Orton Family Foundation

Increasingly, philanthropic organizations are thinking more broadly about how to support systemic change in local communities. On this call, you’ll hear how three foundations are investing in long-term transformation using Community Heart & Soul®, the Orton Family Foundation’s community development model. Speakers: –Brad Ward, director of community philanthropy, Council on Foundations At the Council, Brad interacts with hundreds of community foundations across the U.S. and with colleagues in North America. His specialty is engaging a variety of constituents in community philanthropy and navigating an innovative new era of community leadership and philanthropic engagement for the field. –Gabrielle Ratté Smith, senior associate for strategic partnerships, Orton Family Foundation Gabrielle was a founding member of Community Heart & Soul in Essex, Vermont. In her role at Orton, she helps funders design programs that use the Heart & Soul model to bring about positive change in small cities and towns. -- Kathy Kreuchauf, president, Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation Under Kathy’s leadership, The Community Foundation launched successful initiatives to strengthen the local non-profit community’s board and staff leadership, as well as a unique partnership with the Orton Family Foundation to support the on-going economic and social viability of small towns in western Ohio. -–Nancy Van Milligen, president and CEO, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Nancy has helped to grow the Foundation’s charitable funds to more than $55 million and established it as a trailblazer in community leadership and engagement initiatives. Nancy is a past president of the Iowa Council on Foundations. The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is working with communities in western Iowa using the Community Heart & Soul model. -–Susan DeVenny, executive director, J. Marion Sims Foundation At the helm of J. Marion Sims since 2015, Susan brings over 30 years of experience in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, most recently serving as the state director for SC First Steps to School Readiness, South Carolina’s early childhood agency. The Foundation is working with Orton as part of Sims’ ongoing commitment to lift up and empower community voices to support a healthy community. -–Fran Stoddard, moderator A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran produced and hosted a popular interview program on Vermont Public Television for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards. This FREE event was recorded at 1-2 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, Nov. 30. Presented in partnership with the Council on Foundations. Follow along with our Google Doc here: http://bit.ly/2ySs6XV.

For National Community Planning month, we focus on creating successful comprehensive plans that residents feel a sense of ownership about and have a stake in the outcomes. On this call, you’ll hear from three planners who got residents involved through the Community Heart & Soul model. Learn how community engagement leads to meaningful comprehensive plans that align vision and actions based on what matters most to residents. Speakers: --Jane Lafleur, Heart & Soul coach and principal, JB Lafleur Consultants Jane provides community development, planning, citizen engagement and civic leadership training and educational programs throughout Maine and the U.S. Jane received the Professional Planner of the Year award from the Maine Association of Planners and the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association in 2015. --K. Dana Hanley, community development director, Essex, Vermont. Dana played a key role in the development of the Essex comprehensive plan, which received Plan of the Year Award in 2016 from the Vermont Planners Association and Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association. --Angela San Filippo, long-range planner, Ellensburg, Washington Angela is spearheading Imagine Ellensburg, a comprehensive plan update using the Community Heart & Soul model. Ellensburg is in the process of evaluating options and reviewing recommendations for the plan, with a goal to have it adopted by the end of this year. --Fran Stoddard, moderator A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran produced and hosted Vermont Public Television’s weekly “Profile” interview program for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards. This FREE event was recorded on 2-3 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, October 19, 2017. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2w7hsvD. Heart & Soul Talks features stories and insight from Community Heart & Soul®, a community development model that builds stronger, healthier and more economically vibrant small cities and towns. Learn more at orton.org.

Taking on controversial issues is a challenge that every community faces. How those issues are approached can make the difference between a community that thrives and one where divides erode a community’s vitality. Join us for insight and practical ideas and tools for advancing civil discourse from nationally-recognized expert in the field, Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, Ph. D. and Mayor Thom Harnett of Gardiner, Maine, who has led his way in welcoming new residents and embracing the value they bring to the small town, sometimes in the face of protest. Speakers: --Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, executive director, National Institute for Civil Discourse As a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, Dr. Lukensmeyer works to restore our democracy to reflect the intended vision of our founding fathers. She previously served as Founder and President of AmericaSpeaks, an award-winning nonprofit organization that promoted nonpartisan initiatives to engage citizens and leaders through the development of innovative public policy tools and strategies. --Thom Harnett, mayor, Gardiner, Maine. Thom, now serving his third term as mayor of Gardiner, Maine, recently retired from the state Office of the Attorney General where he had served as an assistant attorney general, and established Civil Rights Teams in more than 220 schools statewide. Thom was active in Gardiner’s Community Heart & Soul® project. --Fran Stoddard, moderator A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran produced and hosted Vermont Public Television’s weekly “Profile” interview program for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards. This FREE event was recorded on Thursday, September 28, 2017. Heart & Soul Talks features stories and insight from Community Heart & Soul®, a community development model that builds stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant small cities and towns. Learn more at orton.org.

