2024 in Review: Strengthening Arizona’s Civic Health
We couldn’t let 2024 pass by without reflecting on the wins, lessons, and partnerships that moved us closer to The Arizona We Want.
At Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), we believe that a thriving Arizona is built on the aspirations of Arizonans. By focusing on the outcomes Arizonans want, we approach the state’s most pressing challenges — addressing root causes, removing barriers, and driving progress that leads to meaningful change.
Our work goes beyond identifying problems. As a “do tank,” we advance solutions that empower individuals, strengthen communities, and position Arizona for long-term prosperity. We do this through impact initiatives that, among many things, expand access to quality education, align workforce skills with job market needs, and foster civic engagement. We also regularly check-in on Arizona’s progress on the issues that matter most to Arizonans through the Arizona Progress Meters, which include over 80 metrics that signal areas of improvement and strength.
We are working towards a future in which every Arizonan has the opportunity to thrive. Our work also positions the state to remain prosperous and competitive in a rapidly changing world.
As we close the chapter on 2024, we’re proud to reflect on the strides we made and the partnerships that amplified our impact.
Take a look at 2024 highlights from our civic health initiatives.
Discover More 2024 Highlights
The Big Picture of Arizona’s Civic Health
One of Arizonans’ Shared Public Values is Civic Engagement and Leadership. Arizonans want civic engagement that solves problems & democracy that works for all.
The road to strong civic health must involve people of all ages, backgrounds, and roles.
There are a variety of tools CFA uses to pave the way for strong civic health including engaging students as young as kindergarten with civic education, convening leaders together for collaborative conversations on democracy, and honoring non-elected public officials who keep Arizona moving forward.
Civic Health Trends in 2024
CFA tracks civic health trends in two Arizona Progress Meters: Civic Participation and Connected Communities. The metrics tracked within the Civic Health Progress Meters show us and Arizona leaders how Arizonans are (or aren’t) working together to solve public problems.
Arizona continues to be behind the national averages of those who contact public officials (9%) and those who frequently discuss politics among family and friends (30%).
Belonging and relationship building are the foundation to civic engagement. Micro-level interactions, like talking with your neighbors, manifest in macro-level action such as voting, contacting public officials, and getting involved.
Building state-wide collaboration, trust, and engagement doesn’t happen overnight. CFA is working towards building up Arizonans’ civic health through high-quality education, data, and partnership-building.
The following highlights from 2024 demonstrate how we are empowering individuals of all ages, leaders from all levels, and communities of all backgrounds to take ownership of their civic responsibilities to contribute to a thriving future for everyone in the Grand Canyon State.
Leading the Civic Charge Among Organizations
The report defines civic culture as “the set of norms, values, narratives, habits, and rituals that shape how we live together and govern ourselves in our diverse democratic society."
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences highlighted the work of CFA and our partners in Habits of the Heart and Mind: How to Fortify Civic Culture as a leading example of how local action can drive positive change.
CFA’s Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis served on the Civic Culture Working Group that produced this publication.
Some of CFA’s work that was cited as exemplary include The Arizona We Want partnership with Gallup, our Progress Meters, and the partnerships with the Flinn Foundation (Arizona Civic Life Partnership) and Arizona Town Hall.
The inclusion in this new report reflects CFA’s longstanding collaboration with the Academy’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship and its ongoing commitment to advancing civic health and culture.
“In one of the most purple states in America, fortifying civic culture is a year-round effort— and not only during presidential election cycles. This is thanks to several organizations that have taken it upon themselves to find ways to bring people together and to create opportunities for Arizonans to get involved in their community. Among these organizations is the Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA), which is at the cutting edge of both civic culture programming and the development of metrics to measure how change is unfolding.” - Habits of the Heart and Mind: How to Fortify Civic Culture
Learning More About Arizonan’s Use of Civic Language
If Arizonans are going to embrace civic health, it’s important to start with how they talk about civics and what these words mean to them.
