Community Heart & Soul in 2024: President’s Letter
Dear Heart & Soul Friends,
As we embark on the new year, I’d like to reflect on our shared accomplishments from 2024.
Heart & Soul towns across the country reached deep within their communities to have residents identify what matters most, the future they want, and how to achieve it.
From Van Buren, Maine to Postville, Iowa, towns across America are uniting around shared visions for the future of their communities. Deeper community engagement has clear, significant benefits: heightened community pride, increased volunteerism, stronger economic conditions, community projects and investments that directly reflect residents’ priorities and enhance their quality of life. Visit our website’s News and Stories section to see how Heart & Soul communities are thriving.
Last year marked significant expansion for Community Heart & Soul, with 20 new communities ranging from Maine, Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Washington embarking on their Heart & Soul journeys.
We also added two new staff members: Justin Samuel, VP of Communications, and Jillian Foster, Program Associate. Justin is focused on increasing awareness about the program and helping lead the expansion of Community Heart & Soul. Jillian works with Heart & Soul Coaches, providing training and field-based mentorship. We also welcomed and trained 13 new Heart & Soul Coaches to our growing Coach network. Learn more about our Coach program on our Coaches page.
For our organization, 2024 was a year of deep collaboration with: residents and municipal officials who advanced their Heart & Soul initiatives and continued the ongoing practice of Community Heart & Soul, Coaches who guided towns through the Heart & Soul process, and partners who facilitated and supported the program in their regions.
In May, we gathered Coaches from across the country in Chicago to build relationships, share knowledge, and celebrate achievements. The event was the first in-person Heart & Soul Coach Gathering following the COVID-19 pandemic, and attendees genuinely appreciated the chance to network and learn from one another.
Our partners continue to play a pivotal role in helping towns achieve community goals identified through the Community Heart & Soul process. They provide financial support, materials, facilities, and convene residents at Heart & Soul gatherings. Some partners have staff members trained to be Heart & Soul Coaches so they can guide towns in their regions. Other partners sponsor coaching from our nationwide network of Heart & Soul Coaches.
In 2024, we were thrilled to welcome several outstanding new partners: Innovia Foundation (WA), Montana Community Foundation (MT), Legacy Foundation (IN), Rochester Community Foundation (NY), Greater Buffalo Area Community Foundation (NY), and Delaware Community Foundation (DE). Each partner has either already had staff trained as Heart & Soul Coaches or plans to do so in the coming months.
In the coming year, we look forward to working both with our existing partners and expanding our partnership network to introduce Community Heart & Soul to dozens of new towns. To explore partnership opportunities with Community Heart & Soul, please visit the Partnership page on our website.
Another catalyst for growth for Community Heart & Soul has been our Seed Grant program, which provides $10,000 in funding to help new communities launch their Heart & Soul initiatives. I’m thrilled to announce that the Seed Grant program is being extended through 2025. Seed Grants, which require a cash match, are available for qualifying communities with a population under 30,000. For more information on how to apply for a Seed Grant, visit our Seed Grant Program page.
In closing, I would like to personally thank all of the residents, town officials, Heart & Soul Coaches, and partners who invest their time and resources to help build stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns across the United States. We appreciate everything you do to support this transformational work!
Happy New Year,
Mark Sherman
President, Community Heart & Soul