Getting young people involved in community leadership brings fresh perspectives and new energy. Small cities and towns across the country are giving meaningful roles to youth and helping young people realize their voices matter. On this free talk, you’ll hear from youth advocates and a youth leader how to authentically involve the next generation in local decision-making. Speakers: --Laura Furr, program manager for justice reform and youth engagement, National League of Cities (NLC) Laura helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of children, youth, and families in their communities. She assists cities in establishing authentic systems for youth engagement through initiatives such as youth councils, juvenile justice reform, and participatory budgeting. Prior to joining NLC, Laura was the Interim Executive Director and Senior Director of Youth Justice Initiatives at Community Law In Action, Inc., a non-profit that engages youth as active citizens, critical thinkers, and advocates for positive change in Maryland. --Lee Krohn, senior planner, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Prior to joining that Commission, Lee served as Planning Director, among other roles, for the Town of Manchester for over 24 years. His work to engage youth was named the 2009 Project of the Year from the Vermont Planners Association. Lee serves on the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Council and as Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) Assistant Professional Development Officer for Vermont, is a past President of the Vermont Planners Association. He was a founding member and longtime Chair of the Manchester Community Land Trust. His current work involves land use and emergency management planning, as well as direct assistance to municipalities. Lee is a firefighter, an award-winning professional photographer, skier, biker and runner. --Fran Stoddard, moderator A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran produced and hosted Vermont Public Television’s weekly “Profile” interview program for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2uNFucD.

Small towns rely on volunteers for prosperity, but it can be a challenge to sustain volunteer energy and enthusiasm. With a resident-driven approach, Heart & Soul® towns rally community members to increase civic participation and create positive change. Listen in for ideas to keep volunteers motivated and engaged for the long run. Speakers: --Sara Lightner, senior associate of programs, training, Orton Family Foundation Before joining Orton, Sara spent 13 years volunteering and working with volunteers in the Peace Corps. She was director of programming and training for the Eastern Caribbean and for Vanuatu in the South Pacific. Sara directed volunteer and partner trainings and programming opportunities, ensuring that volunteers received the support needed to be successful. --Debbie Moreno, project coordinator, Galesburg on Track Debbie is a journalist, a poet, a parent, and an active volunteer--skills and experience that have transferred to her role as project coordinator of Galesburg on Track, a Community Heart & Soul® project in Galesburg, Illinois. Debbie is devoted to effective communication with residents and has built a strong and dedicated group of volunteers that represent the broad range of perspectives. --Fran Stoddard, moderator A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran produced and hosted Vermont Public Television’s weekly “Profile” interview program for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2vcs6MD.

No matter where you live, there is something to love about the place you call home. Yet, the common narrative about small towns focuses on what is wrong or what needs to be fixed—vacant storefronts, political differences, young people moving away. Hear how three Heart & Soul® towns are renewing community spirit by drawing on their unique history and heritage and, in turn, sparking revitalization. Speakers: --Delilah Poupore, executive director, Heart of Biddeford in Biddeford, Maine A former textile mill town, Biddeford struggled with stagnant population growth and limited job opportunities. Biddeford’s renaissance began when residents used the Community Heart & Soul® model to create a forward-looking plan that took stock of the town’s unique history and what mattered most to everyone. As the executive director of the Heart of Biddeford, Delilah has played a pivotal role both in implementing the Downtown Master Plan and maintaining momentum beyond the plan’s completion. --Alice Trowbridge, project coordinator, Heart of Williamsport in Williamsport, Pennsylvania Downtown Williamsport is booming—attracting a younger population along with nightlife and art galleries. However, the city’s outlying neighborhoods are still struggling economically. Alice heads up the Heart of Williamsport project, which is collecting stories from all neighborhoods to bridge divides and provide opportunities for every resident. --Janeane Hopkins, Heart & Soul team member, McComb Region Heart & Soul in McComb, Ohio Not long ago, McComb had a vibrant downtown with thriving local businesses. When the town’s anchor retail store closed, it left a hole on Main Street and in the local economy. By drawing on memories of the past while looking toward the future, Community Heart & Soul is renewing a sense of hope. Today, residents are investing in existing businesses and starting new ones, contributing to a new chapter for McComb. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2q7R54H.

