Make a Difference in Your Community Today!
Discover Your Roadmap for Improved Economic Vitality, Health, Education, and Quality of LIfe through Communities of Excellence 2026!
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COE's educational and networking events give participants a variety of opportunities to make critical connections to ideas, resources, and peers across the country. Check out our calendar to see how you can get involved.
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Meet the Next Generation of Leaders: Learn more about the Kruse Communities of Excellence Scholarship recipients
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There is no systematic approach familiar to and used by all entities within communities that ensures federal, state, local, and private sector efforts are aligned and integrated to maximize their benefit and impact.
Why We Exist
To ensure that every person in America has the opportunity to live their best life in communities that are thriving.
Our Foundation Statement
For America to sustain its vitality, promote opportunity, and create a more equitable society during its second 250 years of existence, we must improve the performance of communities and the people who lead and live in them.
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Population Impacted
12.5 million
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Organizations Reached
450+
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Communities Engaged
26 Since 2017
We are our best selves when we work together! Like our engaged community leaders who are pursuing excellence, Communities of Excellence is on a journey to ensure that our offerings are relevant, meaningful, and impactful for communities working to make the world a better place. Please join us!
News & Blog
Watch the recorded webinar from November 20, 2024, hosted by the Baldrige Foundation Institute for Performance Excellence. In this session, Stephanie Norling, President & CEO of COE, highlights the latest updates and future directions for the Communities of Excellence 2026 initiative, including key insights and strategies for driving community-wide performance excellence.
In this article, we feature an inspiring conversation with Dr. Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote, a family physician and medical director of the Saratoga Community Health Center in Saratoga Springs, NY. Renee also serves as a COE board member. As a dedicated leader in the Saratoga County Communities of Excellence (COE) initiative, Renee shares their journey, the challenges and rewards of fostering cross-sector collaboration, and the impact of the COE Framework on addressing critical community challenges. Through their vision and leadership, Saratoga County is building a future where every resident can live well, be well, and thrive.
Communities of Excellence 2026 is proud to announce that ten communities have been awarded the prestigious Communities of Excellence recognition for their commitment to improving the quality of life for residents through collaborative leadership and community-wide initiatives. This recognition celebrates the communities’ dedication to using the Baldrige-based Communities of Excellence Framework, which focuses on social impact through performance excellence, collaborative strategic goal setting, and resident engagement.
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Judy Crabtree * Kanawha County, West Virginia
In the past, we often focused on our challenges without necessarily considering our many strategic advantages. We've also learned that the key requirements of residents in the different geographic areas of our county are very different. To be excellent, we need to consider all of our customers and their requirements."
