National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

What National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation does

The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. It serves as the primary national convening body for dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement practitioners in the United States, including facilitators, mediators, community mediation organizations, conflict transformation professionals, and emerging leaders in the field. The organization's mission is to bring people together across divides to tackle societal challenges by curating resources, hosting convenings, and mobilizing practitioners.

NCDD's core offerings include a membership network of hundreds of individuals and organizations, an online Resource Center (including the Conversation Café methodology, D&D Glossary, Engagement Streams Framework, and Resource Guide on Public Engagement), biennial national conferences dating back to 2002, a job and internship board, a member map and directory, and a monthly newsletter reaching over 20,000 subscribers. In July 2024, the organization launched the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy (PMD) initiative, which mobilizes practitioners through monthly forum calls, bi-weekly organizing team calls, and local/national engagement pathways. The organization has also developed issue-specific initiatives such as Trustworthy Elections and Libraries Transforming Communities, and maintains partnerships with organizations including Living Room Conversations, Bridge Alliance, NAFCM, MBBI, and the National Civic League.

NCDD generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring membership dues (individual and organizational), tax-deductible donations (one-time and recurring, supported by EIN 26-3350675), and conference and event revenue (registration fees and sponsorships from biennial conferences). Specific membership pricing is not publicly disclosed, and prospective members are directed to a Givebutter page to join. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees, governed by a Board of Directors, and does not develop proprietary technology products — its underlying platform consists of a content-rich website, an email newsletter system, and digital resource clearinghouse functionality.

Name

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

Legal name

The National Coalition For Dialogue And Deliberation, Inc.

Website

https://ncdd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCDD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership network founded in 2002 that convenes U.S. dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement practitioners through biennial conferences, curated resources, monthly Network Calls, and the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Dialogue Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Dialogue facilitation
• Deliberative democracy
• Civic engagement
• Community mediation
• Conflict resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Boiling Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: NCDD operates as a membership network where individuals and organizations pay dues to join. The organization states 'NCDD is a membership network of hundreds of individuals and organizations helping communities of all sorts have more productive conversations on what matters most.'
2. Tax-deductible donations: NCDD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 26-3350675) that accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. The donate page mentions support options including one-time and recurring gifts. Bookkeeper contact is Joy Garman, with mailing address at PO Box 150, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
3. Conference and event revenue: NCDD organizes large national conferences (NCDD 2023, NCDD 2027, and historical events since 2002) that generate revenue through registration fees and sponsorships from organizations in the dialogue and deliberation space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCDD operates a membership network and resource clearinghouse that connects dialogue and deliberation practitioners across the United States. The organization delivers value through a curated Resource Center (including the Conversation Café methodology, D&D Glossary, and Engagement Streams Framework), biennial national conferences dating back to 2002, and the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative launched in 2024.

Product overview

The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is a membership network and coalition, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of programs, resources, and community-building services including: the NCDD Network membership, Resource Center, Conversation Café program, Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy (PMD) initiative, NCDD Conferences, Job & Internship Board, Member Map & Directory, and Monthly Email Updates reaching over 20,000 subscribers. These are non-software programs focused on connecting and supporting practitioners in the dialogue and deliberation field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Conversation Café: A program offering conversation guides and hosting materials for facilitated dialogue sessions across differences.
• Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy (PMD)

Products and services

• NCDD Network Membership A membership network for individuals and organizations facilitating dialogue and deliberation, providing access to the Resource Center, networking, Working Groups, and community calls.
• NCDD Conferences Biennial national conferences (NCDD 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2023, with NCDD2027 planned) featuring workshops, pre-conference programs, and the D&D Showcase for the dialogue and deliberation community.
• Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy (PMD) A mobilization initiative that brings dialogue, mediation, and conflict transformation practitioners together to support democratic engagement, including monthly forum calls, bi-weekly organizing team calls, and engagement resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000+ monthly newsletter subscribers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Living Room ConversationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Living Room Conversations, co-founded by Joan Blades, is a key partner in NCDD's Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative. Joan Blades served as a keynote speaker at the PMD launch event on July 1, 2024. Living Room Conversations offers over 150 conversation guides and emphasizes personal relationships and understanding each other's humanity, with a 'Trust in Elections' guide bridging divides.
• Ken ClokecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Ken Cloke, a renowned mediator and author, was a keynote speaker at the NCDD Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy kick-off event on July 1, 2024. Cloke highlighted the intersection of conflict resolution and politics, discussing how political decisions impact personal lives and emphasizing the importance of dialogue-based politics.
• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAFCM is listed as a national pro-democracy organization that NCDD members are encouraged to join as part of the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative's engagement resources.
• Bridge AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBridge Alliance is referenced as a partner organization in NCDD's civic renewal resources, connecting organizations working on democratic engagement and bridging divides.
• Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBBI is listed among the national pro-democracy organizations that NCDD members are encouraged to engage with as part of the Practitioner Mobilization for Democracy initiative.
• Listen First CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Listen First Coalition is listed as a partner organization for NCDD members to engage with, focused on promoting listening and dialogue across divides.
• National Civic LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Civic League, through its Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Mapping Project, is referenced as a partner organization providing resources for practitioners engaged in democratic work.
• Voice of the People (Common Ground Issues)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoice of the People is referenced as an organization providing Common Ground Issues resources for democracy practitioners, shared during the PMD launch event.
• Essential PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEssential Partners, which provides resources for values-based dialogue, was referenced during the PMD launch as a resource for practitioners working to bridge divides.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bridge Alliance: Bridge Alliance is a Core NCDD partner that connects civic organizations working on democratic engagement and bridging divides. It serves a comparable audience with overlapping resources on depolarization and dialogue.
• National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM): NAFCM is listed as a Core NCDD partner and serves community mediation organizations nationally. It overlaps with NCDD's practitioner network on mediation, conflict transformation, and community dialogue facilitation.
• Essential Partners: Essential Partners is referenced as an NCDD partner and provides resources for values-based dialogue. It directly competes in training practitioners and convening structured conversations across differences.
• Deliberative Democracy Consortium: The Deliberative Democracy Consortium is an academic-practitioner network advancing the field of deliberation. It is closely comparable to NCDD in mission and constituency, serving scholars and practitioners in the dialogue space.
• Everyday Democracy: Everyday Democracy is a longstanding practitioner-focused nonprofit that supports dialogue-driven community change. It overlaps directly with NCDD's dialogue, deliberation, and civic engagement offerings and audience.
• Mediators Beyond Borders International (MBBI): MBBI is referenced as a Core NCDD partner and an organization of mediators and conflict-resolution practitioners. It is directly comparable in mission, membership model, and practitioner focus.
• Listen First Coalition: Listen First Coalition is listed as a partner of NCDD and promotes listening and dialogue across divides. It competes for the same civic-engagement funder dollars and practitioner attention as NCDD.
• Living Room Conversations: Living Room Conversations is an explicit NCDD partner (Joan Blades co-founded it and keynoted the 2024 PMD launch). It offers structured conversation guides for cross-difference dialogue, directly competing with NCDD's Conversation Café and Engagement Streams assets for the same facilitator/practitioner audience.
• AmericaSpeaks: AmericaSpeaks has historically organized large-scale deliberative events and civic engagement programs. It is directly comparable to NCDD as a practitioner organization supporting democratic dialogue and deliberation work.

Broad incumbents

• National Civic League: The National Civic League is a Core NCDD partner with a broader civic-governance remit including the Healthy Democracy Ecosystem Mapping Project. It is a larger, more established incumbent that NCDD positions itself alongside for democratic renewal work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation