Community Initiatives Network

For more than two decades CI has been working and learning alongside many of the leading community improvement efforts. These efforts go by different names: “healthy,” “sustainable,” “livable,” “prosperous,” “resilient” and/or “equitable” communities. While some prioritize increasing physical activity and healthy eating, others focus on the relationship among the economy, the environment, and social equity. Regardless of the names or focus, at the core of all of these collaborations is a determination to discover new ways of bringing community members and organizations together to solve vexing issues – those issues that no single sector of society, institution, or program can reasonably expect to address alone. CI has helped hundreds of multi-sector coalitions and partnerships—serving our largest and smallest communities—strengthen their local capacity, build relationships, spark imagination and mobilize their collective will to create positive change. Over the last 20 years, our team has had the distinct privilege of growing the “communities movement”- connecting, sharing, learning and serving. The CI team continues to support and engage in several national efforts aimed at shaping the policies and the environments that lead to healthier people and places. These efforts include work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, YMCA of the USA, and the Audubon Society. CI offers a unique blend of content and policy expertise, together with the skills and tools essential for genuine collaboration. We’re not consultants with all of the answers but partners who help people create communities that are worth caring about.