Think philanthropy is just for the wealthy? Think again. Small cities and towns are finding that all residents can be philanthropists. Local wisdom and vision, it turns out, lead to positive change. On this call you’ll hear about effective strategies for encouraging a culture of local philanthropy that builds community vibrancy and prosperity. Speakers: --Lisa Duran, executive director, Grassroots Grantmakers. Lisa has over 30 years of experience in social justice, community organizing and nonprofit work. She supports and connects community investors—mostly foundations—in partnering with residents to lead change. --Don Macke, co-founder and director of entrepreneurial communities, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship. Don helps communities and regions throughout North America grow entrepreneur-focused economic development strategies. He works with strategic partners across the country to deliver customized economic development solutions. Don is also active in community development philanthropy, and conducted the first statewide Transfer of Wealth™ study in Nebraska in 2002. Don has nearly 40 years of community economic development and policy experience. --Thom Harnett, mayor, Gardiner, Maine. Thom, now serving his third term as mayor of Gardiner, Maine, recently retired from the state Office of the Attorney General where he had served as an assistant attorney general, and established Civil Rights Teams in more than 220 schools statewide. Thom was active in Gardiner’s Community Heart & Soul® project. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2oH5obw. This event was recorded on Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Gathering, listening to, and sharing stories strengthens the fabric of the community by bringing people together in conversations about what they love about where they live and what they’d like to change. Hearing from residents can also lead to discoveries that the community immediately rallies around, such as an 1870s African-American church in Pennsylvania or a historic theater in Colorado. Three speakers, each with different but meaningful experiences, share how storytelling enriches a community and leads to positive change. Speakers: - Mimi Iijima is the Director of Programs and Special Projects for Pennsylvania Humanities Council. Mimi leads PHC’s effort to strengthen communities through the humanities and by bringing Community Heart & Soul to towns in the Keystone state. - Dani Smith is the great-great-granddaughter of a Civil War soldier who served in the U.S. Colored Troops. Story gathering by the Greater Carlisle Heart & Soul Project led to the discovery of an 1870s African-American church and cemetery, where Dani’s family discovered their ancestor. Her family has since been instrumental in the early steps of preservation of the church and cemetery. - Elaine Brett is a resident of the North Fork Valley in Colorado. She was active in that community’s Heart & Soul project and played a key role in creating the nonprofit that bought and renovated the town’s historic Paradise Theatre, relying on a state grant and funds raised locally and globally online. She has over thirty years of experience in facilitation, strategic planning and management in commercial, non-profit, and governmental sectors. Currently, she is on the boards of The Friends of the Paradise Theatre, the Western Colorado Community Foundation, and Downtown Colorado, Inc. -Fran Stoddard is a communications consultant with Orton and will serve as the moderator for this event. A national award-winning producer of video programs, Fran served as producer and host of Vermont Public Television’s weekly “Profile” interview program for more than a decade. She frequently serves as moderator for community events and has served on numerous non-profit boards including the Hunger Free Vermont, the Vermont Journalism Trust, Vermont Mozart Festival, Burlington City Arts, Vermont International Film Foundation, and Vermont Public Radio. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2k8d0WD.

Deep community engagement gives local leaders the courage to take risks that lead to positive change. The Orton Family Foundation pioneered the community development method Community Heart & Soul® based on that premise. On this call, you’ll hear how three leaders went beyond a "check the box" approach to engagement, working with residents to create ambitious plans that have led to dramatic and lasting results in their towns. Speakers: --Jim Bennett, city manager, Biddeford, Maine, and past ICMA president. Community engagement led the city to buy and tear down an incinerator in the downtown, spurring major revitalization. Jim has an impressive history of public service in Maine, beginning at the age of 21 as an elected municipal official. Over his 35 years of municipal service, the communities he has served have received a number of recognitions, including All-American City designation. He has been recognized by ICMA for several outstanding programs implemented under his direction as well as awarded the Manager of the Year by Maine Town and City Managers Association. --Mike Bestor, former city manager, Golden, Colorado, and ICMA member. Empowered by the input of more than 2,000 local residents, city staff revamped development review guidelines to ensure growth aligns with what residents want for their town’s future. --Kirsten Sackett, community development director, Ellensburg, Washington. Kirsten led a Community Heart & Soul project in Cortez, Colorado that got a diverse group of residents participating in local government and built bridges to underrepresented communities. She liked the results so much she’s doing the same thing in Ellensburg. Presented in partnership with International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2gAH1Zl.

From farm-to-table restaurants and food co-ops to craft breweries and tech startups, it’s an exciting time for small town businesses. Cultivating those businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs is key to thriving local economies. Our panelists, who have owned businesses, worked with entrepreneurs, and helped make their downtowns vibrant, share the secrets of their success. Speakers are: Becky McCray, business owner, author, and publisher of Small Biz Survival, a blog about the challenges and successes of doing business in a small town. Her no-nonsense perspective on local economies lands her in publications from The New York Times to The High Plains Journal. Home is Hopeton, Oklahoma (pop. 30). Joe Wasson, business owner; founder, McComb Economic Development Organization; project coordinator, McComb Region Heart & Soul. Joe owned and managed his family’s furniture business in downtown McComb, Ohio, (pop. 1,600), which closed in 2013. Since then he has worked tirelessly to recruit new businesses to town, forming the McComb Economic Development Organization and securing a grant for a regional Community Heart & Soul project. Patrick Wright, executive director, Gardiner Main Street; economic and community development coordinator, Gardiner, Maine (pop. 6,000). Patrick has been front and center in the revitalization of Gardiner’s downtown. In addition to being a partner in the town’s Community Heart & Soul project, Gardiner Main Street is one of three partners in the Gardiner Growth Initiative, an incentive program for drawing businesses to the town. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2cBIjkt.

