The Leadership Collier Foundation’s Civic Information Center [CIC] exists to increase social capital among the citizens of Florida’s Collier County by providing educational information to the women and men working in the community’s businesses. Social cohesion is critical for communities to continue to prosper and sustain a high quality of life. Civic virtue is most powerful when embedded in a sense network of reciprocal social relations.

“A community of many virtuous but isolated individuals is not necessarily rich in social capital, the glue that holds a community together.”
- Putham, R.D. (2000) Bowling Alone.
The collapse and revival of American community, N.Y: Simon and Schuster, 19.

Social capital can help a growing community look outward and encompass people across different social divides. Social capital allows citizens more easily to resolve collective problems. It “greases the wheels” to allow communities to advance smoothly. It widens awareness of the many links among our fates.

Data suggests, despite near-universal literacy, compulsory education and great advances in public access to information, our national community is deeply divided and fewer than optimal numbers of people are participating in civic life. Voter participation is declining. Interest in civic and public affairs, political news and campaigns is low.

Increasingly, at the community level, leadership, policy understanding and social capital are disconnected. Oftentimes, leadership is enacted by individuals functioning in silos without the benefit of balanced information, dialogue and an appreciation of how the positive reciprocity of influence can enrich the entire community’s quality of life.

The CIC strives to bridge the gap in Collier County to help all involved in commerce:

The CIC will focus on providing information on public policy issues in a balanced {non-partisan, non-secretarian} manner. The CIC aims to assist the citizens to better understand how they may chose to contribute to community betterment, increase their investment in social capital and help elect ways to enhance the quality of life to be enjoyed by all citizens of Collier County.

The CIC is confident its efforts will increase political and civic engagement, strengthen informal social ties among government, business and non-profit leaders, and spark greater tolerance, trust, civility and progressive cooperation.

The CIC is a program of the Leadership Collier Foundation, Inc., a 501 C (3) corporation duly recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service and the State of Florida. Contributions to the Leadership Collier Foundation, including those earmarked for CIC activities, are tax deductible.

The Leadership Collier Foundation, Inc. is sponsored and hosted by The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce whose membership includes 1700 businesses representing 67,000 employees. The Chamber exists to help make Collier County the best place in America to live and work.

The Civic Information Center is supported by The Chamber in cooperation with...among others... the Collier County Building Industry Association [CBIA], The Collier County Chamber Alliance, the Naples Area Board of Realtors [NABOR] and the Naples Area Better Government Association.

The CIC will work closely with...among others...the Collier County Bar Association, the Medical Society, the Supervisor of Elections, local colleges and schools to successfully partner, marshal resources and mount programs of significance.

The Civic Information Center’s program includes:

The CIC is overseen by a Board of Trustees which also assist in providing the resources to fund and enhance the programs. For more information, please contact Stefanie Cuthbertson at (239) 298-7926 or scuthbertson@napleschamber.org