In 2025, the For Alamance Initiative has continued to build on the work accomplished over the past three years, taking action rooted in local voice and community aspirations in order to build civic capacities and unleash a positive chain reaction across Alamance County.
Fall Gatherings – Lab & Workspace
This year, we continued to bring together members of the For Alamance Network—while also welcoming new voices into the fold. These gatherings have helped expand our reach, deepen partnerships, and strengthen the collective momentum behind community-driven change.
In recent months, we’ve hosted two major gatherings facilitated by expert Harwood coaches: the 5th Public Innovators Workspace in August and the Harwood Unleashing Impact Lab in September.
These sessions provided space for reflection, celebration, and strategic planning. Participants revisited the core purpose of this initiative, honored the collaborative ecosystems cultivated by each For Alamance Team, and explored pathways for sustainable change rooted in community voice.
Together, we asked critical questions: Whose voices are still missing? How do we reconnect with those who’ve become disengaged? These conversations sparked new opportunities for collaboration, introduced newcomers to the Harwood approach, and expanded Alamance County’s Public Innovator network—laying the groundwork for a broader, more inclusive movement of changemakers.
Harwood Summit 2025
In late October, several For Alamance Team Leads joined our staff at the 17th Annual Harwood Summit, held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. This gathering marked another step in our ongoing commitment to the For Alamance initiative through continued learning, reflection, and engagement.
Alongside 50 local and national leaders, they explored pressing challenges, reflected on their individual and collective capacity to lead change, and renewed their commitment to building a new trajectory of hope for communities across the country.
Over three days of small group discussions and large plenary sessions, attendees explored:
- How to prioritize initiatives that align with communities’ specific needs
- Why local, place-based work is essential to long-term impact
- How to navigate division and tension while honoring the dignity of all individuals
- The importance of celebrating progress and sharing the good news
- Strategies for transforming hopelessness into meaningful action
The summit reinforced the power of community-led efforts and the importance of staying rooted in public knowledge as we work to strengthen civic life in Alamance County.
Continued Learning – For Alamance Members
In November, Impact Alamance’s Director of Communications and Advocacy Laura Fehlhafer and For Alamance Bridge Team Lead Sara Beth Hardy completed the Harwood Community Guide (HCG) program—an intensive, hands-on experience often described as a “practical PhD” in creating and catalyzing change.
This advanced training equips participants with the tools and strategies needed to grow a broader movement for impact. By deepening their understanding of community-led change, Laura and Sara Beth have further strengthened our collective capacity to drive meaningful, lasting progress in Alamance County.
Impact Alamance: Strengthening Our Commitment
At Impact Alamance, we remain deeply committed to prioritizing public knowledge as the foundation of our work. During our 2025 Board Retreat, staff and board members explored how our mission, programs, and funding initiatives intersect with civic engagement and civic health, reinforcing our role in fostering a more connected and informed community.
To support this vision, we’ve launched internal processes to evaluate programs and initiatives using civic culture guidelines informed by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE). This tool helps us ensure our work remains grounded in listening to, elevating, and creating opportunities for community voices and aspirations to shape progress.
We’ve also prioritized supporting the For Alamance Teams through initiatives designed to sustain momentum and empower leadership. New network communications initiatives—like the weekly For Alamance Five, which highlights team wins—help maintain positive momentum. We also launched a grant cycle that allows For Alamance Teams to apply for funding, with the first round approved by our Board of Directors in November. These efforts help sustain momentum and empower teams to lead with confidence and clarity. Click here to learn more about how For Alamance Teams will be using these grant funds!
For Alamance Team Updates
The five For Alamance Teams have been hard at work, initiating grassroot efforts informed by the public knowledge gathered from groups across the county:
- The Arts and Culture Team has continued organizing events that foster connection and pride, including a second installation of the Eyes on Alamance exhibit, the third Arty Party Bus tour, and the Arts & Culture Night at the Burlington Sockpuppets, which promoted local arts organizations and helped fundraise for the arts. Members of the team who are in the Burlington Writers Club organized a meeting with ABSS ELA teachers, opening avenues for future collaboration. The team also hosted an open house at First Christian United Church of Christ in downtown Burlington, gathering public input through 100 ASK questions to help shape the building’s future as a community arts and culture hub.
- The Faith Team enlisted new allies at a roundtable with 14 leaders from diverse faith communities—including Burlington Masjid, Elon Community Church, and Living Free Ministries. Their efforts extended to Eastlawn Elementary, where they led a beautification project and collaborated with the Health Department to recruit volunteers for test proctoring. The team also supported a mural project at Eastlawn, connecting with local artists through the Arts & Culture Team to reinforce the theme of belonging.
- The Youth Wellness Team continues to champion youth support and advocacy, helping galvanize fundraising efforts for Cummings High School’s senior trip in April 2025. They developed the MyVoice digital platform to help students advocate for themselves and hosted a Mental Health First Aid Training Day for adults working with local youth. The team also engaged directly with Alamance County youth through community conversations with Valores Digital Ambassador’s Summer Program, later returning to the group to provide advocacy and mental health resources.
- The Narrative Team continues to elevate community voices through creative storytelling, including the distribution of baseball-sized story cards at events like the Arts & Culture Night with the Burlington Sockpuppets. These cards have been shared widely across Alamance County—in businesses, community centers, and nonprofits—to spark conversations and connection. The team also has three new community narratives in the final stages of development and are working on a strategic plan for their distribution.
- The Bridge Team continues to share the Bridging Agenda with organizations across Alamance County, using public knowledge to spark deeper conversations about what’s next. They’ve hosted cottage dinners to foster connection and galvanize action, and are developing a cottage dinner toolkit so others can host their own gatherings. Longtime Bridge Team members Tanya Kline and Sara Beth Hardy recently stepped into their new roles as Team Leads. The team also tabled at the ACC Volunteer Fair to expand outreach and invite more people into the work.