Arizonans’ perception of terms used in civic and democracy work was studied by the Arizona Civic Life Partnership. This partnership is a long-standing collaboration between CFA and Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. The survey was conducted through an oversampling of Arizonans by Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) with support from the Vitalyst Health Foundation.
Overarchingly, Arizonans have a stronger connection to civic terms than their peers nationally. For example, “patriotism” is viewed positively by 54% of Americans but 69% Arizonans.
More than anything, the data gleaned from the project showed how words certainly matter in civic conversations and understanding these differences will help build a more connected state.
Arizonans who received civic education were more likely to respond positively to civic language both among their statewide peers and their national peers. This further demonstrates the importance of widespread and strong civic education, which 76% of Arizonans agree is also important (Arizona Gallup Survey).
The information from the survey also showed that positivity towards civic language differs between rural and urban areas. The largest gap in positivity is seen with “justice, citizen, and civility,” which are heavily favored by rural respondents, and “diversity, activism, and civic health,” which are heavily favored by urban respondents.
Differences in understanding and perception among Arizonans underscore the need for more collaborative community conversations so those with different experiences can have proactive dialogue on issues that impact all.
“This research offers important new data that leaders across Arizona can use to foster more meaningful civic conversations. We hope these insights will inspire organizations to refine their messaging in ways that build trust and connection, rather than stoke division.” - Kristi Tate, Director of Civic Health Initiatives at CFA”
Findings from the Arizona Civic Language Perceptions Project can help nonprofit leaders, community organizations, and governmental agencies with actionable data that supports more effective efforts to identify and foster common ground.
Strengthening Democracy and Civic Life Through Data Sharing
It’s important that Arizona leaders are equipped with the most accurate and updated data on what Arizonans want and how Arizonans are experiencing daily life. By bridging this understanding gap with CFA’s data, Arizona’s leaders can better collaborate and solve the most pressing issues.
Throughout 2024, CFA had many opportunities to present the Arizona Civic Health Progress Meter data alongside the Arizona Gallup Survey. These presentations served to contextualize and to put data into action among elected and non-elected officials.
In January, CFA and Arizona Center for Civic Leadership hosted a day-long event via our Arizona Civic Life Partnership on how leaders can help foster civic health in Arizona. This issue is of critical importance as the Arizona Connected Communities Progress Meter shows that Arizonans fall behind the country in community-based activities such as working with neighbors and belonging to groups.
Attendees heard from civic leaders including then Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, Noble Predictive Insights CEO Mike Noble, and Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission Voter Education Director Gina Roberts about fostering more inclusive and vibrant civic health.
Over 50 state and national leaders met to discuss the intersection between health and civic engagement, the role election systems play in fostering inclusivity, the power of civic language, and how data from the Arizona Civic Health Progress Meters (Connected Communities and Civic Participation) are informing initiatives across the state.
In August, CFA convened over 100 legislators, mayors, city managers, council members & more from across the state at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ (LACT) Annual Pre-Conference Session. This marked the eighth time CFA hosted leaders prior to the LACT.
Dr. Sybil Francis shared data from the Arizona Voters’ Agenda with the over 100 elected officials including information regarding Arizonans’ trust in election security.
The focus of this year’s pre-conference session was the Arizona Voters’ Agenda. CFA Chair, President & CEO Dr. Sybil Francis gave an overview of Arizonan likely voters’ beliefs and sentiments about taxes, education, immigration, housing, and other topics covered in the survey.
Following the presentation, Paul Bentz, HighGround Senior Vice President – Research & Strategy, moderated a panel including the Hon. Becky Daggett, Mayor of Flagstaff; Hon. Kevin Hartke, Mayor of Chandler; Hon. Alexis Hermosillo, Mayor of El Mirage; and Hon. Doug Nicholls, Mayor of Yuma.
Engaging leaders with the voices of Arizonans helps drive positive outcomes across Arizona that represent The Arizona We Want. Conversations such as this will continue into 2025 as we strive to connect quality-data with action-oriented conversations.
