums To see photos and videos from the Austin Lab as well as the tools and frameworks we covered in the Lab visit www.theharwoodinstitute.org/LabAlum The Lab Alum Site is a place where you can connect with other public innovators in our national network, and return to the key...    more...  
  • Community Rhythms Every community is different, but over 20 years of research The Harwood Institute has identified 5 stages of community life. When we simply try to copy programs from one community to another we too often ignore one of the most critical variables in community change - that community's stage. ...    more...  
  • Erik Jensen (WSKG, Binghampton, NY) on Changing Narratives and the Ripple Effect       more...  
  • Mark Leonard (WILL, Champaign-Urbana) on Thinking of Your Community in Different Ways       more...  
  • About the Author Richard C. Harwood is founder and president of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a nonprofit, catalytic organization dedicated to helping people find new pathways to imagine and act for the public good. For nearly two decades, Harwood has led the charge to redeem hope in public life...    more...  
  • Thank You for Sharing Make Hope Real Thank you for sharing Make Hope Real. Your friend(s) will receive an email inviting them to download their free book - today.  View the Make Hope Real discussion guide. Please feel free to Share Make Hope Real with others _uacct =...    more...  
  • Share Hope More than ever before, hope has become a central part of our national political discussion. It is a crucial moment and together we can convert this energy into real action. Everyone is talking about hope. Now, we can Make Hope Real. The Harwood Institute is giving community...    more...  
  • Thank You for Ordering Make Hope Real    Thank you for ordering Make Hope Real. The essay should arrive within 5-7 business days. We hope that you find it empowering and that you will share it with others.    more...  
  • Everyone is talking about hope Download your free copy of Make Hope Real. This essay examines how we can accelerate change in our communities and make hope real. These are important political times, convert energy to action with Make Hope Real.    more...  
  • test collage what path will you take?      more...  
  • test    Ever wondered why a project or program that worked for a station in another community didn’t work for yours?  Ever feel your work doesn’t create the traction you want? Communities face different challenges - to create...    more...  
  • Harwood Institute Featured in The Case Foundation's 2007 Guide to Good Giving Press release from the case foundation Harwood Institute joins a select group of organizations featured in the Case Foundation’s 2007 Guide to Good Giving Guide Provides List of Gift and Giving Ideas That Give Back ( Washington , DC ):   Hardwood...    more...  
  • Rough Cuts: Amy Shaw on changing ingrained narratives    Amy Shaw, Vice President of Education and Community Engagement at KETC discusses the challenges and importance of changing the ingrained narratives both in the community and within her station.    more...  
  • Rich Interviewed on "Tell Me More"    Rich was interviewed Friday, by Michel Martin, host of NPR's "Tell Me More"    more...  
  • The Sweet Spot Of Public Life   The Harwood Institute is focused on helping people and organizations understand the necessary conditions, sensibilities and practices needed, to create real, lasting change in public life and politics. A critical part of creating change is understanding the "sweet spot." The sweet...    more...  
  • "Thermometers" vs. "Thermostats" 2007 Harwood Public Innovators Lab alum, Jerome Thredkeld is a public innovator.  He says he's a "thermostat" and not a "thermometer."  How about you?  Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? More information about The Harwood Institute Public Innovators Labs    more...  
  • A Video Thank You from Rich to Battle Creek    To accelerate change around this country we need more "warriors" for hope, more men and women who are working to build organizations that span the boundaries in our communites and working break down the walls that we are told should divide us. Coming together in meetings like the one in Battle...    more...  
  • Make Hope Real - Lead a Group Discussion    Once you've read Make Hope Real, we encourage you to take the next step. Lead a discussion with your work colleagues or if you're in a book club, include Make Hope Real on your reading list. Below is a list of key questions we encourage you to ask your group. You can also download this...    more...  
  • The Harwood Institute launches MakeHopeReal.org    The Harwood Institute launched MakeHopeReal.org, an interactive companion to the essay allowing users to purchase copies of the essay in various formats, and move from reading about hope to helping make it real in their community.    more right  
  • Make Hope Real Intro Video       more...  
