CommunityMatters Launches New National Partnership

New National Alliance Collaborates to Build Stronger Local Communities 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 14, 2012

CommunityMatters PartnersMIDDLEBURY, VT— CommunityMatters® announced today the launch of a national partnership of eight organizations with the common goal of building strong communities through the improvement of local civic infrastructure. These seven leaders will collaborate on projects and advocate for a new paradigm that takes a systemic approach to community building and planning.

The newly-formed CommunityMatters partnership aims to equip cities, towns and all community members to strengthen their places and inspire change. This group champions the notion that people have the power to solve their community’s problems and shape its future. The alliance facilitates connections, provides education and infuses inspiration at the local level.

The organizations and disciplines currently included in this partnership are:

The CommunityMatters alliance will initiate projects aimed at accelerating learning and promoting meaningful engagement in local public processes. In 2012 and 2013, projects may include community-level workshops, development of shared metrics related to civic infrastructure, another national CommunityMatters conference, and resource collections for on-the-ground community builders. CommunityMatters currently offers free bi-monthly conference calls on a variety of topics of interest to those who are active in their communities.

Each organization has significantly advanced the field of community building through its own research, methods and projects. The strength of the alliance lies in the collective potential for broad social impact through the connection of typically isolated organizational endeavors. CommunityMatters relies on its partners to continue the work for which they are renowned, sharing their experiences and building a learning community of practice. The partners believe that this agile, collaborative approach will help shift the field and create culturally and economically vibrant places to live and work.

Originally rooted in a national conference by the same name, CommunityMatters is an initiative inspired by the Orton Family Foundation. CommunityMatters sponsors regional convenings, a national conference, conference calls and webinars, and other networking and learning opportunities.

“We’re thrilled to see the CommunityMatters partnership come to fruition,” said Bill Roper, President and CEO of the Orton Family Foundation. “With our founding partners, we’ve built an alliance that actively collaborates to address the complexities of 21st-century society. We know that our collective impact will far exceed what any one of us can accomplish individually. Each partner brings distinct perspectives, talents and networks; we couldn’t be more excited to join in a common cause with these esteemed organizations.”

Initial convenings of this group were supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Get Involved:

 

For more information, contact:

John Barstow, Director of Communications

The Orton Family Foundation

802.388.6336

PO Box 111 Middlebury, VT 05753

jbarstow@orton.org www.orton.org