Community Heart & Soul

What Community Heart & Soul does

Community Heart & Soul is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded by Lyman Orton (proprietor of the Vermont Country Store) and operated under the Orton Family Foundation, that delivers a resident-driven community engagement methodology to small cities and towns (populations ≤30,000). Headquartered in Shelburne, Vermont, the organization has supported more than 140 communities across at least 18 states through a structured four-phase process — Involve Everyone, Focus on What Matters Most, Play the Long Game, and ongoing implementation — that turns resident stories into Heart & Soul Statements and actionable community plans.

The core product is the methodology itself, supported by field-tested tools (story-gathering frameworks, Change Over Time assessments, Impact vs. Feasibility matrices), a nationwide network of Level 1 and Level 2 certified coaches, a free downloadable Intro Book, and a $10,000 seed grant program. There is no direct fee to participating towns; the organization instead captures value through grant funding from community foundations and philanthropic partners that anchor regional expansion (e.g., Greater Dubuque, Greater Worcester, Chautauqua Region, Montana Community Foundation).

The go-to-market model combines direct engagement through certified coaches and HubSpot-scheduled introductory calls with a regional foundation partnership channel where community foundations act as funders, regional anchors, and introducers. Marketing is content-led (blog, case studies, intro book download, social channels including TikTok and YouTube) and reinforced through conference presence at industry events (Council on Foundations, ICMA, Council of Michigan Foundations). Notable customer outcomes include 18 residents applying for an open Carbondale, PA city council seat post-program and Red Oak, IA collecting 1,200+ story data points to inform future planning.

Name

Community Heart & Soul

Legal name

Community Heart & Soul (operated by Orton Family Foundation)

Website

https://communityheartandsoul.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Heart & Soul is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a resident-driven, four-phase community engagement methodology to small cities and towns (≤30,000 population), supported by certified coaches, field-tested tools, and a seed grant program funded through community foundation partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Engagement Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community engagement services
• Resident-driven planning
• Civic engagement consulting
• Community development programs
• Municipal coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelburne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Program Fees: Community Heart & Soul is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds its operations primarily through grants and programmatic partnerships with community foundations and regional philanthropic organizations. No direct fee-for-service revenue model is described for towns; seed grants reduce financial barriers.
2. Seed Grants to Communities: Community Heart & Soul provides $10,000 seed grants to qualifying small cities and towns to initiate the Heart & Soul process. Partner foundations sometimes provide matching grants (e.g., Montana Community Foundation's $10,000 match).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Community Heart & Soul provides a resident-driven community engagement methodology, the Heart & Soul Process, that helps small U.S. cities and towns (population ≤30,000) identify the priorities, places, and traditions that matter most to residents and translate them into actionable community plans. The service is delivered through a four-phase methodology led by residents in partnership with local officials and supported by a nationwide network of certified coaches, field-tested story-gathering and prioritization tools, and a $10,000 seed grant program that removes financial barriers to participation.

Product overview

Community Heart & Soul is a nonprofit organization offering a resident-driven community engagement methodology/process that helps small US cities and towns (populations of 30,000 or fewer) identify shared priorities and create actionable plans for a brighter future. The core offering consists of the Community Heart & Soul Process itself, supported by a nationwide network of Certified Coaches. Additional offerings include a free downloadable Intro Book, a $10,000 Seed Grant Program, the Four-Phase Implementation Process (Phase One through Phase Four), Project Coordinator Tools and Resources (including Change Over Time and Impact Versus Feasibility tools), and a Story Gathering Process that engages residents to develop Heart & Soul Statements. The organization partners with community foundations across the United States to expand its reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Heart & Soul Process

