Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies

05/06/2026

The CommNS is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Community Fellowship, an opportunity for a community practitioner to collaborate with our center. Apply by May 19!

For further details and instructions for applying to the Community Fellowship, please see our informational document: https://go.wisc.edu/4bh5tq

We also invite our CommNS network to apply and share this opportunity with anyone who may be interested!

05/04/2026

The Goodman Nonprofit Center is now accepting applications for its 2026-2027 Fellowship Program. This year-long program focuses on leadership development and peer relationships for nonprofit executive directors in the Greater Madison area.

The program is designed to give participants an opportunity to gain practical knowledge and explore a range of topics related to running a successful nonprofit. Modules are led by experts in each area and enhanced by group discussion. Each cohort will be 15 to 20 individuals to allow participants more opportunity to participate in sessions and to build relationships with each other.

Application portal is open now through May 6th. Learn more about the fellowship and apply today on the Goodman Nonprofit Center website at: gnpc.org/fellowship/apply

05/01/2026

On behalf of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (the “CommNS”), thank you to ALL the civic health heroes who participated in and supported our 2026 CommUnity Conference on Civic Health in Wisconsin and Beyond, and our “bonus” lecture and workshop on The Promise of Citizen Assemblies on Civic Health with Marjan Ehsassi of FIDE-North America!

We are proud that this year’s events brought together participants from across Wisconsin via satellite sites and virtual engagement, and we hope they offered the opportunity to share, learn, and connect around Wisconsin’s civic health, and grow our shared movement. It was especially gratifying this year to highlight many meaningful and creative efforts happening in our communities and some remarkable student leadership that are shaping a more civically healthy future.
We heard from event attendees that they were inspired by and felt more hopeful about our collective future after these events.

Please visit our website to learn more about efforts by the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/ and the Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/civichealth/

If you have anything that you would like to share about the conference, we would love to hear from you using our 2026 CommUnity Conference Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/orjPyYDRE6YKQih48

Your response will help us capture the conference’s impact and inform our planning for future events.

Forward!

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Morgridge Center for Public Service

05/01/2026

We’re so proud to see Mireya recognized as an upcoming School of Human Ecology flag bearer! Mireya has been such a special part of our team, contributing to events like CommNS Connect and Chicago Friends of the CommNS, and carrying forward a longstanding mentorship with our current Advisory Board Chair, Rashad Cobb.

Congrats as well to our student Louis Aquino, who will represent the Graduate School as a flag bearer—what an incredible accomplishment for both!

The School of Human Ecology is proud to recognize Mireya Esparza '26 as the school’s spring 2026 commencement flag bearer! 🎓🎉

From clubs to internships, Community & Organizational Development student Esparza is deeply embedded in the school's student community.

Esparza worked as an outreach and engagement intern for the school's Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (The CommNS), where she found a special community with faculty, staff and fellow students. Being involved on campus with The CommNS, as co-president of the Association of Latino Professionals for America and the academic and professional development chair for the Latine Student Union - UW Madison, Esparza used her voice and experience to grow connections with peers and create inclusive spaces for mentorship, professional development and leadership.

"My favorite part about being a Human Ecology student is that everybody cares and is invested in the community and your surroundings and beyond," Esparza says. "I look forward to going to my classes because I get along naturally with these people. We all have a lot of the same values, which is what I really enjoy the most—being surrounded by people that care about me, that care about my community and that really are investing just as much as I am into our relationships and to those around us."

Upon graduation, Esparza hopes to spend time with loved ones and travel. She plans on pursuing a consulting and community engagement career.

Congratulations to Esparza and the entire Human Ecology class of 2026!
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wisconsin Alumni

04/24/2026

Friendly reminder of our bonus event the day after our CommUnity Conference, where we will ask the question: Can Citizen Assemblies strengthen Civic Health in Wisconsin and the World?

Join us for a public lecture and discussion with Executive Director Marjan Ehsassi of the Federation for Innovation in Democracy (FIDE), exploring how citizen assemblies are being used around the world to deepen civic participation, inform policy, and elevate community voices. This event marks FIDE’s first opportunity to share its work in Wisconsin—and to learn from Wisconsinites about civic engagement in our communities. Light refreshments will be provided, with a cash bar available at our in-person event. Open to students, faculty, and the public.

April 28, 2026
5:00–7:00 PM
Pyle Center

Or attend virtually — log-in information will be provided through the registration process

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWgo7CNLun1vwHj_D1j8fOjAFHo-EmBr0yf-5EzqO5bauIMw/viewform

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Morgridge Center for Public Service

04/23/2026

Our lunch Keynote session this year will feature flash talks on innovations for civic health happening now in Wisconsin! Expert discussants, including Marjan Ehsassi of FIDE North America, Dr. Alex Takh of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, and Jenny Vaughan of Business for Social Responsibility will give their feedback on the relevance of these creative efforts to the broader Civic Health landscape.