The arts can be a creative, meaningful, and effective way to engage residents, particularly those who might not otherwise get involved. In this free 60-minute talk you’ll hear how communities come together using the arts as part of Community Heart & Soul™. Presenters include: Lindsay Varner, project director, Greater Carlisle Heart & Soul in Pennsylvania. Lindsay is using her background in oral history to inspire storytelling efforts in Carlisle. Debbie Moreno, project coordinator, Galesburg on Track in Illinois. Galesburg has tapped local artists in a variety of creative ways, including a portrait project, logo contest, and expressing residents’ ideas as art. Vasanthi Meyette is a school teacher who was an active volunteer in Heart & Soul of Essex, Vermont. The project included a community-wide arts project called Mobilize Essex. More than 70 volunteers and dozens of students from six schools teamed up to create mobiles. Galesburg photo slideshow: http://bit.ly/2e6WOiV.

One of the long-term benefits of Community Heart & Soul™ is the partnerships that are created. Heart & Soul helps organizations and institutions connect and work together in ways that they might not have otherwise. In this call recording you’ll hear from individuals representing organizations large and small that have benefited from connecting through Heart & Soul. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/2bEGva5.

Community Heart & Soul™ is a two-year community development method that calls for broad and deep resident engagement. It's been called a "positive disruptive force" in the towns that sign on. In this free 60-minute talk you'll hear how Heart & Soul projects got results, both short- and long-term and helped create brighter futures for small towns in Colorado, Maine, and Vermont. Speakers include, Liz Subin of Essex, Vermont; Pat Hart of Gardiner, Maine, and Saoirse Charis-Graves of Golden, Colorado. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/25dVQ8g.

Storytelling is a powerful way to broadly engage a community and hear from voices that often go unheard. Hear how storytelling has brought residents together, bridged long-standing divides, and ultimately helped community foundations make positive, lasting, and meaningful impact. This conversation is co-sponsored by Council on Foundations and Orton Family Foundation and focuses on storytelling in the Community Heart & Soul™ method of community development. With guests Nancy Van Milligen, president and chief executive, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque in Iowa; Katherine Kreuchauf, president of the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation in Ohio, Jason Neises, Heart & Soul coordinator, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and Monica Palmquist, a community organizer who served on her town’s Heart & Soul Team in Cortez, Colorado. Hosted by Fran Stoddard of the Orton Family Foundation. "Our foundation has been leading effective community engagement since 2005. We believe strongly that local decision making is key to building strong, sustainable communities. With Orton's experience, support, and resources like the Community Heart & Soul Field Guide, we see an opportunity to move our work from good to great." Nancy Van Milligen, president and chief executive officer, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa. Follow along with in our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1T9d8yN

Young people often feel left out of the larger community conversation, yet can bring fresh eyes, optimism and enthusiasm to any initiative. And, in many cases they want to be included, but just haven’t been asked. On this call recording, you’ll hear about the benefits of youth inclusion from the perspective of students and their elders. The results might surprise you. Featured speakers are Mark Nahorney, director of community relations, University of New England, who led an effort to get college students engaged in activities in downtown Biddeford, Maine. Andrew Cimonetti is a sophomore at the University of Vermont from Essex, Vermont. He played a key role in his town's Community Heart & Soul™ project, serving as co-chair of the Heart & Soul Team. Ali Lightfoot is production manager at public radio station KVNF in Paonia, Colorado. She directs "Pass the Mic," a youth (ages 8-12) reporting project that was instrumental in breaking down barriers and bringing new voices into the conversation about the region's future. Hosted by Fran Stoddard of Orton Family Foundation. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1PSDAHp

Social media is one important way to reach out to and engage community members and a key communications tool for any Community Heart & Soul project. Hear how social media can work for you in your town with insight and practical tips from Julie Brown, program director at the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation in Ohio and Leslie Wright, Orton communications associate, with host Fran Stoddard. For a great primer on social media watch Julie's webinar on storytelling through social media. It's chock full of practical strategies for putting Facebook to work for you! Watch the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLJK2s0u-FQ&feature=youtu.be. Follow along with our call note: http://bit.ly/1KKdViM

Community Heart & Soul™ had its genesis in one planning commissioner’s frustration with business-as-usual planning. Orton Family Foundation founder Lyman Orton saw flaws in a development review system that left decisions that affected the entire community in the hands of a few. Community Heart & Soul shifts the paradigm by starting with deep community engagement that results in clear priorities based on what matters most to all residents. Learn more about how this barn-raising approach to community development can benefit your town. Alece Montez-Griego, Orton director of programs, is joined by Rick Muriby, planning manager, Golden, Colorado, and Jane Lafleur, executive director, Friends of Midcoast Maine. Follow along with the Google Doc notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h_wgG-ebp0m-c-N_ih_9xrDtfAJn-Aw3-yCHyd8UUB4/edit

“Involve Everyone” is a core principle of the Community Heart & Soul™ method. Towns that have undertaken Heart & Soul projects have come up with creative ways to hear from community members whose voices might otherwise go unheard. With Meagan Picard, Orton senior associate, Meaghan Carlson, past Heart & Soul project coordinator in Gardiner, Maine, and Robby Henes, Heart & Soul Team member, Heart & Soul of Cortez, Colorado. Both towns came up with creative ways to engage residents, from bar coaster surveys to a "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" photo contest. This call aired live on 8-13-15.

