Transforming Communities Through Systems Thinking, Collaboration, and Measurable Impact
Across the country, communities face complex, interconnected challenges such as poverty, poor health outcomes, inequitable education, and housing instability. These issues don’t exist in isolation, yet most efforts to solve them are short-term, siloed, or reactive.
We believe communities can do better, and deserve better.
The C.O.R.E. Guide: A Framework for Community Resilience and Excellence
The C.O.R.E. Guide is our playbook for transforming how communities work together. It’s a proven, systems-based approach that helps local leaders align around a shared purpose, focus on what matters most, and use data to continuously improve outcomes.
Grounded in the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence and adapted for community use, the C.O.R.E. Guide provides structure for:
- Vision and Alignment: Building consensus around shared purpose, goals, and values.
- Collaboration and Integration: Connecting people and organizations across sectors to work as one system.
- Measurement and Learning: Using data and resident voice to inform decisions and track progress.
- Leadership and Engagement: Ensuring residents and leaders alike are involved in shaping a better future.
The Guide centers on seven quality-of-life aspects that define thriving communities:
By applying the C.O.R.E. Guide, communities develop a shared understanding of where they are, what matters most, and how to create the conditions for everyone to flourish.
The Impact Pathway: How Communities Bring the Guide to Life
The Impact Pathway turns the C.O.R.E. Guide into action. It’s a milestone-based journey that helps communities build capacity, align resources, and sustain systems-level improvement over time.
Each milestone deepens collaboration, strengthens data use, and builds the habits of resilience and excellence that make change stick.
- Build a strong team foundation: Establish shared purpose, vision, and governance.
- See the whole picture: Assess community conditions using data and lived experience.
- Create a community strategic plan: Identify priorities, align resources, and set measurable goals.
- Act, learn, and adapt: Implement, measure, and refine strategies through continuous learning.
- Sustain, celebrate, and spread results: Embed what works and scale successful approaches.
Through expert facilitation, peer learning, and coaching, we help communities apply the C.O.R.E. Guide at every step of the Pathway.
Our Theory of Change in Action
Our Theory of Change outlines how structured collaboration leads to measurable results and long-term resilience.
Our approach centers on:
- Systems thinking — seeing the whole picture
- Collaborative leadership — empowering cross-sector teams
- Data alignment and shared measurement — turning information into insight
- Resident voice — ensuring those most affected shape the solutions
- Continuous learning — testing, adapting, and celebrating what works
Over time, this process drives meaningful results:
- Short-term: Clear team structures, baseline data, and unified action plans.
- Intermediate: Aligned strategies, stronger partnerships, equitable engagement, and measurable progress.
- Long-term: Sustained improvements in health, housing, education, and quality of life, and a culture of resilience and shared accountability.
Join the Movement
C.O.R.E. exists to help communities align people, purpose, and systems to improve the conditions that shape quality of life for all.
If you’re ready to bring the C.O.R.E. Guide and Impact Pathway to your community:
- Explore the Impact Pathway
- Learn About the C.O.R.E. Guide
- Connect with Us to start the conversation
Together, we’re building a future where every community can rise, adapt, and thrive with resilience at its core.
