We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. We’re non advocacy and not affiliated with any political agenda. We firmly believe that Alabamians should be involved in making decisions that affect themselves and their communities. However, rather than advocate for Alabamians, we work with Alabamians and Alabama communities as they seek to work better together. We do this by equipping local communities to convene and moderate deliberative forums around important public issues, and as moderators, we are dedicated to remaining impartial. We take particular care to not advocate for specific solutions to the issues deliberated on in DMC forums.

Deliberative public forums provide opportunities for citizens to come together and address an issue that affects them and their communities. To ensure productive, respectful conversation, a neutral moderator establishes ground rules and introduces the issue. Participants are asked to identify their personal stake in the issue at hand and examine multiple approaches (rather than a polarizing one or two options), weighing possible actions against their costs, consequences and tradeoffs. The moderator facilitates this process, asking questions that identify shared values and common ground, while a recorder chronicles the key themes of the conversation. This is what we call public deliberation.

Dr. David Mathews is a native of Grove Hill, Alabama. At 33, Dr. Mathews became the youngest president of a major university, the University of Alabama where he served from 1969-1980. Mathews also served in President Gerald Ford’s cabinet as the 11th secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He most recently served as president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation, an organization that strives to answer the question: “What does it take to make democracy work as it should?”

The Mathews Center’s co-founders, Ray Minor, Bob McKenzie, and Cathy Randall, were deeply impacted and inspired by Dr. Mathews’ lifelong work on deliberative civic engagement and renamed the Alabama Center for Civic Life in Dr. Mathews’ honor in 2007.

The DMC offers programs in all 67 Alabama counties. We want to remain genuine in our mission as a statewide organization. While research, program evaluation, and reporting out constitute a critical aspect of our work, we are ultimately a practice-based organization. Our commitment to reaching all of Alabama means that half of our time is spent on the road, holding forums and workshops in communities across the state. We strive to engage all Alabamians, and to remain accessible to anyone interested in participating. We are proud to offer our programs to communities free of charge.

We work with a growing network of organizations and individuals of all stripes across Alabama. Because our signature programming is varied, this network often includes school systems, local organizations, community colleges and universities, public institutions, concerned citizens, and other community-based organizations. In past, we have worked with local communities partners including faith-based leaders, small businesses, municipal governments, educators, nonprofit representatives, and various other community stakeholders.

The David Mathews Center for Civic Life is located on the campus of the American Village — a unique attraction in the heart of Alabama, on 183 acres of rolling pasture in Montevallo, 30 minutes south of Birmingham. The American Village is a nationally pioneering education institution focused on building good citizens through immersive and engaging historical experiences, where visitors discover the power and drama of America’s journey for independence, liberty and self-government.

If you’re interested in learning more about the DMC, or want to partner with us to engage your community, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at dmccl@mathewscenter.org.