Learn how Orton's Community Heart & Soul™ approach incorporates personal story to illuminate a community's history, priorities, and aspirations, and how those stories can enable residents to drive local decision-making. Orton's Director of Programs Alece Montez-Griego is joined by Elaine Brett, project co-coordinator for the Community Heart & Soul project in the North Fork Valley, which includes the towns of Paonia, Hotchkiss and Crawford, Colorado. Brett worked closely with an innovative program called "Pass the Mic" in which youth interviewed residents to learn more about local industry and report on the Valley's values. Also on the call is Holli Andrews, executive director, Framingham Downtown Renaissance and former intern with Biddeford, Maine's Heart & Soul project where she helped develop a storytelling-based tour of downtown Biddeford that invited residents to record their stories at "HeartSpots" at key locations.

Are community members in your town in the dark when it comes to planning and development issues? Does your local government struggle to recruit volunteers for boards and commissions? If so, a citizens’ academy could be the answer! Citizen planning academies build local leadership, increase awareness, and broaden involvement in community planning. Wayne Senville, publisher and editor, PlannersWeb.com; Leanna Lawson, chairperson, Rockingham County Citizens' Academy; and Kathleen Osher, executive director, Transit Alliance, join CommunityMatters® for an hour-long conference call from June 11. They shared ideas and tips for starting a citizens’ academy in your community. Follow along with our Google Doc notes: http://bit.ly/1ede30F

Hear how Community Heart & Soul™ offers a way to involve everyone—from business owners to neighbors—in planning and development that leads to lasting results. The bottom line: knowing what a community wants upfront reduces risk for developers, increases investor confidence and makes possibilities happen in a way that benefits community members and investors. Listen to this lively call on how Heart & Soul sparks transformation with Jared Duval, economic development director, Vermont Department of Economic Development and Orton Family Foundation trustee; Daniel Stevenson, director of economic and community development, Biddeford, Maine, and Patrick Wright, executive director, Gardiner Main Street, Gardiner, Maine. Follow along with our collaborative notes: http://bit.ly/1I2bdVp

Achieving community-wide participation is an admirable but challenging goal. Identifying the multiple layers of community can be the difference between success or failure of a project. Orton’s Community Network Analysis (CNA) brings fresh new voices and solutions to the table and is a powerful way to understand who lives, works, and plays in your town and how best to reach them. Alece Montez-Greigo, Orton’s director of programs, explains the tool. Community Heart & Soul project coordinator Alexis Halbert of Paonia, Colorado, and Gabrielle Ratté Smith, senior associate for strategic partnerships at Orton and of Essex, Vermont, join her to share their on-the-ground experience with CNA. Follow along with our Google Doc: http://bit.ly/1w9PKBY

Our communities are constantly changing. Most changes are gradual and predictable—a new store opens on Main Street, newcomers come to town and priorities shift. But, sometimes change is abrupt, unexpected—a major natural disaster or an epidemic. How can your city or town best prepare for unanticipated change? What will help your community respond to challenges not only to bounce back, but to become stronger than ever? Michael Crowley, senior program officer, Institute for Sustainable Communities, and Christine Morris, chief resilience officer with the city of Norfolk, Virginia, join CommunityMatters for an hour-long conference talk to share ideas and lessons learned from building resilient communities. Follow along with our notes here: http://bit.ly/1y40o2A. Photo credit: Martijn de Valk, Flickr Creative Commons, https://flic.kr/p/9xJXrc

We all know the importance of physical health--regular exercise, eating well and good habits help us keep on track with that (most of the time). But how do we exercise our civic health? How do we improve the way we participate in our community? Evan Weissman, executive director, Warm Cookies of the Revolution and Emily Kiehne, graduate assistant, Missouri State University, join CommunityMatters for an hour-long talk about promoting healthy civic life. They share both fun and data-driven approaches to exercising civic health and, in turn, maintaining strong communities. Follow along with our collaborative notes: http://bit.ly/ZUqJBG Photo credit: Warm Cookies of the Revolution

Your town is finally in the digital age with a website, online calendar, and Facebook page. Now you can sit back and relax, right? Not exactly. An array of online tools is available that can take your digital presence to the next level, promoting collaboration between government and citizens, engaging new audiences, and effectively complementing “analog” face-to-face engagement. It’s time for your town to get online and see what’s out there! On this CommunityMatters® conference call you'll dig deeper into digital engagement with experts Alissa Black and Pete Peterson. You’ll learn about online public engagement and which digital tools are right for your town. Follow along with the call notes at http://bit.ly/1qAcco8. Photo Credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg, Flickr Creative Commons, https://flic.kr/p/eqJHbr

Moki Macias and Tramunda Hodges of the Annie E. Casey Foundation join CommunityMatters® for an hour-long conference call on inclusivity. Moki and Tramunda share their experience with promoting equal treatment and opportunity in community decision-making at the Foundation's Atlanta Civic Site. Follow along with the call notes: bit.ly/1q1clCE. Image credit: Brian Talbot, Flickr CC License, https://flic.kr/p/mU9dq.