  • Make Hope Real - Tell a Friend Tell your friends about Make Hope Real. Fill out their email addresses below: #lvmenu, #footer, .divider, .date, #powered, .eventSignup, .signup {display:none;} #main h1, p {margin-left:12px; color:#81002b}...    more...  
  • Make Hope Real - Download the e-Book    #lvmenu, #footer, .divider, .date, #powered, .eventSignup, .signup {display:none;} #main h1, p {margin-left:12px; color:#81002b} #main h1 {margin-top:21px;} _uacct = "UA-2959576-1"; ...    more...  
  • RoughCuts: Interview with 2007 Public Innovators Summit Participant Jill Vialet, President & Founder, Sports4Kids In her RoughCuts interview, Jill Vialet, President & Founder of Sports4Kids , shares why she created Sports4Kids and her thoughts on the question, "If you're closing up shop in 5 years, what do you do to make a real and lasting difference?"  This question was one of five key...    more...  
  • RoughCuts: Interview with 2007 Public Innovators Summit Participant, Dr. Robert Long, Director of Battle of Creek Programming, W.K. Kellogg Foundation    In this interview taken at The Harwood Institute's 2007 Annual Public Innovators Summit in Santa Fe, NM, Summit participant Dr. Robert Long, Director of Battle Creek Programming , W.K. Kellogg Foundation , discusses the value of The Annual Public Innovators Summit; the need for The Harwood...    more...  
  • Make Hope Real Audiobook - COMING SOON!    #lvmenu, #footer, .divider, .date, #powered, .eventSignup, .signup {display:none;} #main h1, p {margin-left:12px; color:#81002b} #main h1 {margin-top:21px;}    more...  
  • Make Hope Real Media Kit - COMING SOON!    #lvmenu, #footer, .divider, .date, #powered, .eventSignup, .signup {display:none;} #main h1, p {margin-left:12px; color:#81002b} #main h1 {margin-top:21px;}    more...  
  • Order Rich Harwood's Latest Essay: Make Hope Real    Order Rich Harwood's Latest Essay: Make Hope Real A foreward by Sterling K. Speirn President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Rich Harwood has been asking a very important set of questions for some time now. And ever since his book, Hope Unraveled: The People’s Retreat and Our Way Back, appeared, more and more people...    more...  
  • Preview the first chapter of Make Hope Real for FREE!    Read the first chapter- FREE!    more...  
  • Welcome to Make Hope Real    Sign up to learn more about The Harwood Institute and how you can Make Hope Real. Enter email address: #lvmenu, #footer, .divider, .date, #powered, .eventSignup, .signup {display:none;} #main h1, p...    more...  
  • Register for the Public Innovators Lab in Austin, TX, Feb. 5-8, 2008 A special note from Rich Harwood: "If you recently received an e-mail from me inviting you to join us at the Innovators Lab, welcome to our Web site, and thank you for your interest. I hope that you're able to join us for what I believe will be a transformative experience for you." ...    more...  
  • RoughCuts: Kimberlie Kranich, Outreach Coordinator, WILL-TV, Champaign-Urbana    Kimberlie Kranich, Outreach Coordinator,WILL-TV, Champaign-Urbana, offers a candid account of the "shift" that is occurring within her, as she attempts to move her organization towards a deeper, more authentic engagement with their community. Kimberlie is a participant in the Community...    more...  
  • Our Future Direction    Tired of business as usual?  Join us in making hope real... For almost 20 years, we've been evolving both the ideas and practical approaches for changing the negative conditions in society that too often divide people and keep them from making progress in their neighborhoods,...    more...  
  • Martin Luther King's "Drum Major Instinct" speech    Text and audio versions of MLK's Drum Major Instinct speech    more...  
  • Harwood Mini-Tool: The Principles of Authentic Engagement    We know you’re passionate about creating real, lasting change in public life and politics, and you want your community to be part of that change. But how do you engage that community in a way that will accelerate your efforts and help you build a deeper relationship to the place you care so...    more...  
