NGA Center for Best Practices
NGA Center for Best Practices teams develop innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. The NGA Center is the only research and development firm that directly serves the nation’s Governors.
Latest
Governors Prioritize & Recognize America’s Veterans
As the country celebrates Veterans Day, the nation’s Governors mark the occasion by issuing proclamations and holding ceremonies to recognize the military service of America’s veterans. Throughout 2025, Governors have ...
NGA HHS Institute 2025: Making Innovative Tech Work for Health & Human Services
Governors are looking to drive cost- and time-efficient solutions that mitigate workforce strain and improve seamless service delivery but navigating the universe of available products while balancing procurement requirements with ...
NGA HHS Institute 2025: Navigating SNAP Implementation Post-Reconciliation
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1, which contained several programmatic changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including the introduction of a new benefit cost-share penalty, ...
Reigniting the American Dream
Every American should have the opportunity to build a life of purpose, to strengthen their community, and to help shape a nation defined not only by prosperity, but by potential realized. Yet across our very diverse states, too many people have lost faith in this opportunity. They’ve faced too many obstacles, encountered too many closed doors, and given up the hope of a brighter future. We can do better.
Reigniting the American Dream is more than an initiative. It’s an invitation for every U.S. governor to take action.
Program Areas
Center for Best Practices Library
State Government as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities: A Playbook for Governors
This playbook highlights six actionable strategies Governors can use to improve state government career paths for people with disabilities. (Download) ...
Governors are Supporting Older Adults and Driving Improved Population Health
The number of older adults in the U.S. is growing at a faster rate than any other age group and ...
State Strategies for School-Based Mental Health Services
As part of the 2024 Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health, the National Governors Association supported the development ...
State Funding and Financing Strategies for Advancing Energy Projects
This policy brief highlights several state case studies of effective funding and financing mechanisms for energy projects, including the braiding ...
NGA Hosts Webinar with First Lady Jennie Gordon, Highlights Strategic Partnerships First Spouses Form to Advance Initiatives
On May 16, NGA’s Health Equity Learning Network held a webinar focused on ways states and territories can address food ...
Budgets and Programs in Balance: Understanding the Fiscal Impact of Federal Policy Across State and Territory Systems
The NGA Public Health and Disaster Response Task Force, co-chaired by Hawai`i Governor Josh Green and Vermont Governor Phil Scott, ...
Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship
As a national partner in the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA), the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices ...
The Role of States in Shaping a Future-Ready EV Workforce
States remain on the front lines of developing the skilled workforce needed to support the electric vehicle (EV) sector’s continued ...
Governors Leading Economic Development
Governors are their states’ chief economic ambassadors, touting the unique advantages their states offer to businesses, and advocating a host ...
2025 Energy Resilience Roundtable for U.S. Territories, Alaska & Hawai‘i
Energy is an essential resource for everyday life, economic growth, and security, a fact that is never as apparent as ...
Maternal Mental Health Week 2025
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity to recognize and discuss mental health conditions that can arise during and ...
Congressional Briefing on Governors Reshaping Workforce Development
Last week, NGA and the Harvard Project on Workforce hosted a virtual congressional briefing to present results from the recently released report, Governors Reshaping ...
PAST NGA CHAIRS INITIATIVES
- 2024-2025
Gov. Jared Polis’s Initiative
Let’s Get Ready! - 2023-2024
Gov. Spencer Cox’s Initiative
Disagree Better - 2022-2023
Gov. Phil Murphy’s Initiative
Strengthening Youth Mental Health - View all…