On this CommunityMatters® conference call, Felisa Conner of the Office of Neighborhood Vitality in Garland, Texas talks about building and sustaining vital neighborhoods. Councilman Scott LeMay of Garland, a graduate of the city's Neighborhood Management Academy and former President of the Camelot Neighborhood Association joins her. Felisa and Councilman LeMay share tools and strategies for neighborhood management - ways to foster collaboration and build capacity to develop and realize neighborhood vision and goals. Access the call notes at: http://bit.ly/1eP9F1k Photo credit: Lafayette College Flickr Creative Commons License flickr.com/photos/lafayette-college/4990251511

Slow internet stinks. It kills business growth, hinders education, impedes health care services, and generally just makes life a little less enjoyable. But what can you do? Aren’t we all just stuck with the service we’ve got? What if there was a solution that offered fast, affordable and reliable internet service, while benefiting your community and your economy? This, my friend, is what Community Broadband Networks have to offer. On this CommunityMatters® conference call, Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Billy Ray of Glasgow Electric Plant Board join us to talk about Community Broadband Networks, publicly-owned providers of high-speed internet. Listen to the recording to learn about the benefits of community broadband along with tips for getting started with a network in your city or town. Find the notes for this call at http://bit.ly/1nUflvd. Photo credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg Flickr Creative Commons License http://flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/8823162570

What’s the difference between a plan that’s put into place and one that’s put on a shelf? People. If you want something to show for your hard work, you need to build strong local leadership and grassroots support. This webinar will focus on how to grow effective local leaders who can nurture volunteers, corral resources and build the public support that can move community design or planning work from paper to practice. Join Milan Wall from the Heartland Center for Leadership Development to learn about their research on keys to thriving communities and effective leadership. Milan will describe characteristics of effective local leaders, roles and responsibilities to guide community action, and tips for recruiting new leaders in a changing world. This webinar is part of a capacity-building series offered jointly by CommunityMatters and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design. To view the visual components of this presentation, please visit https://vimeo.com/86720109. Photo credit: UN Women Gallery Flickr Creative Commons License, Attribution http://flic.kr/p/aPpc6g

You’ve got the great ideas and a plan for moving forward, but let’s face it: Your community lacks the cash it needs to make it real. This call focuses on key sources of funding (including federal funding, grants, and crowdsourcing) and resources to help make design and development projects in small towns, rural areas, and neighborhoods happen. Our speakers also cover strategies for creating successful funding pitches and positioning your project for funding applications. Featuring: Cynthia M. Adams of GrantStation, Erin Barnes of ioby and Jen Hughes from the National Endowment for the Arts. Call notes online at http://bit.ly/1eviiPl. Photo credit: Flickr user emdot, Creative Commons License

After a design or planning process, most communities end up with scores of potential actions. How do you prioritize dozens of competing options? How do you get some cool stuff done without breaking the bank or exhausting your list of volunteers? Easy: start with the petunias. That’s one key lesson from the “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” framework. Listen to this call and learn how to find the easiest, quickest and most impactful ways to start making things happen in your town. Find call notes online at http://bit.ly/17wfYJ0. Photo credit: Flickr user Benicchio

Public spaces bring our cities and towns to life – they’re where we gather with friends, take breaks from the office and bask in the sunshine on a warm summer day. But much of the public realm is lifeless and overly utilitarian. Wouldn’t it be nice if parking lots could make you smile, or if transit stops were so fun that you sort of hope the bus will be late? On this CommunityMatters conference call recording, you’ll hear from Mike Lanza of Playborhood and Brian Corrigan of Oh Heck Yeah. They’re working on creative placemaking strategies to turn ordinary places into fun-filled ones. Listen in for great ideas on making your city or town a more playful place. Find call notes online at http://bit.ly/1808U5S. Photo credit: Flickr user Mr T in DC.

No one loves typical public meetings where the only opportunity for interaction is a quick and dirty two minutes at the microphone. What can we do to change that? It turns out there are dozens of ways to make community engagement more playful, and playfulness makes engagement more fruitful. On this CommunityMatters® conference call you’ll hear from James Rojas of Place It! and Chris Haller of Urban Interactive Studio. They challenge the notion that public discourse and decision-making can’t be fun. Listen to this call to learn how to infuse civic life with play. Please bear with the sound quality issues during James' introduction. They clear up around minute 10. Access online notes at http://bit.ly/1fOp2dh.