Check out some of the exciting efforts that will be featured in this session:

Philanthropy Farming
Sam Cooke - Cooke's Charitable Cattle Company

Bridging the Divide
Hallie Haim - Tommy G Thompson Center on Public Leadership

The Neighbor Game
Libby Falck - Forward Games

Reimagining Civic Dialogue with LSTN2U
Jacob Hicks – La Follette graduate student, Product Manager and Lead Developer of LSTN2U

Rooted Together: Timebanking and Mutual Aid
Veronica Hereford - ECCHO Rock County Local Program Coordinator

What the Fed? – A student-led civic engagement initiative using AI to build young civic participants’ understanding of policy
Cody Ke and Stephen Li

Strategies for Confronting Dips in Volunteerism
Dr. Laura Schlachter- Americorps

Faith-Based Efforts to Build Civic Health in Wisconsin
The Council of Churches

The Arts: Tools for Building Civic Health!
Create Wisconsin

Creative Efforts to Combat Loneliness and Isolation
. . . and more this Monday, April 27th! Spread the word, all are welcome!

Check out our Conference page here: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

Register for the Conference here: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/community-conference-2026/reg/Site/Register

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

04/22/2026

Join Tamia Fowlkes, Public Investigator Reporter and UW-Madison Alumna – who will also serve as our CommUnity Conference Master of Ceremonies! – for an engaging panel discussion with representatives of key segments of the current media landscape – including broadcast and traditional media, nonprofit news sources, and neighborhood and community-driven efforts. Hear about timely, influential issues for the media and civic health – including the state of local news and mass media, misinformation, artificial intelligence, and grassroots efforts and platforms.

Additional Speakers:

Judy Davidhoff. editor of Isthmus, an independent, local news source based in Madison

Matthew Defour, State Bureau Chief, Wisconsin Watch

Randy Hawke, GM at Mid-West Family Broadcasting and Member of the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Broadcasters Association

Engage in this session and so much more at our CommUnity Conference this Monday, April 27th. Spread the word! All are welcome!

Register here: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/community-conference-2026/reg/Site/Register

Learn more about the conference here: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

04/21/2026

A huge thank you to our sponsors for their collaboration in building Civic Health, and helping make this year’s CommUnity Conference possible! We are honored to do this work with so many incredible partners.

Please plan to register, join us, and spread the word! All are welcome!

Check out our conference page: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

Register here: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/community-conference-2026/reg/Site/Register

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Morgridge Center for Public Service

04/16/2026

Join Mary Beth Collins, J.D., M.A., Executive Director of the UW-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, for an engaging discussion with expert panelists with an array of perspectives on current legal considerations and the civil society efforts affecting communities and democracy in Wisconsin and beyond.

Panelists:

Dr. Katherine J. Cramer, Professor and Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science

Dr. Mark Sidel, Doyle-Bascom Professor of Law and Public Affairs at UW Law School

Peter Skopec, Director of Advocacy for the Secure Democracy Foundation

Please plan to join us, register, and spread the word! All are welcome!

Conference page: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

Registration: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/community-conference-2026/reg/Site/Register

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Secure Democracy Foundation
Mark Sidel

04/15/2026

Don’t miss this breakout session at our CommUnity Conference, April 27th:

Youth Advisors: A Promising Intervention for Civically Healthy Institutions and Communities

Featuring:

Kiley Komro, Juvenile Justice Specialist and Youth Coordinator for the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission

Maurice Newton Jr., Youth Voice Commissioners

Kendra Wenger, Youth Voice Commissioners

Register for the conference here: https://uwmadison.eventsair.com/community-conference-2026/reg/Site/Register

Check out our conference page for more information:
https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

We would love to see you there!

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

04/08/2026

Our afternoon session will include a round of concise, engaging presentations from experts in our network on key concepts and program models that will build your knowledge base and toolkit for Civic Health. Think "TED" talks; we call them "Wisdom-Drops" — including the following topics and presenters:

Civic Assemblies and Leadership Wisconsin -- Dr. Amber Wichowsky, La Follette School of Public Affairs

Inspiring Global Awareness: Increasing International Education at Times of Uncertainty -- Tony Jing - Contemporary International Relations Association

Community-University Mixers: a Model for Facilitating Partnerships -- Cory Sprinkel - Morgridge Center for Public Service

Critical Theory and Current Themes in Civic Health-Related Scholarship -- CSCS 775 Students

Monitoring and Mitigating Political Violence in Wisconsin -- Benny Witkovsky - Bridging Divides Initiative and Princeton

Mapping Civic Understanding: Using Walking Tours in Early-Stage Engagement -- Nicole Ramer- Morgridge Center for Public Service

Media Manipulation and Discernment 101 – Lisa Inks – Urban Rural Action. . . and more!

Check out our Conference page: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/community-conference/

Please plan to join us, register, and spread the word! All are welcome!

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Morgridge Center for Public Service Urban Rural Action