The Civic Leadership Institute facilitates the growth of community-labor coalitions that can shift the political debate and have a real impact on policy-making for working families. The purpose of the CLI is to support a long-term strategy for coalitions to build the power to govern, based on a common political agenda that reflects the values and interests of coalition members.  Civic Leadership Institutes provide a space and a structure for grass-roots leaders to build long-term relationships and shared vision at the same time as they are waging individual campaigns on issues like affordable housing, living wage jobs, sustainable growth and access to health care.

Curriculum Overview

The Civic Leadership Institute is designed to help local leaders: Key Messages by Module

• Build strategic relationships with new coalition partners;
• Develop a shared understanding of the economic and political landscape;
• Recognize how regional economic trends underlie shared interests;
• Commit to a specific, long-term agenda for progressive social change;
• Learn and practice skills in organizing, base-building and political advocacy.

 CLI participants are key senior leaders from local grass-roots organizations, and can include
representatives from:

• labor groups,
• community or neighborhood groups,
• faith-based organizations,
• environmental or other policy advocacy groups,
• ethnic chambers of commerce,
• community development corporations,
• elected bodies and government agencies, and
• social service agencies and advocates.

The Civic Leadership Institute is designed to support a broader, long-term strategy for building power on a regional basis--one that connects a range of interests within a comprehensive agenda and a lasting community-labor partnership. In other words, it is intended to help prepare participants to lead a regional movement for social justice. A relationship-building and leadership development program such as the Civic Leadership Institute is crucial for the long-term success of emerging labor-community collaborations. To achieve lasting social change and real gains for working families, campaigns need to focus around a common, long-term progressive agenda that links issues in a comprehensive way.