Is your block losing its luster? Whether vacant storefronts, unsafe streets, weedy lots or seedy strips hinder your neighborhood, Better Block offers solutions for building a better place. Better Block began as a weekend-long project in one Dallas neighborhood (think Extreme Home Makeover on steroids). Now it’s taking the country by storm. Using temporary demonstrations to test out pop-up businesses, create more inviting public spaces and add life to a tired block, Better Block projects transform scruffy, underused streets into vibrant and walkable places. These locally driven demonstration projects bring neighbors together to envision and experience an area’s potential. Learn about Better Blocks and how they are catalyzing revitalization in communities across the country on this CommunityMatters® conference call recording. The call features insight from Andrew Howard of Team Better Block, Elena Traister of Eagle Street Rising and Lynee Wells of Better Block re:State. Find the call notes online at http://bit.ly/1eLskA5. Photo credit: Jerry Olson via Flickr.

Last year Barbara Walters asked four billionaires for their Top 20 Secrets of Success. The number two secret? "Always be True to Yourself." It turns out that applies to communities, too. Join national thought leader Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute for an inspirational conversation. On this recording, Ed shares seven secrets of successful communities that he has gleaned over the course of decades working in towns across the country. Find our call notes at http://bit.ly/19MLh3d.

If you want your project to truly succeed, it must reflect the vision and values of the community. But that’s easier said than done. Listen to this call recording to confirm and deepen your understanding of a community’s vision and values, learn how to use that understanding to inform design projects and a range of issues facing communities today, and hear strategies from folks who have succeeded in designing for the vision and values of their community. This call is part of a capacity building series offered jointly by CommunityMatters and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design. Access call notes online at http://bit.ly/11iaOXA.

Psst!! How do you start the buzz about a community design project and get people to participate? Listen to this recording to learn about spreading the word in your town, including tips and tools for working with local press, developing project messaging, and preparing an effective communications plan. Our speakers on this call were Amy Frykman, Vice President at Resource Media and Fran Stoddard, Communications Consultant at the Orton Family Foundation. This call is part of a capacity building series offered jointly by CommunityMatters and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design. Access call notes online at http://bit.ly/18OT1NV

In a nutshell, civic infrastructure consists of the opportunities, activities and arenas—both online and face-to-face—that allow people to connect with each other, solve problems, make decisions and celebrate community. By strengthening civic infrastructure, a community can become a more prosperous, vibrant place to live. But what does strong civic infrastructure look like on the ground? How do you know how much of it your town has? Or needs? How can you and your town start to build it? What are other communities doing that’s been successful? In this call, you'll hear from Sandy Heierbacher from NCDD as well as two practitioners working to build civic infrastructure on the ground - Patricia Sears of Newport City Renaissance Corporation and Janice Thomson, a public engagement consultant in Chicago. Notes, including speaker introductions, are available online at: bit.ly/ZhBwPU.

Cynthia Nikitin of Project for Public Spaces answers questions about the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design RFP and application process. Recorded on February 28, 2013.

This call will help you think through critical steps in shaping a successful CIRD application or any community-centered design project. You'll get tips and resources for building partnerships, involving a diverse cross-section of the community, and designing a project that fits with local values and priorities. Featuring Ariana McBride, Senior Associate at the Orton Family Foundation and Shelley Mastran, former Co-Director, Citizens' Institute on Rural Design

Given the chance to spend $1 million in your community, what would you do? On this CommunityMatters conference call recording, we’ll learn about Participatory Budgeting (or “PB” for short), a public process where community members decide how portions of their city or town’s budget should be spent. Featuring Josh Lerner, Executive Director of The Participatory Budgeting Project and Marti Brown, Councilwoman at the City of Vallejo, California. Recorded on February 14, 2013. Notes available online at bit.ly/Vc4KmV. Photo credit: The Participatory Budgeting Project

This call provides a brief introduction to CIRD and the 2013 Request for Proposals from program partners. Featuring Cynthia Nikitin, Vice President of Project for Public Spaces and Rebecca Sanborn Stone from the Orton Family Foundation. Recorded on January 23, 2013. Notes available online at bit.ly/136KqmF.

Would you loan your favorite bookstore money to keep it from closing? Or pay $1000 for months of café fare…before the café ever opened for business? Would you spend your Saturday painting walls so that a restaurant in your neighborhood could expand its seating? Cash is tight and small business ownership is risky. But Community Supported Enterprises offer one way for communities to offer help and creative financing to get small businesses off the ground or keep them open. Featuring Paul Bruhn, Executive Director of The Preservation Trust of Vermont and Stacey Adamson, Co-founder of the Circle C Market and Teacher at Cody-Kilgore Unified Schools. Recorded on January 17, 2013. Notes available online at bit.ly/VyUvVg.