  • Watch The 5 Principles of Authentic Engagement Videos    Watch these videos of Rich Harwood discussing the Principles of Authentic Engagement. Then, for each one, ask yourself, “Where does our organization fall in the way we do engagement?” For example, do you seek consensus, or common ground? Have your colleagues do the same and have a...    more...  
  • Register for The Public Innovators Lab    Tired of business as usual in your community? Want to help create real, lasting change? Then join us for the Harwood Public Innovators Lab. The Lab is an intensive, four day experience that will help you create new pathways to accelerate change and engender authentic hope in your...    more...  
  • RoughCuts: Rich Harwood warns presidential candidates not to run as an "outsider"    n this week's RoughCuts interview, Rich discusses why he believes running an "outsider" campaign is a surefire way to lose the presidential election.    more...  
  • Affection & the future President    Rich offers a future President a recommendation for how to use the time between winning the election and the Inauguration to demonstrate true affection for our country and its citizens.    more...  
  • Harwood Mini-Tool: Being "Ruthlessly Strategic"    Harwood Mini-Tool: Being Each of us wants to make a difference. But if we want to create real, lasting change, then experience tells us that simply running faster or harder won’t do the trick. We have to become much more ruthlessly strategic. For us, this is fundamentally about one’s orientation to their work and...    more...  
  • Being "Ruthlessly Strategic" Interview    Being ruthlessly strategic is about being genuine in your relationship to the community. It’s about making choices that allow you to create sustainable change efforts and to build community while also excelling in achieving your mission. And, in an age where we have become highly...    more...  
  • Harwood Mini-Tool: The 3 A's Discussion Questions    Discussion questions for the Harwood Mini-Tools article, The 3A's of Public Life    more...  
  • Harwood Mini-Tool: The 3 A's of Public Life    This is the discussion guide for Mike Woods article, Harwood Mini-Tools: The 3 A's of Public Life.    more...  
  • RoughCuts: An Interview with Florence Rogers, Manager, KPNR, Nevada Public Radio Flo Rogers, General Manager of KNPR, Nevada Public Radio, talks about her station's decision to participate in the Community Engagement Initiative and how she is attempting to build a space that would not only foster dialogue about who they are as a community, but hopefully move beyond dialogue...    more...  
  • Job Opening: Special Projects Associate About The Harwood Institute: We are an independent, non-partisan organization that works within a long tradition of small, catalytic organizations in American history that have sought to improve public life and politics. At The Harwood Institute, we seek nothing less than to spark...    more...  
  • Innovator's lab alum connects to Initiator's Project on her blog    Taylor Willingham, Director of Texas Forums and Public Innovator Lab alum, has linked on her blog The Harwood Institute and the Kettering Foundation collaboration to focus on how people who initiate civic action in communities decide to step forward, overcome resistance and barriers in their...    more...  
  • Harwood Institute chooses Orchid for technology    The Harwood Institute has selected Orchid Suites , a leading technology development company with over 10 years experience in the Washington DC Metro area, as the web services vendor to help diffuse our work online and make it more accessible to people across the nation. "Orchid has...    more...  
  • Harwood staffer, Eric Rigaud's bullet points from his speech at the NTEN conference    Eric Rigaud Director of Technology & Social Networks The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation NTEN talking points ·         Washington D.C. is the world's stage. The cradle of public life.     ...    more...  
  • The Harwood Institute and the Kettering Foundation kick off new "Initiators" project    The Harwood Institute and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation have entered into a learning agreement to focus on how people who initiate civic action in communities decide to step forward, overcome resistance and barriers in their work, and engage in community politics. This innovation work...    more...  
  • Public Innovators Lab alum -- a catalyst for change    Rich returned from the 2007 Hands on Network Leadership Conference in New Orleans last week, where he lead a town hall discussion for hundreds of public innovators from across the nation. There he ran into Ellen Ferber, Regional VP of Hands on Network and recent alum of the Harwood Public...    more...  
