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
Building and Nurturing a Global Intersection in the Middle of America
Postville, Iowa residents embrace their motto ‘Hometown to the World’ by being intentionally welcoming and working to write their city’s narrative of a brighter future today.
Read more
Webinar Recording – How Community Engagement Strengthens Small and Cities and Towns
In this recent webinar from Community Heart & Soul with ICMA – International City/County Management Association, you’ll explore a new model for more effective small-town community engagement.
Watch the recording
EngagingCities Podcast Featuring Mark Sherman, President of Community Heart & Soul
On the latest EngagingCities Fireside Chats podcast episode, our very own Mark Sherman, is interviewed by host Kelly Hickler, AICP, on how Community Heart & Soul empowers residents to shape their towns’ futures and build stronger communities based on what matters most to everyone.
Listen nowLearn our history and mission from Community Heart & Soul founder, Lyman Orton, proprietor of The Vermont Country Store.
The City of Manning, South Carolina initiated Community Heart & Soul to help residents understand how decisions are made and how they can have greater input. Manning leadership wanted the community to be more engaged in activities and the cities’ future development. They hoped that Community Heart & Soul would strengthen the community and bring back a sense of pride. The Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce supported staffing and funding.
Manning Heart & Soul, South CarolinaCommendation
from South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster with a resolution designating December 5, 2023 as Community Heart & Soul Day in the state of South Carolina.
Project Are You Ok?
The Heart & Soul Team initiated Project Are You Ok? to conduct wellness checks for recipients of Meals on Wheels during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project was recognized by the Administrator and Secretary for The Administration for Community Living, the federal entity that administers the Older Americans Act.
“We are grateful for the Governor’s recognition of the accomplishments of Heart & Soul towns in South Carolina and for what Community Heart & Soul can do for other communities in our state. We look forward to many more opportunities to continue to build stronger communities and towns.”
— Susan DeVenny, President and CEO of the Arras Foundation
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.