Youth and elders, young families and baby boomers. Red-staters and blue-staters, tea-partyers and progressives. The 1% and the 99%. Brown, black, yellow, white, and everything in between. Engaging the increasingly diverse people in shaping the future of our communities is one of the greatest challenges we face these days. And meaningfully engaging them is even harder. On this recording you'll learn how to identify and reach the full diversity of people in your community and make sure that participation is civil, meaningful, and valued. Featuring Carolyn Lukensmeyer, Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse and Founder of AmericaSpeaks and Mónica Palmquist Velázquez, Community Advisory Team Member, Cortez, CO Heart & Soul project. Recorded on December 13, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/PTAnKM. Photo credit: 2K Bloggers Project

You might not know it to look at them, but streets can do a whole lot more than shuttle cars. The Open Streets Project aims to make streets less about driving and more about "walking, bicycling, dancing, playing and socializing." Fun, right? But opening up streets to other uses also has serious benefits for health, the environment, community, and the economy. Join us to hear how communities across the country are democratizing and diversifying their streets, from the biggest cities to the smallest towns. Featuring Mike Lydon, Principal at the Street Plans Collaborative and the Open Streets Project and Rory Beil, Co-Director of Fargo StreetsAlive! and Cass Clay Healthy People Initiative Director at the Dakota Medical Foundation. Recorded on November 8, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/O7WGiw. Photo Credit: Minneapolis Open Streets, Bethany Heemyer

It's the economy, stupid - we got that. But it's tougher than you'd think for towns to make the right economic choices. When it comes to planning, development and land use, communities make a lot of decisions that are designed to fuel prosperity, but in reality only cost us in money and quality of life. The tremendous 20th Century experiment of rapid growth and suburbanization may have brought some short term booms, but the long-term bust could bankrupt our towns, our landscapes, and our sense of community. Join leading author and economic thinker Chuck Marohn for a candid conversation based on his new book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns. Recorded October 17, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/R0yP1w.

Your "first place" is home, where you kick back and relax. Your "second place" is work, where you probably spend most of your time. But where's your "third place?" If you're lucky, your town has plenty of third places to choose from - the corner coffee shop where you can nurse a latte all day, a neighborhood bar where everybody knows your name, a library, a church, or a park. On this recording you'll hear why third places are crucial to strengthening your town's economy, community, and culture - and how you can help to build them. Featuring Karen True, Business and Community Development at Alliance for Pioneer Square and Mike Knutson, President of MAK(e) Strategies. Call recorded on September 13, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/PIMNoh.

If you're serious about engagement, you stopped expecting people to just come to your meetings a long time ago. And if you're really serious about engagement, you know that even social media and block parties can't help you reach all the people in your community. The next frontiers in innovative public engagement include a whole range of options, from games to placemaking to diversity training - and critical combinations of strategies old and new. Listen in to find out how to take engagement to the next level in your town. Featuring Larry Schooler, Community Engagement Consultant for the City of Austin and US President-Elect of the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) and Eric Gordon, Associate Professor of Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College and Director of the Engagement Game Lab. Call recorded on August 9, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/NU9wOR.

Every community has a physical infrastructure - the streets and roads and sewer lines that connect buildings and allow cities to buzz and grow. But every place also has a civic infrastructure: the social connections, decision-making processes, and formal and informal networks that allow residents to solve problems, work together, and build a thriving community. Join us on this recording to explore this critical topic in community building; we'll discuss building blocks of civic infrastructure and find out what it means to you and your communities and the newly-launched CommunityMatters Partnership. Featuring Matt Leighninger, Executive Director of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium and CommunityMatters Partner Organizations. Recorded on June 28, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/K2aK6t.

Bake sales might get you a chocolate fix, but these days they won't get you far enough in fundraising. If you need cash to fund local community and environmental projects, it's all about Kickstarter and Twitter, crowdsourcing and websourcing donations and support. Whether you're looking to start a community garden, clean up a river, or launch a youth engagement initiative, it pays to know how to use the web to seek out support. Join us for a webinar on integrating online, grassroots fundraising and peer-to-peer campaigns into your fundraising strategy, geared toward nonprofit development directors, nonprofit founders who have to act like development directors, and their funders who are interested in learning more about online fundraising. You'll learn the tricks of the trade from Brandon Whitney, Co-Founder and COO of ioby - a platform that has helped community organizers raise more than $262,000 and succesfully fund 125 local environmental projects. Recorded on May 24, 2012.

The world is greening up quickly with our early spring, but what's your community doing to green up the world? Everyone from major environmental NGOs to local school and scout groups are recognizing the increasing potential to address major environmental issues at the local level - and the potential for that very act to build community. On this recording, you'll find out how your community can be part of the solution. Featuring Brandon Whitney, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of ioby (in our back yards) and Wendy Hawthorne, Executive Director of Groundwork Denver. Recorded on May 10, 2012. Notes available online at bit.ly/xHhtXx.