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The Harwood Institute forge collaboration to expand the local significance of public broadcasters    The Harwood Institute and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have forged a groundbreaking collaboration to deepen and expand the local significance of public broadcasters and improve the civic health of communities across the country. The aim of the Community Engagement Initiative is to...    more...  
  • Rich featured in the Columbian Missourian Op-Ed pages     -- Rich was featured in the Columbian Missourian opinion pages on Friday, February 9th. Click below to read Rich's article, "Values must shape future Iraq policy." Missourian    more...  
  • People respond on their "State of the Union" speech    Last week prior to the State of the Union address, Rich challenged his fellow citizens to think about and write talking points on their own State of the Union speech. We received many responses. Check out what folks had to say! stateoftheunionweb_1031.doc    more...  
  • The Harwood Institute announces HarwoodSPEAK    Have you ever found yourself lacking the right word to describe a public endeavor? The Harwood Institute announces an ongoing series of words and phrases which capture this missing public vocabulary.  
  • Dean's Big Decision    Richard C. Harwood Recently, Governor Howard Dean re-launched his new organization, Democracy for America. He said that he is "building a movement in the common interest" by "confidently advancing an agenda rooted in hope and real American values." The skeptics will argue that it is not...    more...  
  • Making Good on our Promises    Making Good on our Promises 9/11 is now two years behind us. Rather than look back, what should we expect of our nation, of ourselves, as we move ahead? After 9/11 we heard promises that politics would improve, news media coverage was to become more serious, and citizens were to be more...    more...  
  • Just How Patriotic Are We?    Just How Patriotic Are We? As America looks forward to a long weekend celebrating its birthday, our thoughts naturally turn to patriotism. In the aftermath of the war in Iraq, and as the first presidential campaign after 9/11 heats up, the subject takes on a new importance. The word...    more...  
  • A new kind of patriotism    A new kind of patriotism by Richard C. Harwood - Christian Science Monitor, July 3, 2002 BETHESDA, MD ñ On this July 4th, Americans are called to take a hard look at the meaning of patriotism and their own relationship to it. During the past year, a patriotic fervor spread across our great...    more...  
  • Four Things Citizens Can Do    Four Things Citizens Can Do Moving forward, with awareness, in a tenuous new world by Richard C. Harwood - msnbc.com, October 1, 2001 WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 ó What is a citizen to do? We can watch the polls as they tell us we are ready to go to war. We can display the flag to demonstrate our...    more...  
  • Stop Polling. Start Thinking    Stop Polling. Start Thinking by Richard C. Harwood War policy should not be set by opinion polls WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 - Already the public opinion poll results are stacking up. So now, each day we will hear competing numbers - one telling us how many are dead from the ghastly attacks on...    more...  
  • Public Benefit: Entree or Side Dish?    Public Benefit: Entree or Side Dish? Consider this scenario for just a moment: what if all public sector organizations were now required to hang out a sign in their window, "Open for Business!" or "Business Practices R Us!" or "We're Business-Certified." Sounds like a silly idea, right? But...    more...  
  • Toxic Talk in the Public Square    Toxic Talk in the Public Square Bitterness, hubris of presidential recount fester by Richard C. Harwood - msnbc.com, January 5, 2001 Jan. 5 ó The jockeying around the Bush presidency is in full gear with the recent naming of Cabinet members, the many visits to Capitol Hill and the...    more...  
  • Count on Instincts and Electoral College    Count on Instincts and Electoral College by Richard C. Harwood - philly.com, November 16, 2000 The uncertain outcome of the presidential election is a great blessing on this nation. But what will we choose to do with it? As the drama has drawn out, we have often put forth the worst of...    more...  
  • Perplexed, But Not Divided    Perplexed, But Not Divided by Richard C. Harwood America is not split into two warring factions: More likely, weíre on hold until we figure out a few things - msnbc.com, November 10, 2000 WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 ó No matter who wins the White House, the conventional wisdom emerging from...    more...  
