A Path to Build Thriving Communities
Get a plan to engage your whole community and take action toward a brighter future.
Making Real Community Impact is a Big Task and Can Feel Overwhelming
We hear from town residents, municipal leaders, and community partners that they are often blocked by:
- Apathy
- Fragmentation
- Lack of engagement
- Inadequate planning
- Poor investment choices
- Minimal follow through
The Good News
The good news is that Community Heart & Soul can help you and your community overcome these challenges to build and maintain a thriving community.
Your town is not just a place. It’s home.
Every town deserves a future shaped by the people who live there. Watch how Community Heart & Soul helps towns take charge, unite their voices, and create lasting impact.
About Community Heart & Soul
Every community has a unique “Heart & Soul”—the pride residents feel, the places they love to show visitors, the gathering places where people connect, and the ways neighbors come together to work across differences. Community Heart & Soul® is a discovery process that helps small cities and towns identify the priorities, places, and traditions that matter most to the people who live, work, and play there—and turn those elements into actions to build a brighter future for current and future generations.
Led by residents in partnership with local officials, Community Heart & Soul strengthens community engagement, builds trust, sparks economic development, and honors history and culture. It becomes an ongoing practice for years to come—not a plan that sits on a shelf.
Founded by Lyman Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store, Community Heart & Soul has helped over 140 towns across America build a future that reflects what residents love about their community and why they choose to live there.
Three Guiding Principles
At Community Heart & Soul, we take your community through an actionable plan that gives you a roadmap for success. Everything we do is rooted in three guiding principles.
Involve Everyone
Engage people where they already gather—block parties, schools, fairs, and other local events.
Focus on What Matters Most
Turn stories from residents into priorities for the future.
Play the Long Game
Build lasting change with an actionable framework to guide your community for years to come.
Ready to help shape your community’s future?
More than 140 small cities and towns across the U.S. have achieved lasting transformation with Community Heart & Soul.
What Communities Are Saying
Resident input helps ensure my time and energy are used most effectively—addressing what people love, as well as their concerns and future goals provides a basis for building a thriving, engaged community.”
— Charlene Phipps, Mayor, Spirit Lake, IDCommunity Heart & Soul provides clarity and helps me prioritize what matters most to residents, making it easier to manage the many responsibilities of a Borough Manager efficiently and effectively.”
— Mario Leone, Jr., Borough Manager, Ambridge, PA
How To Get Started
Download the Community Heart & Soul Intro Book
Our Intro Book is your go-to-guide—it shows you what the program is, why it works, and how to launch it in your community.
Strong Partnerships,
Stronger Communities.
Together, with foundations and nonprofits, Community Heart & Soul is helping transform small cities and towns across America.
Latest News
Looking Forward Together—What 250 Heart & Soul Statements Tell Us About the Future of Our Communities
As we mark America’s 250th anniversary, it’s natural to reflect on where we’ve been. At Community Heart & Soul, we’re also looking forward and asking: What future do America’s small…
Leicester’s Small but Mighty Army of Volunteers Aims to Grow Engagement With Community Heart & Soul
The Leicester C.A.R.E. team. Photo credit: Catherine Ingraham White. Stepping up for your community is baked into Leicester’s history. In 1774, Leicester resident Colonel William Henshaw helped coin the term…
Celebrating Rural Innovation and 10 Years of Community Heart & Soul in the Midwest
Last month, community builders and leaders from across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin gathered in Dubuque for the 2026 Iowa Rural Summit hosted by the Iowa Rural Development Council. Over two…