Community Initiatives
is a network of curious and committed souls, advancing communities marked by a sense of belonging, stewardship, and willingness to act for the common good.
What We Believe
Leadership is a verb and not a position, something to be distributed and not tightly held
Today’s challenges require Holistic approaches—a good solution solves multiple problems and produces multiple benefits
All of us are wired for community, to experience Inclusion and a sense of Belonging
Just and Equitable communities ensure everyone has access to the vital conditions we need to thrive
Community Stewards build bridges across the lines--political, racial, religious and/or socio-economic—that divide us
Authentic Dialogue—hearing what’s true for others, sharing what’s true for you, and discovering the truths we hold in common—is the starting point for transformational change
What We Do
Develop Comprehensive Community Change Processes
We provide a unique blend of comprehensive services to local and regional communities—working across sectors and with community members—seeking transformative results. This includes:
Process design and facilitation
Shared governance and collective action (structures and practices)
Tools for measuring impact and mobilizing with stakeholders
Provide Capacity Building + Coaching
We design and deliver coaching and capacity building services via a mix delivery options, including:
Workshops or summits
Onsite training and distance coaching
Peer learning processes
Cultivate Action-Learning Networks
We help networks of communities and/or anchor institutions—working on similar goal—to get better and faster results. This includes:
Co-design, facilitate and coach action-learning collaboratives – mix of in-person and virtual modes with a cohort of peers
Design and guide in person engagement such as Action Institutes and Community Summits
Provide practical technology, as well as content curation, to augment peer learning and action
Support National Movement Building
We endeavor to amplify, connect, and strengthen the many different facets of the movement for thriving together through:
Co-creating Thriving.us and the development of infrastructure to support communities in pursuit of All People and Places Thriving — No Exceptions
Development of content—podcasts, stories, toolkits and dialogue guides—to inspire possibilities for taking action
Elevating new ideas and under-heard voices through local-to-national dialogue processes and tools
Who We Are
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Monte Roulier
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David Gibbs
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Stacy Wegley
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Elizabeth Hartig
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Marcias Frazier
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Tatiana Maida
What Our Network Looks Like
Community Commons is a collaborative initiative that exists to serve the healthy communities’ movement by helping change-makers advance equitable community health and well-being. For the last decade we’ve done that by connecting those driving change to the best tools, resources, data, and stories to support the work. We call our site “The Commons” to promote the notion that all that we create, we share together. Community Initiatives is a founding partner of the Commons along with the Institute for People Place and Possibility (IP3) and Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES).
IP3 is a nonprofit organization working to create healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities. They believe in the power of local communities to create real, lasting change and they help to build community capacity by sharing what works. what doesn't— and where innovation is leading next. Their work— both as the life force behind Community Commons and offerings of web-based data solutions— provides the insight and tools to move from knowing to doing.
ReThink Health is a flagship initiative of Rippel, a nonprofit operating foundation dedicated to fostering equitable, exceptional health and well-being for all. ReThink Health discovers and shares what it takes to thrive together through shared stewardship and continually explores how to achieve equitable system change in real world settings. Together with partners and co-investors, we work with health care organizations, foundations, corporations, government institutions, and change agents throughout the United States to guide thinking and action that inspire innovative system transformation and to promote shared stewardship as a rising norm.
The Well Being In the Nation (WIN) Network is a growing strategic network of organizations and communities coming together to advance well-being and equity over generations by expanding the vital conditions everyone needs to thrive through relationships and system change. WIN look to the leadership of people in places across the country who confront challenges to enrich health and well-being in a way that is inclusive of everyone. We believe that, together, we can secure intergenerational well-being for all.
WE in the World transforms relationships and systems to create a world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential for well-being and contribute to that of others. WE in the World grew out of 100 Million Healthier Lives and is proud to be a core implementation partner creating health, well-being and equity at scale as part of its next phase.