In 2008, the Orton Family Foundation began a $10 million, five-year initiative to develop a new approach to values-based community planning. This new way of building vibrant and enduring communities is designed to bring citizens back into the process of charting the future of their cities and towns. We call our approach “Heart & Soul Community Planning.”
Unlock Your Potential: Heart & Soul Community Planning from Orton Family Foundation on Vimeo.
The Orton Family Foundation invites proposals from small cities and towns committed to planning for a future that preserves and enhances their “heart and soul”—those places, people and customs that make them unique. We offer an innovative approach to community planning that unlocks potential by identifying local values, building a vision from them, and prioritizing actions. We seek towns where community partners are ready to harness the inherent ability of citizens to imagine and achieve a better future. Check out the RFP now...
We recognize that Heart & Soul Community Planning can only be as successful as the communities that pursue it. We designed the Heart & Soul Handbook to help communities unlock their native potential, and to share what we’ve learned from working in our partner project towns thus far. Read the first available chapters now...
Interested in responding to our Request for Proposals, but not sure where to start? Wondering whether Heart & Soul Community Planning is right for your town? Join us for an informative call series that will help you understand the essential elements of Heart & Soul and what you need to prepare a proposal.