Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies

09/01/2026

While misinformation, disinformation, and media manipulation have always been a challenge to civic health, the current digital media landscape presents acute threats to civic health and democracy, and can create toxic polarization! How can we engage with media responsibly and thoughtfully, for positive civic engagement?

Join us for a workshop of the Fostering Online Resilience and Understanding Media for Students (FORUMS) for Civic Health program. All are welcome! Learn more and sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/FORUMS-sign-up

Initial virtual sessions will be held on: September 9th 3:30-5:30pm and September 10th 9:30-11:30am.

Want to do more? You can be a FORUMS Facilitator by joining one of our training sessions and then working with us to set up a workshop of your own with your peers or students. Fill out the interest form to participate or facilitate: https://tinyurl.com/FORUMS-sign-up

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Urban Rural Action

08/04/2026

Have you signed up for the Wisconsin Civic Health Challenge yet?

As part of the Wisconsin Civic Health Challenge, we are hosting weekly mini-workshops that will help participants build skills around key civic health themes. Join other Civic Health champions around the state and experts in our key areas for these educational and participatory workshops.

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/dm8aLaA6tHmBRuku8

07/31/2026

The Wisconsin Civic Health Challenge starts next week!

Click here to sign up and get a sneak peek of the themes and workshops that will be featured: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2026/06/25/participate-in-the-2026-wisconsin-civic-health-challenge/

Participate in Wisconsin’s Civic Health Challenge! https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2026/06/25/participate-in-the-2026-wisconsin-civic-health-challenge/

To celebrate National Civic Health Month in August, you’re invited to join Wisconsin’s 2026 Civic Health Challenge, organized by the Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative. The Civic Health Challenge is designed to help us become active contributors to the civic health of our communities. 67% of past participants felt the Civic Health Challenge increased their awareness of their community and 75% reported an increased understanding of civic health.

Sign up here to participate: https://bit.ly/2026WICivicHealth. More details will be shared in the next few weeks!

07/16/2026

The Center for Nonprofit Studies (CommNS) at UW Madison has been compiling research on the local impacts of federal policy changes here in Wisconsin. Join the WCC and CommNS Executive Director Mary Beth Collins on July 29th at 2:00pm on Zoom to learn about what their research is showing and what that means for local nonprofits and churches as we seek to care for our neighbors.

Learn more and register at the link in the comments!

07/07/2026

Summer is just heating up, check out these cool fall learning opportunities at The CommNS:

INTER-HE 815
The CommNS offers a range of courses to help students build critical thinking skills while bridging theory and practice. Each class meets four Thursday evenings and one Saturday session. These courses are open to junior and senior undergraduates, grad students from all departments, and general community members. Each class is one credit each, feel free to take 1, 2, or all 3!
This Fall’s topics:
- Culturally Competent and Trauma-Informed Strategies
(Sep. 2nd- Sep. 27th)
- Strategies for Managing and Facilitating
(Oct. 5th - Nov. 1st)
- Interaction with the Public Sector and Understanding Regulatory Contexts
(Nov. 9th - Dec. 9th)

CSCS 530
Open to undergraduate students, this course explores purpose-driven organizations including community and grassroots efforts, nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, social enterprises, cooperatives, and land trusts. Examines roles, critiques, characteristics, and infrastructural components. Includes analysis of historical, current, and trending approaches to purpose-driven work through textual, community-engaged, or case study learning.

Check out our website for more information on CommNS programs and courses: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/programs-and-courses/

Community and Nonprofit Leadership Capstone Certificate
Accepting applications through August 1!
Looking to deepen your impact in the nonprofit sector? This post-baccalaureate program embraces a multi-disciplinary, ecological, community-centered approach with a focus on community dynamics, community-led efforts and organizational management approaches. Students are also able to customize their area of interest and engage with a group of fellow learners.

Learn more and apply here: https://guide.wisc.edu/nondegree/capstone/community-nonprofit-leadership-capstone-certificate/

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

06/26/2026

Mary Beth Collins, Executive Director of The CommNS, spoke at the 2026 Wisconsin Nonprofit Summit about a project exploring recent federal policy impacts on nonprofit organizations.

With support from United Way of Dane County and the Goodman Nonprofit Center at the Madison Community Foundation, our research team tracked and analyzed federal policy shifts and their anticipated impacts through a survey.

Learn more about responses from nonprofit professionals across Wisconsin and follow project updates on our website:

https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2025/11/06/how-will-recent-and-anticipated-federal-policy-changes-impact-wisconsin-communities-and-the-nonprofits-that-serve-them/

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology Madison Community Foundation

06/26/2026

Participate in Wisconsin’s Civic Health Challenge! https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2026/06/25/participate-in-the-2026-wisconsin-civic-health-challenge/

To celebrate National Civic Health Month in August, you’re invited to join Wisconsin’s 2026 Civic Health Challenge, organized by the Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative. The Civic Health Challenge is designed to help us become active contributors to the civic health of our communities. 67% of past participants felt the Civic Health Challenge increased their awareness of their community and 75% reported an increased understanding of civic health.

Sign up here to participate: https://bit.ly/2026WICivicHealth. More details will be shared in the next few weeks!

06/10/2026

In Business Madison recently featured CommNS Executive Director Mary Beth Collins in the article “A seismic shift in federal granting policy has nonprofits scrambling.” The piece explores the strains that nonprofits have been facing as their resources and circumstances have been changing, and their resilience through it all.

Read the full article by Joe Vanden Plas here:

https://www.ibmadison.com/industries/nonprofit/a-seismic-shift-in-federal-granting-policy-has-nonprofits-scrambling/article_5727f4e4-b7f9-4fbd-8861-04dc56e9d2e9.html

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

06/08/2026

Two new articles by CommNS Executive Director Mary Beth Collins appeared in the March and April issues of the Wisconsin Counties Association!

In March, Mary Beth's article, “Meeting the Moment,” acknowledged the history and current state of Civic Health and Democracy in Wisconsin.

Read more here: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2026/03/11/meeting-the-moment-defining-civic-health-in-wisconsin/

In April, Mary Beth's article “Wisconsin’s Civic Health: A Snapshot of Recent Years,” provides an update on Wisconsin’s civic health since 2020 and summarizes key findings from the second Civic Health of Wisconsin Report.

Read more here: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/2026/06/01/wisconsins-civic-health-a-snapshot-of-recent-years/

UW-Madison School of Human Ecology

06/01/2026

A month out from our CommUnity Conference, we're still feeling the excitement about civic health! Join us for Civic Health of Wisconsin Meet-Ups every first Tuesday to learn about timely issues for our communities and connect with others around the state.

For our June Civic Health Meet-Up, we will learn about the important work being done by the State Democracy Research Initiative of the UW Law School. Staff Attorney Bryna Godar will provide an overview of this work and offer insight into the findings and issues that are most relevant for civic health right now.

Please join and share with anyone who may be interested! Register here: https://commnsknowledge.wisc.edu/civichealth/ -Health-Meetups