  • Gore's Guilt Trip    Gore's Guilt Trip by Richard C. Harwood Is a vote for Nader really a vote for Bush? - msnbc.com, November 1, 2000 Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader tells supporters in Michigan he is no spoiler: "You can't spoil a political system that's spoiled to the core," he said....    more...  
  • Able, But Willing?    Able, But Willing? by Richard C. Harwood - The Tampa Tribune, October 19, 2000 Much is being made about how the presidential candidates have failed to connect with the American public this year. But are the candidates alone responsible for that? For no matter how well - or poorly - the...    more...  
  • Are We Done Now With the Posturing?    Are We Done Now With the Posturing? by Richard C. Harwood Smiles and smirks arenít enough; Americans want a coherent vision of the future - msnbc.com, October 10, 2000 Oct. 10 What if you set out to read a book and all you found behind the front cover was a list of characters, a bit on...    more...  
  • Practicing the Politics of Politeness    Practicing the Politics of Politeness by Richard C. Harwood Major-league blunders aside, this has been a clean, fair presidential race ó so far - msnbc.com, September 19, 2000 Gov. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney take the stage Sept. 4. in Naperville, Ill. Bush used an expletive to describe...    more...  
  • Embracing Idealism    Embracing Idealism by Richard C. Harwood Gore issues a call to action: How will voters respond? - msnbc.com, August 17, 2000 Washington, Aug. 17 - In his acceptance speech in Los Angeles tonight, Vice President Al Gore presented himself as the presidential candidate on the side of the...    more...  
  • Democratic National Convention - Day 2    Democratic National Convention - Day 2 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC Welcome back Mr. Harwood. Good to be back! THE_RAGING_PATRIOT-g says: Why does the democratic convention seem so borring, they use to be exciting but they seem to have lost their edge with the Youth...    more...  
  • Democratic National Convention - Day 1    Democratic National Convention - Day 1 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC Welcome back Mr. Harwood! Good to be back. I look forward to hearing everyone's questions. Let's start with Clinton's speech last night..... donus-guest says: The Clinton speech was just like he is--all...    more...  
  • Creative Compassion    Creative Compassion by Richard C. Harwood - msnbc.com, August 3, 2000 Aug. 3 - Texas Gov. George W. Bush's notion of "compassionate conservatism" has resonated with Republicans gathered in Philadelphia this week. Colin Powell got the party started early on in the convention, when he asked...    more...  
  • Republican National Convention - Day 4    Republican National Convention - Day 4 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC MSNBC-Will: Ok guys, I have Rich Harwood here. I have some handsome questions here, so let's go. Welcome Mr. Harwood. Welcome back I mean. :) MSNBC-Will: KATIA2001 says: I am a independent voter do not know...    more...  
  • Republican National Convention - Day 3    Republican National Convention - Day 3 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC MSNBC-Will: Welcome back Mr. Harwood. By the way, we haven't really promoted anything of yours yet in these chats. I know your piece went up on the site today, if not yet, soon. I'll have the link for that....    more...  
  • Republican National Convention - Day 2    Republican National Convention - Day 2 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC MSNBC-Will: Ok guys, we're starting with Rich Harwood in just a few. Rich is an expert on voter behavior and a political analyst. yesterday we talked a lot about education today's theme for the convention is...    more...  
  • Republican National Convention - Day 1    Republican National Convention - Day 1 Guest: Richard C. Harwood, Special to MSNBC MSNBC-Will: Ok guys, I have the guest Rich Harwood on the line, and I have a healthy list of questions, so let's get started. MSNBC-Will: Welcome Mr. Harwood! Rich_Harwood: It's good to be here, I'm looking...    more...  
  • Public Benefit: Entree or Side Dish?    Public Benefit: Entree or Side Dish? Consider this scenario for just a moment: what if all public sector organizations were now required to hang out a sign in their window, "Open for Business!" or "Business Practices R Us!" or "We're Business-Certified." Sounds like a silly idea, right? But...    more...  
