NH Listens partners with local communities, schools, and state-wide organizations to create environments that help move conversations forward.
We work with public officials, organizations, and leaders in all sectors to build relationships, talk about difficult subjects, build coalitions, and gather broad input that can lead to improved practice and policy.
We design opportunities for people to engage with each other regarding some of the most challenging issues communities face. We work with state and local partners to achieve equitable decision making through facilitated dialogues and learned exchanges that engage a mix of people with lived experiences and content expertise. We are committed to being fair-minded in our mission to create and sustain an inclusive process for public engagement.
NH Listens partners with local communities, schools, and state-wide organizations to create environments that help move conversations forward. Working with us brings nonpartisan, civic engagement expertise into challenges your community is facing and helps guide the process, ensure broad outreach, and monitor fairness.
Our offerings are always tailored to each project, and may include: coalition building, issue framing, workshops on equity, facilitator training – including youth, designing and implementing community conversations, strategies for recruiting participants, analyzing and reporting on findings from conversations, and planning steps to move from talk to action.
The first step is always a conversation with us. You can reach us by email at nh.listens@unh.edu or by phone at 603-862-0692. We look forward to working with you!
Testimonials from People We've Worked With!
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“It is with gratitude that I write this letter of support and gratitude for NH Listens at the Carsey School of Public Policy at UNH. As chair of the Claremont School Board, it seemed appropriate, as we transition out of Covid related restrictions, to gather as a community to meet our four candidates for school board and learn about them and for the candidates to learn the what citizens want and expect from the schools and them.”
“The planning of the forum was exceptional with very appealing and informative promotional information that gave the community a clear idea of what the outcomes of the evening would be...The event itself was skillfully facilitated; to say the attendees were diverse culturally and politically is an understatement. I sat back as an observer and saw groups sharing ideas, laughing, and collaborating, an incredible sight in these polarized times.”
“In conclusion, I want to thank NH Listens, the facilitators were just superb, the results were remarkable, and we were lucky enough to have the whole thing paid for by a grant. I recommend this format for anyone who wishes to engage their community in a positive process of local governance.”
~ Frank W. Sprague, Chair, Claremont School Board -
“I look forward to setting our next steps to build upon the work of the series. Working with NH Listens was fantastic, thank you so much. I look forward to the next project we can do together!”
~ Annette Carbonneau, Senior Program Manager, North Country Health Consortium -
“NH Listens is well organized and facilitates discussions in a manner where all opinions and views are shared in a respectful and constructive fashion. NH Listens helped my department hold a discussion with community members to assure mutual understanding and trust between the Community and our Police Officers. The event was well attended and met our goals. The follow-up report written by NH Listens was excellent and resulted in action steps to build upon the discussion.”
~ Anthony Colarusso, Chief of Police (retired), Dover, NH; current Head of Security, Wentworth Douglass Hospital -
“Listening can be one of the most disruptive things you can do. Stop and listen. It can provide a pathway forward.”
~ Steve Abbott, Independent Consultant, Great Schools Partnership -
"Please pass along my awe and gratitude to the other co-facilitators. I really enjoyed the training today, despite having my internet cut out a few times. I often do not enjoy zoom break out rooms, but I had really great conversations. The flow (and facilitation) of the training was wonderful I definitely plan on attending more and spreading the word to others! I also enjoyed you sharing about your early childhood work/perspectives, as I am currently in the field."
~ Stevie Klein, Family Engagement Coordinator, Greater Nashua Smart Start Coalition for Early Childhood Success, a program of United Way of Greater Nashua.
Core Areas and Approaches To Our Work
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Engagement and Equitable Practices for Grounded Community Change
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NH Listens works with the Endowment for Health and the NH Center for Equity and Justice to sustain transformational engagement focused on race, intersectionality, equity, and long-term field-building for collective impact.
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NH Listens works with NH public school districts focused on equity and engagement coaching for educators, administrations, school boards, along with providing family/community engagement, and critical incident response.
- NH Listens fellows focus on youth leadership and building a community of practice network to foster public engagement, youth voice, and peer facilitation in schools/communities.
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UNH/USNH Collaboration to Stick with Difficult Conversations
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The Carsey School develops frameworks for equity and engagement in coursework, collaborations, and field experiences.
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NH Listens student fellows and interns learn together and design dialogues for diverse groups of people across politics.
- NH Listens designs workshops/dialogues for faculty/staff to build learning exchanges about trust, mattering, and equity.
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Applied Research on Civic Life and Participatory Democracy
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An interdisciplinary team studies civic health statewide and locally to understand how people participate in communities.
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NH Listens engages in applied research in local dialogues for community change process with Everyday Democracy and other thought partners – developing theory, frameworks, and tools.
- NH Listens participates in applied community-engaged research focused on equity, reciprocity, and community voices with partners, infusing public engagement to build inclusive practices and encourage trust-making and accountability.
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Learning Exchanges for Engagement and Equity
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NH Listens' fellows gather monthly for a community of practice and partner on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging work in NH.
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NH Listens facilitates the Leadership learning exchange for equity (L2E2), cross-sector cohorts for leaders to reflect on their roles linked to racial equity and engagement in NH.
- NH Listens facilitates sessions to deepen connection across race and equity colleagues in NH to foster dialogue with NH practitioners and shareholders.
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NH Listens Local Programming to Strengthen Community Skills and Engagement
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NH Listens designs and facilitates anti-polarization and intergenerational dialogues for public decision-making and understanding, people learn to persist through challenging topics.
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NH Listens provides services in public engagement and facilitated dialogues about equity, identity, and power dynamics that encourage mixed groups of people to "stick with tough conversations" in communities.
- NH Listens expands online/in-person workshops on community conversations and facilitation, resources, skills, and tools.
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Funding and Sponsorships
The costs vary depending on local in-kind donations and services and the presence of a Local Listens organization.
- Local projects have ranges from $2,000 to $10,000
- Statewide projects have ranged from $30,000 to $50,000 or more depending on scope
Partnerships
- UNH Cooperative Extension
- Citizens Count NH
- Endowment for Health
- Leadership New Hampshire
- New England Civic Design Network
- NH Health and Equity Partnership
- NH Humanities Council
- NH Center for Non-Profits
- NH Institute for Civics Education
- New Futures
- St. Anselm’s Center for Ethics in Business and Governance
- World Affairs Council of New Hampshire
![Talking head number 1 icon](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_480px/public/media/2020/06/talking-head-one-icon-nhlistens.png?itok=sGYiODzm)
Identify an issue that needs your community’s engagement.
![Circles within circles number 2 icon](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_480px/public/media/2020/06/circles-within-circles-two-icon-nhlistens.png?itok=ZdrcXjTs)
Organize a community conversation with participants, facilitators, and decision makers.
![Circles within circles within circles with the number three](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_480px/public/media/2020/06/circles-within-circles-within-circles-number-three-icon-nhlistens-2.png?itok=xJg6DHjl)
The community conversation occurs over an evening, a full day, or a few.
![report number four icon](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_480px/public/media/2020/06/report-four-icon-nhlistens.png?itok=te0cnxIT)
Decision makers and community members then work together to enact the recommendations.