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
Featured Town: Postville, Iowa
Known as the “Hometown to the World,” Postville is embracing its diversity and collective energy to shape a thriving future. With multilingual engagement, bold initiatives, and real action already underway, this Iowa town is proving the power of listening to all voices. Click to learn how Postville is making community-driven change happen!
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COMMUNITY HEART & SOUL® WELCOMES NEW BOARD TRUSTEES
We’re pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our Board of Trustees: Nancy Van Milligen and Robin Mayer. Their extensive experience in community engagement, public policy, and communications will further the organization’s mission to build stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns across the United States.
Read the release
Grant Opportunity!
Join the many small cities and towns across the country and apply for $10,000 to bring Community Heart & Soul to your town to begin involving everyone and focusing on what matters most.
Learn moreLearn our history and mission from Community Heart & Soul founder, Lyman Orton, proprietor of The Vermont Country Store.
Known as the “Hometown to the World,” Postville is a growing city with a young, diverse population. The city boasts a bustling farmers market and a thriving downtown surrounded by hills and valleys of the Driftless Area of Northeastern Iowa. Growing out of a desire to change the narrative about Postville, members of the Postville community came together to form Our Postville Community Heart & Soul. The initiative received a Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant in 2021, helping to launch the local effort. In starting a new community development initiative, local leaders wanted to ensure all voices in the community were heard—a significant challenge given the diversity of ethnicities and cultures in town. Community Heart & Soul offered a way to engage all voices in the community to articulate a vision for the future.
Our Postville Community Heart & SoulNew Director of Community Development
An outcome of the Heart & Soul work is the creation and hiring of a new city staff position, the Director of Community Development for the city of Postville.
Formation of the Heart of Postville/Alma de Postville Welcoming Committee
To make Postville a more welcoming community (such as developing a resource guide for newcomers).
“Rural communities are not successful by accident. It has to be very intentional. There is a lot of planning, there has to be follow through. It’s not just going to happen. These things are important.”
— Crystal Duffy, Project Coordinator, Our Postville Community Heart & Soul
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.
