Deadline: 16/08/24
The Innovia Foundation is inviting applications for the Community Heart & Soul Program to help rural communities throughout its 20-county service area build community through a resident-driven process and take action on what matters most to its residents.
The Community Heart & Soul model was developed over ten years ago and it has been recognized nationally by the American Planning Association as a successful approach to community planning and development.
Community Heart & Soul is a bottom-up, resident-driven. The strength of the model lies in the design: there is no agenda being promoted, other than a genuine desire to improve community relationships, planning, and collaborative decision-making through engaging in the process. Community Heart & Soul must not be driven by any political, social, or religious agenda.
Community Heart & Soul is a resident-driven planning method for communities under 30,000 residents. The method helps identify the “heart and soul” of a community to inform planning and development. Field-tested in hundreds of communities over the last decade, Community Heart and Soul reconnects people with what they love most about their community and translates those personal and emotional connections into a blueprint that serves as the foundation for future community decisions and actions. It’s a barn-raising approach to community planning and development and has proven to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities in a way that upholds the unique character of each place. Communities across the country have used the Community Heart & Soul process to build community relationships, make lasting changes and develop long-term action plans.
Program Phases
- Phase 1: Imagine: You will gather a core Community Leadership Team of volunteers inspired to involve everyone and create positive change. Your team will work together to build awareness, interest, and commitment in all segments of the community. You will complete a Community Network Analysis developed for the program. The Community Network Analysis is all about understanding who lives, works and plays in your community and how best to reach them. You will be analyzing community demographics and tapping local knowledge to brainstorm ways to engage different groups and networks – especially those who are usually not at the table.
- Phase 2: Connect: In this phase, you will be bringing the table to the community to gather and share personal stories about local experiences and find common ground. The Community Leadership Team will use this information to develop Heart & Soul Statements that reflect the observations and aspirations of the collective community. These statements will guide activities and results in the next phases.
Funding Information
- Innovia will award up to ten $30,000 grants to support community-based project coordinators and actions in the selected communities for up to two years. Communities must provide a $10,000 local match over the two-year grant period.
Technical Assistance
- Technical assistance, including program training and assigned certified coaches, will also be provided. The coaches will provide capacity-building training and facilitation services for program coordinators and community leadership teams. Through this process, residents will learn how to create a network map, analyze demographic data, implement proven outreach and engagement strategies, build more authentic relationships with fellow residents, conduct community interviews, and develop a unique community plan. This support is free to the community and valued at over $50,000 per year.
Outcomes
- Hundreds of communities across the country have implemented the program and experienced outcomes such as:
- Increased participation in local community-decision making
- Increased volunteerism
- Increased investment in community-supported programs and activities
- Increased economic development and downtown revitalization
- Community endowment funds
Who can apply?
- The official grant applicant must be a nonprofit organization or unit of local government or there must be a fiscal sponsor that meets these qualifications.
- Multi-town, regional and county-wide efforts may be eligible if the total population does not exceed 30,000.
- The process can be initiated by residents, community-based organizations or units of local government such as a school, municipality, library or hospital district or port.
For more information, visit Innovia Foundation.