  • The Nation's Looking Glass: America's Retreat From Itself    The Nation's Looking Glass: America's Retreat From Itself About a decade ago, I began to talk with Americans in ten cities about the state of politics and their relationship to it. The fruit of that initiative was the Kettering Foundation publication, Citizens and Politics: A View from Main...    more...  
  • Rich headed to Newark to work for change    In the upcoming months Rich, along with the Greater Essex Council of Child Welfare Collaboratives based in Newark, will be working for change in continuing to make Newark a better place to live, work, and play. On the specifics of the work, Rich says, "We'll be creating a new covenant that will...    more...  
  • Rich's blog featured in the "Top Ten" nonprofit blogs in The Chronicle of Philanthropy    Rich's blog, Redeeming Hope, is featured in a December 7, 2006 article entitled "10 Nonprofit blogs that get attention" in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The article also features Phil Cubeta, an alum of the 2006 Harwood Institute Innovator's Summit, and his website gifthub.org. To read the full...    more...  
  • Rich quoted in Case Foundation report on civic engagement    A recently released Case Foundation report entitled, “Citizens at the Center: a new approach to civic engagement” quotes Rich on the subject of citizen discontentment in the civic life and health of their communities. The report asks the question, “Is the United States undergoing a civic...    more...  
  • United Way of America selects the Harwood Public Innovators Lab for new learning opportunities    United Way of America recently announced that it will be including the Harwood Public Innovators Lab in their 2007 catalog of learning opportunities. This means that, for the first time, local United Way staff members will be able to use their flex credits to help pay for the experience. In the...    more...  
  • Interview with The Harwood Institute innovator partner, Tanya Renne    Recently The Harwood Institute caught up with an innovator partner, Tanya Renne co-founder and CEO of Orchid Suites, who accompanied us to Airlie Center in Warrenton, Virginia for strategic planning sessions and talks on the future of our work. Here is what she had to say: How did the time...    more...  
  • Partner of The Harwood Institute featured in Time Magazine -- and she responds here    Daniella Levine, a partner of The Harwood Institute and a Public Innovators Lab alumnus is featured in the latest issue of Time Magazine in the article "There's Trouble -- Lots Of It -- in Paradise". Daniella responds to the Time Magazine article and about her work at Imagine Miami. Imagine...    more...  
  • Public Innovators Lab offers valuable takeaways for you, your organization, and your community    What do you takeaway from the Lab -- this is a great question! The Public Innovators Lab is not meant to end upon the conclusion of the sessions spent this upcoming February. Rather, over the years we’ve designed and really honed what we call the Personal Learning Journal. You will receive your...    more...  
  • Rich to be a panelist in Kettering Foundation roundtable on Democracy's Challenge: Reclaiming the Public's Role    On Monday, November 13th, Rich will join a number of other esteemed panelists in a Roundtable discussion hosted by the Kettering Foundation in Washington. The forum is centered around three themes: Tensions Involving Democratic Values Tensions Involving Democratic Practices ...    more...  
  • Sort out what the election means for you at The Harwood Institute's first teleconference bookclub    On Tuesday, across the nation, people from all regions will be voting in the midterm elections. What will the implications of these elections mean for you? What will they suggest about conditions for change in our communities and the country? How might they affect the work you do? ...    more...  
  • Sign-up for the Winter 2007 Public Innovators Lab      The Harwood Public Innovators Lab A Harwood Signature Event Communities are searching for new kinds of leaders... Are you ready to answer the call? Join us and other public innovators like yourself and learn how to forge an alternate path in public...    more...  
  • Student from KU Symposium reflects on Hurricane Katrina and the re-opening of the Superdome    In fall, there are only three days of the week that matter in Louisiana. From Friday high school games to LSU Saturday games, it is hard to believe that this southern state can possibly fathom more football come the end of the week. The attitude there is quite the opposite though. In fact, if...    more...  
  • Summit Question of the Month    Hurricane Katrina and 9/11: When is charity good, but change required? In what ways do we tend to confuse charity and targeted programs with real change -- and how do we ensure that, in our work and as a society, we aren't lulled to sleep by charitable efforts when change is actually...    more...  