Uplifting the Critical Community Role of Non-Elected Public Servants
Since 2011, we have honored the people whose work makes our society work through the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Awards.
Gabe Zimmerman was the Community Director for then-Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Gabe lost his life on Jan. 8, 2011, while serving his community at a “Congress on your Corner” constituent outreach event.
“By working directly within communities, I can foster connections, empower individuals, and address systemic issues that affect people’s daily lives. My goal is to contribute to building resilient, inclusive communities where everyone has a voice and can thrive. Public service allows me to apply my skills and passion for community to make a meaningful and sustainable impact.” - Leah Powell, City of Chandler Neighborhood Resource Director
These awards, presented annually, honor the impactful achievements of dedicated non-elected public servants statewide, highlighting their commitment to civic service and in memory of Gabe’s impact and passion. While elected officials set the policy and the vision, non-elected officials enact the plan and apply their expertise to solving the most pressing issues impacting their community.
There are four categories of achievement: Community Builder (Large City/Town), Community Builder (Small City/Town), Emerging Leader, and Civic Leader.
In 2024, we honored:
- Community Builder (Large City/Town): Leah Powell, City of Chandler Neighborhood Resource Director
- Community Builder (Small City/Town): Ryan Judy, Town of Prescott Valley Deputy Town Manager
- Emerging Leader: Jared Beard, Maricopa County Workforce Development Division Assistant Director
- Civic Leader: Scott Hall, City of Phoenix Office of Homeless Solutions Deputy Director
From left to right: Scott Hall, Leah Powell, Jared Beard, and Ryan Judy
This award ceremony celebrates the unsung heroes who help make our state a place where all Arizonans can one day thrive.
Building Up the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) continued to grow across the state in 2024 as students engaged in real-world decision-making while fostering stronger school communities.
SPB is a year-long democratic process in which a student-led steering committee brainstorms and gathers ideas, organizes schoolwide campaigns, and leads the voting for a school-funded improvement project. Through SPB, students gain critical civic skills such as listening, empathy, collaboration, problem solving, and, of course, voting.
As of 2024, SPB has engaged more than 70,000 Arizona students in 10 districts and over 70 schools, which has led to over 160 student-led improvement projects.
CFA has started to see how SPB can make a real difference in fostering local civic participation. In Queen Creek Unified School District, over 100 high school students were registered to vote through the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office presence on SPB Vote Days.
Since SPB launched a decade ago, SPB Vote Days across participating schools have led to over 7,000 new voters registered in Arizona.
“SPB is a great opportunity to give our students a voice in their school, but broader than that, it helps them understand how democratic processes work and why that understanding matters. Knowing how decisions are made and how to engage gives them the tools to impact their community but also their own lives, now and in the future.” - Robin Bayles, QCUSD Director of Educational Technology and Virtual Learning and district coordinator for SPB
Thanks to our continued partnership with ASU Participatory Governance Initiative, we have gathered new insights and data about how SPB is making a difference. SPB demonstrably improves participating students’ civic knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices.
Students at T.G. Barr Academy of Global Studies participate in a SPB Vote Day to choose which school improvement project they would like to see implemented.
Surveys show marked improvements in students’ understanding of democracy and civic participation, which fosters a greater sense of belonging and agency.
In 2025, SPB will continue to expand its reach into school districts so more students, educators and leaders can create an impactful experience through this initiative.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Civic Health and Thriving Communities
Civic health remains a top priority for Arizonans, and in 2025, CFA will continue advancing this critical work.
Our civic health — how we come together to identify and solve public challenges — reflects our collective strength and well-being. CFA has been a leader in championing civic engagement, equipping Arizonans with the tools and knowledge to build connected and engaged communities.
Looking ahead, our goal is not only to address immediate challenges but to foster a culture where every individual contributes to lasting prosperity and resilience for Arizona.