What is Community Heart & Soul?
Community Heart & Soul is a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it.
Developed and field-tested over a decade in partnership with over 120 small cities and towns across America, Community Heart & Soul is a proven process for engaging a community in shaping its future.
How it Works
Community Heart & Soul is an ongoing practice that provides municipal officials with a clear understanding of what matters most to their constituents–all the residents–and forges a partnership that builds on the first thing everyone has in common: they all live here. It’s not a report that sits on a shelf; it’s a way of coming together to make your town a better place to live in and visit.
Community Heart & Soul begins with a four-phase, step-by-step process that brings residents together to identify and honor the unique character of their town and the emotional connection of the people who live there.
“The Community Heart & Soul model has been the perfect fit for my organization as we work to strengthen rural Iowa communities. I’ve learned so much about community engagement, helping emerging leaders, and developing authentic relationships with people in our small towns.”
— Jason Neises, Certified Coach Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
Phase 1: Imagine
Heart & Soul teams are formed to build awareness, interest, and commitment in all segments of the community.
Phase 2: Connect
Stories are gathered from residents, leading to the development of Heart & Soul Statements that identify what matters most and reflect what they love about their towns.
Phase 3: Plan
Residents develop action plans to guide future town planning based on their Heart & Soul Statements.
Phase 4: Act
Heart & Soul Statements are officially adopted by town and city councils, incorporated into comprehensive and other plans, and are used to guide future policies and decisions.
The real work of Community Heart & Soul gets underway upon completion of the 4 phases. That’s when Heart & Soul teams put into action the plans they developed based on their Heart & Soul Statements.
Latest News
Community Heart & Soul Expands Reach Through New Partnerships
Community Heart & Soul is partnering with three regional community foundations to help more small towns thrive. This partnership, made possible with funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, will bring the Heart & Soul model to communities across Western New York and Southeast Michigan, fostering resident-driven community engagement.
Read the release
Red Oak Residents Are ‘Studying Their Past and Looking to the Future’
You know the well-worn saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. In Red Oak, Iowa, a mural spanning the entire side of a building downtown is worth myriad more – telling the story of the city’s past while imagining its future.
Read more
Featured Community: Akron and Westfield, Iowa
Akron and Westfield united to strengthen community bonds and shape a shared future with Community Heart & Soul. Their efforts led to the transformation of a vacant downtown lot, the creation of the Akron & Westfield Growth Alliance, and the launch of the GROW Challenge, offering $500 toward projects that meet community needs.
Read moreLearn our history and mission from Community Heart & Soul founder, Lyman Orton, proprietor of The Vermont Country Store.
Akron-Westfield Heart & Soul served residents within the Akron-Westfield Community School District in northwest Iowa including the communities of Akron (population 1,588), Westfield (population 130) and surrounding rural areas. Set within the scenic Loess Hills region and adjacent to the Big Sioux River, the area offers a variety of recreational opportunities. Downtown Akron is home to locally owned shops and dining options, as well as the historic Akron Opera House.
The towns of Akron and Westfield, Iowa joined forces to improve their communities. They received $10,000 to kickstart Community Heart & Soul through our Seed Grant Program. The goals were to foster community pride by highlighting community strengths and areas for improvement.
Akron-Westfield Heart & SoulThe Akron & Westfield Growth Alliance
Established a nonprofit dedicated to providing ongoing support, leadership and funding for projects that address community needs and priorities
Several fundraising campaigns
Energized several fundraising campaigns, including those for the Akron Family Aquatic Center, Akron Trails project, Akron Opera House renovation
“We were going to move ahead with Community Heart & Soul but knowing that we had the seed grant opportunity gave us a little bit more encouragement to do it quickly. It’s a community that gets things done. People are willing to work together to accomplish things.”
— LeAnne Philips, Resident, Akron, Iowa
Community Heart & Soul Towns
From Downeast Maine to the Heartlands to the Pacific Northwest, towns and residents are making change in their communities. Click on the map to see where it’s happening and hear their stories. Let us give you a guided tour through the transformation with Community Heart & Soul.
