Member Services
Alliance for Innovation Member Services are designed for local government organizations large and small, city and county, coastal, rural, urban and suburban. If you are interested in building an innovation culture that can adapt to an ever-changing world than join our network of like-minded professionals in our pursuit of good government.
Participation in member services at the Alliance for Innovation is how members turn connection into capability and ideas into action. The Alliance is designed as an active network, not just a resource library, where local government leaders engage with one another through learning opportunities, comparative research, peer conversations, and innovation-focused programming that strengthens their ability to serve their communities.
Members can participate in live and on-demand webinars, meetups, the annual conference, custom comparative research studies, Strategic Foresight activities, the Vision Council, and the Alliance Member Circle. These opportunities create multiple pathways for engagement, whether members are exploring emerging trends, sharing promising practices, testing new approaches, or helping shape future Alliance programs. Through participation, members both benefit from the shared knowledge of the network and contribute their own experience to a growing national community of local government pioneers working together to improve services and outcomes for residents.
A dedicated Alliance staff liaison helps members make the most of these opportunities by serving as a guide and connector within the network. Staff liaisons help identify relevant programs, connect members with peers facing similar challenges, surface research and tools aligned with local priorities, and ensure member feedback helps shape future services. This personalized connection strengthens engagement and ensures that each organization can translate membership into meaningful impact.
Members may also serve as an Alliance Ambassador, helping share opportunities, insights, and successes from the network within their own organizations and across their organization. Ambassadors play an important role in strengthening the Alliance by expanding awareness of programs, inviting new voices into conversations, and helping spread innovative practices that benefit local governments. Through this leadership role, members help grow the reach and impact of the Alliance while advancing a shared commitment to stronger, more adaptive communities.
Member Benefits
Comparative Research Services
Members receive a custom peer-review comparative research or best practice study annually. We aim to complete studies within two weeks of the request and include a 100% satisfaction guarantee. ALL staff in a member organization can access completed studies within the Alliance Member Circle. Book your comparative research study now.
Dedicated Member Liaison
Alliance members are supported by a dedicated Member Liaison. Liaisons meet with member organizations four or more times annually to assess research needs and identify learning opportunities. These engagements also introduce members to emerging concepts being explored within the Alliance and provide opportunities to access additional resources.
Member Meet Ups and Networking
Structured opportunities for members to connect with peers facing similar challenges, enabling the exchange of ideas, best practices, and innovative solutions across jurisdictions.
Events and Learning Opportunities
Access to Alliance hosted member-only live and on-demand virtual events focused on innovation in local government for the entire organization, and member pricing for in person conferences and events such as the Transforming Local Government Conference.
Ambassador Program
The Ambassador program allows for any staff member in a member organization to participate in a structured program designed to build skills related to innovation and strategic foresight. Ambassadors assist with spreading Alliance principles, services and activities into the organization. The Ambassador Program equips your staff members to use Alliance resources and skills in their everyday work environments.
Content and Knowledge Resources
ALL staff within a member organization may access the Alliance Member Circle which will be launched in the Summer of 2026. Included within The Circle will be access to the Knowledge Library, Learning Path, Member Connect and Discussion Channels focused on Strategic Foresight, Performance Excellence, Leadership and Technology.
Cooperative Purchasing
Members have access to the Civic Marketplace platform designed by our Strategic Partner that allows for a list of items already bid and ready to purchase. Cooperative purchasing helps members reduce costs and improve the efficiency of government procurement processes. Link to the Contract Library. (add link
Board-Driven Governance
Alliance activities are reviewed, enhanced, and vetted by a Board (add link) of local government professionals from across the country. This governance structure ensures the organization remains relevant and responsive to member needs.
Premium Innovation Services
Members may access additional consulting and innovation support through the Alliance’s Premium Innovation Services program. These services provide tailored assistance to help organizations design, implement, and scale innovation initiatives.
Strategic Foresight
Alliance members receive one virtual Strategic Foresight Workshop each year. This session introduces Bill Sharpe’s Three Horizons framework—a practical way to balance today’s demands with the need to anticipate change. Participants diagnose the present, explore what’s possible, and surface the innovations needed to drive transformation.
Alliance Virtual Foresight workshops provides on-demand training designed to help members lead conversations that introduce strategic foresight and showcase its impact on innovation, strategy, decision-making, culture, and leadership. ALL staff within a member organization may access On-Demand training within the Alliance Member Circle. Each training features practical applications and a discussion guide to connect the value of foresight to day-to-day activities.
The Alliance Member Circle offers on-demand training to help members lead conversations and apply foresight in their work. ALL staff in member organizations have access. to this training. Each session includes practical tools and discussion guides that connect foresight to strategy, decision-making, culture, and leadership.
The Alliance offers a Strategic Foresight Certification Course three times per year through a nine-week virtual program. Members receive two seats annually (a $4,000 value) to the program. Participants apply core foresight tools to a topic of their choice, including domain mapping, trend analysis, implications mapping, scenario planning, and strategic options.
Sign up to gain access to our network of innovators to receive updates on emerging trends and AFI research. Stay informed on the forces shaping local government. new snippet of text