  • Join the Annual Public Innovators Summit -- A Year of New Products for You    The Harwood Institute announces today the first wave of new products that will emerge from its inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit that took place in Midway, Utah Aug. 18-20. The products are intended for public innovators everywhere to use to accelerate their own work around innovation...    more...  
  • The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation is hiring    The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation seeks to hire a new director of communications and networks. The position opening comes at an exciting time in the evolution of the organization; the Institute is pivoting from a project-based organization focused on innovating, to an organization that...    more...  
  • Inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit begins this weekend    The week of the inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit is here! Beginning on Friday, August 18th until Sunday, August 20th, a dynamic group of leading-edge thinkers and community leaders from around the country will meet in Utah to discuss the essence of challenges in...    more...  
  • See who is coming to the Summit    The list of participants to the inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit has been finalized. We're excited to have more than 40 of America's best and brightest public innovators gathered together in Midway, Utah, to engage on the core challenges facing politics and public life. Here is a list...    more...  
  • Now available -- New Harwood and Knight Foundation multimedia community rhythms series    The new multimedia series "Community Rhythms: The Five Stages of Community Life" is now available for your use. You can use it to advance your own learning as well as to engage your staff, board members, and others in your community. In a dynamic two-part Webcast, Rich Harwood leads you through...    more...  
  • Community rhythms: A framework for helping you innovate in public life    As Rich pointed out in his blog series earlier this year, we need public innovation to create new pathways in public life, but public innovation cannot exist without two essential ingredients: public innovators to drive it, and civic-minded, catalytic organizations to house it, incubate it, and...    more...  
  • See who's coming to the Summit    Registrations for the inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit continue to roll in. We're currently on track to have as many as 50 of America's best and brightest public innovators gathered together in Midway, Utah, to engage on the core challenges facing politics and public life. Here is a...    more...  
  • Q&A with Rich Harwood: The Annual Public Innovators Summit    With only nine weeks to go, plans for the inaugural ex.html">Annual Public Innovators Summit are quickly shaping up, and there's a growing list of leading-edge thinkers and community leaders from around the country who have signed up to join us in Utah Aug. 18-20. For those of you invited,...    more...  
  • The discipline of change: Finding the 'sweet spot'    One of Lab alum Daniella Levine's take-aways from the Harwood Public Innovators Lab, according to her notes (see article ), is that The Harwood Institute is creating a discipline of change. Although we haven't used that particular phrase in the past, The Harwood Institute is indeed focused on...    more...  
  • Free conference call service for non-profits    Dutch Huette, president of Global Conference Call, Inc. (The Harwood Institute's conference call provider), recently contacted us to let us know that we would be receiving unlimited free conference call service and recording capability for as long as we wanted it. This enormously generous offer...    more...  
  • The Harwood Public Innovators Lab: In her own words    Daniella Levine, co-chair of Imagine Miami, participated in the Spring 2006 Harwood Public Innovators Lab. She recently shared her notes from the experience, including the following summary: "The Harwood Institute provides a new framework for building civic life, moving us from a problem...    more...  
  • Harwood Public Innovators Lab a phenomenal success    Last week, The Harwood Institute convened the Spring 2006 Public Innovators Lab, made up of one of the most dynamic groups of public innovators from around the country we have ever assembled. These leaders posed some of the toughest questions we've encountered, challenging us and one another to...    more...  
  • The Spring 2006 Harwood Public Innovators Lab officially kicks off in Baltimore, Md.    Last night, public innovators from across the country gathered in Baltimore to begin a journey where they will examine their own role, and the role of their organizations, in creating real, lasting change in communities. We call this experience The Harwood Public Innovators Lab. As Rich Harwood...    more...  
  • Thanks for your suggestions    Last week, we asked readers to send in names of people they thought would be good to invite to our inaugural Annual Public Innovators Summit , being presented in conjunction with Fast Company magazine. We received several great names; we really appreciate you taking the time to respond. If...    more...  
