June Newsletter: Campaign Builds Momentum; DeSoto County Naming Wins
"This book couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The New Civic Path is an energizing, much-needed guide for anyone who cares about repairing broken systems." - 5 Star Amazon Review
CAMPAIGN FOR THE NEW CIVIC PATH BUILDS MOMENTUM
The first month of the campaign is in the books. And what a month it has been! It all kicked off with a book launch party in Richmond, VA, in partnership with United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg. Then, on June 1, The New Civic Path debuted in the Top 3 on Amazon, side-by-side with perennial bestsellers from Sharon McMahon, Timothy Snyder, and Heather Cox Richardson.
“[The New Civic Path] isn’t just theory. It’s practical and grounded. It shows that real change starts with small, intentional steps in our communities.” — 5 Star Amazon Review
On the back of the book’s publication, Rich hit the road, traveling nonstop during June across California, Connecticut, Florida (where, in partnership with The Patterson Foundation, we launched Book Circles across a four-county region), and North Carolina. Rich also spoke on a panel moderated by New York Times writer David Brooks at the Share Our America Summit—hosted by Weave: the Social Fabric Project and 92NY—which drew over 300,000 viewers from across the country. We also hosted our own national virtual campaign launch. Afterward, a clip from Rich’s message during the event went viral on TikTok, racking up over 70,000 views!
We’ve already accumulated numerous local and national media hits, including at The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Connecticut Public Radio, and multiple national podcasts and Substacks. Just last week, Rich launched a new series of articles for The Fulcrum, where he’ll be lifting up stories and experiences from the campaign trail that reinforce the need for this new civic path.
What’s become even more clear to us in the first month of the campaign is this: Americans are yearning for a new path forward. Sick of divisive politics, they are latching on to this new, alternative message from a nonpolitical messenger. They are seeing the new civic path as a means to reclaim their sense of agency and create real change.
Much more to come from the campaign as we keep moving forward. Let's go together.
THE PATTERSON FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NEW CIVIC PATH BOOK CIRCLES ACROSS FOUR COUNTIES
Earlier this month, Rich spoke to a packed house at the Lakewood Ranch Library in Bradenton, FL, to kick off The Patterson Foundation’s summer Book Circles across their four-county region.
Over the coming weeks, hundreds of community leaders and residents will meet in small groups for a series of discussions around Rich’s book, The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation. The Book Circles are an opportunity for people across the region to strengthen their sense of community and better navigate our myriad divides with a greater sense of purpose, hope, and civic confidence.
These Book Circles also speak to why Rich wrote the book in the first place. To be practical. To get us talking with each other differently. And, ultimately, to spur us into a new kind of action in our local communities.
Anyone, anywhere, can do a Book Circle. Make this your first step on the new civic path.
Gather a few friends in person or over Zoom to discuss what you can do to create a new trajectory of hope, starting in your local community
THE LITTLE FIELD GUIDE CONTINUES ITS CATALYTIC RISE
The Little Field Guide for Sparking Community-Led Change published back in March to instant success. It debuted as a #1 New Release and kept rocketing up the sales charts, achieving Amazon Bestseller status in its first week.
Just recently, The Little Field Guide earned a featured review at Reedsy Discovery, a major platform dedicated to spotlighting the best new independently published books. They wrote:
Make it stand out
“This guide stands out as a practical resource that is both accessible and insightful. It is not just another theoretical text gathering dust on a shelf. Instead, it serves as a practical manual that individuals can flick through for advice and inspiration when they need it most… an essential tool for anyone looking to effect positive change within their community.”
We’re thrilled to see The Little Field Guide continue to spread and create impact. If your community work is feeling stalled or you just need an encouraging lift, this book is for you.
Read the Little Field Guide
HARWOOD FEATURED IN THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY
“‘We have more of an opportunity today than maybe at any other time I’ve been doing this work,’ says Rich Harwood, whose nearly 40-year-old Harwood Institute for Public Innovation is helping a Reading, PA, community develop an education agenda.”
That’s how the Chronicle of Philanthropy opened a recent edition of their national newsletter, framing a piece from Senior Editor Drew Lindsay about initiatives in communities across the country aimed at repairing our broken civic culture.
They went on to quote Rich saying, “We’re at a point at which things have become even more clarified that we’re on the wrong track as a country, as a people, and as a culture.” How to get on the right track? Our work in Reading proves there is a way forward if we’re willing to work together in a new way. Read more in the Chronicle’s piece “Communities Fix What’s Broken as Washington Brawls.”
PUBLIC INNOVATORS IN DESOTO COUNTY NAMING WINS
This month, Rich and the team were back in DeSoto County, FL, meeting with community leaders and residents from across the county who are driving a deeply promising initiative for community-led change. Our work there is in partnership with The Patterson Foundation and their DeSoto County Ahead initiative.
DeSoto County is one of the most resilient communities in the country. Now, they’re seeking to move from resilience to thriving. A recurring theme for people in DeSoto County? “We’re already winning.”
Across a workspace, community conversation training, and leadership convening, leaders and residents kept naming and making visible their wins. Each team—faith, health, housing/homelessness, and youth—is bringing dozens of new people into the fold and increasingly turning conversation into action in response to people’s shared aspirations.
Recall that the initiative in DeSoto County is just one of the iconic communities we’re working with deeply to prove that Americans of all political persuasions have the public will and ability to address society’s fault lines by coming together to get things done. Individually, these communities represent the different divides plaguing society. Collectively, they demonstrate our innate capacities to change how we work together and create a new trajectory of hope by applying the Harwood approach.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Unleashing Impact Virtual Lab | July-August
The Unleashing Impact Lab is your crash course to becoming a more effective change agent. When you register, you’ll be joining thousands of Public Innovators in all 50 states and numerous countries worldwide who are actively creating real change by applying the Harwood approach in their personal and professional lives. The result of nearly four decades of innovation and learning, this accessible, high-impact Lab offers you the best of the time-tested Harwood approach. It’s time to make community work for all of us. The Harwood School teaches you how. Orientation starts July 16 at 2pm ET. Register by July 2 to secure your seat!
The Harwood Institute in the News
I’m Not a Politician. But I Am On a Campaign. Here’s Why. via The Fulcrum
Communities Fix What’s Broken While Washington Brawls via The Chronicle of Philanthropy
What It Really Takes to Fix the Division in America via Outrage Overload Podcast
Spotlight on Northeast Reading Listening to Families, Investing in Our Children’s Future via BCTV
The Harwood Initiative: Momentum Builds Across Logan County via Peak of Ohio
A Philosophy of Civic Faith via The Fulcrum’s Democracy Forum
Follow our revamped social media presence for hope, inspiration, and connection.
