CivicSphere Direct Democracy Platform
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Civic Sphere · 12 Points of Good Governance

Know Where
You Stand.Govern Better.

A comprehensive governance assessment for nonprofits and civic organizations — scored against 12 proven principles of democratic best practice.

$500
One-time assessment fee
Includes full written report + 60-min debrief call
01Rule of Law
02Transparency
03Accountability
04Participation
05Local Power
06Separation of Powers
07Equity & Inclusion
08Civic Education
09Free Communication
10Democratic Process
11Civil Rights
12Public Trust
What's Included

Everything You Need to Govern Better.

📋
Comprehensive Questionnaire

A structured 20–30 minute intake questionnaire covering all 12 governance dimensions. Designed to surface both strengths and hidden gaps across your organization's policies, culture, and practices.

📊
Governance Health Report

A custom 6–10 page written report prepared by Dan Devine within 3–5 business days. Includes dimension-by-dimension scores, specific findings, and a prioritized 90-day action plan.

📞
60-Minute Debrief Call

A scheduled call with Dan to walk through every finding, answer your questions, and discuss the path forward. This is where the real value lives — honest conversation about what the numbers mean for your specific organization.

🏛
12 Points Framework

Your report is grounded in the 12 Points of Good Governance — an original civic education framework developed by Dan Devine covering the foundational principles of democratic organizational health.

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90-Day Action Roadmap

Every report concludes with a sequenced, prioritized action plan — not a vague list of suggestions. You'll know exactly what to tackle first, why it matters, and how to make it happen.

🔒
Fully Confidential

Your responses and report are strictly confidential. They are used only to prepare your assessment and are never shared, published, or referenced without your explicit consent.

Process

Simple. Structured. Actionable.

01
Complete the Questionnaire

20–30 minutes online. Answer honestly — the more candid your responses, the more useful your report.

02
Dan Reviews Your Responses

Within 3–5 business days, Dan analyzes your answers across all 12 dimensions and prepares your custom report.

03
Receive Your Report

Your Governance Health Report is delivered by email — scored, written, and actionable. No generic templates.

04
Debrief & Plan Together

Your 60-minute debrief call with Dan brings the report to life and sets your governance improvement plan in motion.

Sample Output

What Your Scorecard Looks Like

Every dimension is scored on a 1–5 scale based on your questionnaire responses. Your report includes not just the scores but the narrative context behind each one — what they mean for your specific organization and what to do about them.

Scores are color-coded: Green (4–5) indicates strong governance practice, Gold (3) indicates adequate but improvable, and Red (1–2) indicates a significant gap requiring prompt attention.

The overall score out of 60 gives you a single governance health benchmark you can track over time — and use in grant applications, board recruitment, and stakeholder communications.

Sample Governance Scorecard
Rule of Law
3.0
Transparency
4.0
Accountability
1.5
Participation
3.5
Local Power
4.5
Separation of Powers
2.0
Equity & Inclusion
3.0
Civic Education
4.5
Free Communication
3.5
Democratic Process
4.0
Civil Rights
3.0
Public Trust
4.0
Overall Score 40.5 / 60
Pricing

Simple, Transparent Pricing.

Basic
Assessment Only
$350
One-time fee
  • Full 12-point questionnaire
  • Written Governance Health Report
  • Dimension-by-dimension scores
  • Prioritized 90-day action plan
  • Delivered within 5 business days
Advanced
Assessment + Follow-Up
$750
One-time fee
  • Everything in Complete
  • Second 30-min check-in at 60 days
  • Progress review against action plan
  • Updated recommendations
  • Priority scheduling for retainer

Fee can be applied as a credit toward a Civic Sphere monthly retainer engagement.

FAQ

Questions Answered.

This assessment is designed for nonprofits, civic organizations, political campaigns, Democratic clubs and committees, community organizations, and any group that wants an honest, structured look at how well it's governed. It's especially useful for organizations that are growing, seeking grants, rebuilding trust, or preparing for leadership transitions.
Most respondents complete it in 20–30 minutes. You can save and return at any time. The more thoughtfully you complete it, the more useful your report will be — honesty is more valuable than speed here.
Only Dan Devine. Your responses are strictly confidential and are used exclusively to prepare your Governance Health Report. They are never shared, published, cited, or referenced in any other context without your explicit written consent.
The 12 Points of Good Governance is an original civic education framework developed by Dan Devine covering twelve foundational principles of democratic organizational health: Rule of Law, Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Local Power, Separation of Powers, Equity & Inclusion, Civic Education, Free Communication, Democratic Process, Civil Rights, and Public Trust. It was developed through Civic Sphere and American Civic Power as a tool for civic leaders, educators, and organizations.
Absolutely. Many funders look for evidence of strong governance practices — particularly conflict of interest policies, board independence, and financial transparency. A Civic Sphere Governance Health Report documents your organization's governance profile and action plan in a format that can strengthen grant narratives and funder relationships.
After your debrief call, you'll have a clear action plan and a full written report. If you'd like ongoing support implementing your recommendations, Dan can discuss a Civic Sphere monthly retainer engagement — which includes AI-powered communications, volunteer coordination, grant research, and more. The assessment fee is applied as a credit toward your first month.
Most governance assessments are either generic checklists or expensive consulting engagements. This assessment is built around an original civic framework, delivered by a practitioner with 25+ years of organizing and civic work experience, and priced accessibly for small to mid-size nonprofits and campaigns. You get a real human reviewer, a custom narrative report, and a direct conversation — not an automated PDF.
Ready to Begin?

Know Where You Stand.
Govern Better.

The assessment takes 20–30 minutes. Your report arrives within 3–5 days. Your debrief call with Dan follows. That's it.

Start the Assessment → Ask Dan a Question
dandevine26@gmail.com · 516-749-6690 · civicsphere.ai