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140 towns across the U.S. have achieved lasting transformation through Community Heart & Soul.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Community Foundation of South Puget Sound (Washington)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026New programmatic partnership announced in April 2026. Community Heart & Soul will bring its engagement process to small cities and towns in Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties, Washington. The foundation stewards more than $49 million in charitable assets.
• Greater Worcester Community Foundation (Massachusetts)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026New partnership announced April 2026. The foundation manages a $270 million endowment with over 650 charitable funds and has awarded over $186 million in grants. Partnering to bring resident-led change to smaller towns across Worcester County.
• Chautauqua Region Community Foundation (New York)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026New partnership announced April 2026. CRCF was established in 1978 and is moving beyond grantmaking into community partnership and capacity building through this collaboration with Community Heart & Soul.
• Community Foundation of Monroe County (Michigan)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026New partnership announced April 2026. The foundation connects donors with local causes in education, health, poverty, and community development. Partnership deepens their ability to support inclusive, community-driven solutions.
• PA HumanitiesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 202510-year partnership celebrated in May 2025 at the Pennsylvania State Capitol. PA Humanities and Community Heart & Soul have driven community-driven initiatives in Pennsylvania towns since 2015, holding a press conference at the Capitol Rotunda to mark the milestone.
• Montana Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaboration announced April 2025 to broaden the reach of the Heart & Soul model in Montana. MCF provides a $10,000 matching grant alongside CH&S's $10,000 seed grant for selected communities (Boulder, Havre, Broadus). MCF manages over $188.5 million in assets.
• MSU Extension (Montana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Montana State University Extension is a partner in the Montana Heart & Soul initiative, providing regional support and extension services alongside Community Heart & Soul and the Montana Community Foundation.
• Community Foundation for Greater BuffalocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025One of three regional community foundations announced as new partners in April 2025 to strengthen resident-driven community development in the greater Buffalo area.
• Rochester Area Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025One of three regional community foundations announced as new partners in April 2025 to strengthen resident-driven community development in the Rochester area.
• Community Foundation for the AllegheniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025One of three regional community foundations announced as new partners in April 2025. Based in Pennsylvania, this foundation supports Heart & Soul efforts in the Alleghenies region.
• Legacy Foundation (Indiana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Partnership announced August 2024 to strengthen small cities and towns in Lake County, Indiana. Legacy Foundation President and CEO Kelly Anoe serves as a Community Heart & Soul Coach and panelist at national conferences.
• Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (Iowa)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201610-year partnership celebrated in 2026, bringing Community Heart & Soul to Iowa and the Midwest since 2016. The foundation has been instrumental in expanding the model across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with Jason Neises serving as a certified coach.
• Innovia Foundation (Washington and Idaho)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVital regional partner supporting Community Heart & Soul across the Inland Northwest (Washington and Idaho). Hosted the 2026 Community Leadership Summit in Spokane with Community Heart & Soul as a featured participant. Representatives from ten Heart & Soul communities attended.
• Barry Community Foundation (Michigan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Community Heart & Soul to support Nashville, Michigan (~1,600 residents). Annie Halle and Duska Brumm presented at the Council of Michigan Foundations Annual Conference on the partnership's impact.
• Iowa Rural Development CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the 2026 Iowa Rural Summit in Dubuque, where Community Heart & Soul was celebrated for 10 years of partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.
• The Longest TableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide potluck initiative co-founded by Maryam Banikarim, presented at the Innovia Foundation Summit. Pullman Heart & Soul partnered with The Longest Table for a downtown potluck event to gather resident stories.
• Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation (Ohio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Brian Treece moderated a session at the Kansas Association of Community Foundations conference on how foundations are adopting the Heart & Soul model. The foundation embedded a staff member as a coach and dedicates ~25% of a role to supporting a Project Coordinator.
• Nez Perce TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Stacia Morfin presented 'Where the Drum Meets the Land' at the Innovia Foundation Summit, showcasing the Nimiipuu Experience and emphasizing cultural understanding in community building.
• Orton Family FoundationflagshipOthersCommunity Heart & Soul was founded by Lyman Orton, proprietor of the Vermont Country Store. The Orton Family Foundation owns the intellectual property and content on the communityheartandsoul.org website (©2021).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation: Provides resident-driven community engagement methodologies and coaching for towns, cities, and foundations - the closest direct comparable to Community Heart & Soul's resident-engagement process and foundation-partner channel.
• National Civic League: Nonprofit focused on civic engagement, community building, and inclusive local governance, serving municipalities and foundations with frameworks overlapping CH&S's mission and customer base.
• Project for Public Spaces (PPS): Provides community engagement and placemaking methodologies for towns and cities around shared public spaces, comparable to CH&S's resident-driven process methodology and small-municipality clients.

Broad incumbents

• International City/County Management Association (ICMA): Broad local-government professional association with an active community engagement practice and webinar programming; serves the same customer base (small-city managers) and is already a documented CH&S partner.
• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation): Major community development financial institution serving underinvested communities with a broader product portfolio than CH&S but overlapping mission-aligned municipality customer base and foundation partner ecosystem.
• NeighborWorks America: National network supporting affordable housing and community development through local affiliates; serves similar mission-aligned municipalities and small towns but with a different programmatic emphasis than CH&S.
• Council on Foundations: Membership organization for foundations whose Leading Locally 2026 conference featured CH&S, illustrating the adjacent foundation-engagement ecosystem in which CH&S operates and through which it reaches new foundation partners.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development; broader portfolio but overlapping mission and partner-foundation ecosystem as CH&S scales.

Regional players

• Tamarack Institute: Canada-based nonprofit advancing community engagement and collective impact in small towns; methodologically comparable to CH&S but serving a different geography (Canada rather than the United States).

Others

• Orton Family Foundation: Parent foundation that owns the Community Heart & Soul intellectual property; comparable in mission and grants to towns but operates at a parent/funding level rather than as a peer methodology provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ortonfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8A26l_F9xY-NCO3tZaXOQg
• Facebookfacebook.com/106461839563
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orton-family-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/communityheartandsoul
• TikToktiktok.com/@communityheartandsoul

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Heart & Soul