  • Follow Lab participants on their journey    Rich Harwood and possibly other participants in the Harwood Public Innovators Lab will be sharing their thoughts and experiences throughout the week on Rich's Redeeming Hope blog. Today, Rich kicks off the week with 10 questions for public innovators to think about. These are some of the most...    more...  
  • Harwood receives warm 'welcome back' in Youngstown    Last week, Rich Harwood was in Youngstown, Ohio, where The Harwood Institute conducted a public capital study in 1999 gauging the civic strength of the community. At that time, Youngstown was mired in what the Institute calls "The Waiting Place" - one of the five stages of community life, where...    more...  
  • A tale of two brothers    For Dan and Don Blom, brothers who are attending the Spring 2006 Harwood Public Innovators Lab, engaging in public life and politics is something that is part of their DNA. Dan, a civic engagement consultant leading the effort to create a new community organization to foster public...    more...  
  • Harwood to discuss the people's retreat this week as a featured guest on 'A Public Voice'    Rich Harwood will be featured as a community expert on this week's annual taping of "A Public Voice," an annual television program shown on public television stations across the country, where experts and political leaders engage on a selected topic of national importance. This year's topic -...    more...  
  • Harwood and Fast Company present The Annual Public Innovators Summit    Today, The Harwood Institute is announcing one of its most ambitious endeavors to date - the Annual Public Innovators Summit. The Summit, set for Aug. 18-20 at the Zermatt Resort & Spa, Midway, Utah, is being presented in partnership with Fast Company magazine. Fast Company is one of...    more...  
  • Three guest bloggers to join Rich Harwood for online dialogue    This Monday, Rich Harwood will be blogging about the important insights and lessons from a recent convening the Institute led in Las Vegas, as part of our strategic partnership with the Nevada Community Foundation. He will be joined by three guest bloggers who attended the convening: David...    more...  
  • ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK: Institute to host preeminent event for the nation's leading-edge public innovators; major co-sponsor on board    Next week, The Harwood Institute will be officially announcing plans for one of its most ambitious endeavors to date - a national summit of America's best and brightest public innovators. Together under one roof, the nation's most effective and authentic leaders from multiple sectors, including...    more...  
  • Join Rich and his guests in an online dialogue next week    Next week, Rich Harwood, along with several guest bloggers, will be presenting some ideas that came out of a recent convening The Harwood Institute hosted in Las Vegas, Nevada, to discuss our partnership there with the Nevada Community Foundation and their efforts to become a more catalytic...    more...  
  • See who's coming to the Public Innovators Lab     With only about a month left before the spring Harwood Public Innovators Lab, there are only a handful of potential slots still available. The Institute is releasing the list of registered participants so everyone can see what a fantastic group will be assembled at the Pier 5 Hotel in...    more...  
  • The 3 A's of Public Life: What we all need to be good 'public people'    The Harwood Institute's research in communities across the country shows that the vast majority of Americans are in retreat from politics and public life. They have retreated, they tell us, because leaders no longer reflect the reality of average Americans' daily lives in their words and...    more...  
  • Harwood partners with Journal of Public Deliberation to share news and information    Starting this week, The Harwood Institute and the Journal of Public Deliberation (JPD), an electronic journal of research, news, and information for people interested in dialogue and deliberation, will begin partnering to share items of interest through our organizational communications. The...    more...  
  • Institute releases new video highlighting work    The Harwood Institute is making a new informational video available for download. This high resolution Windows Media Player (.wmv) file can now be downloaded for viewing . If you're interested in learning more about our work across the country to help people imagine and act for the public good,...    more...  
  • Download Harwood's interview on New Hampshire Public Radio    Last week, Laura Knoy, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange," interviewed Rich Harwood for her live call-in show. The topic: "cultural withdrawal." During the interview, Rich drew on findings from his book, Hope Unraveled: The People's Retreat and Our Way Back (Kettering...    more...  
  • Institute leading national convening to discuss how community foundations engage the public     As part of our ongoing partnership with the Nevada Community Foundation , The Harwood Institute will be leading a convening in Las Vegas this w