CommunityWorks USA

06/11/2026

Traditional funding streams can feel like running a marathon just to get a pair of sneakers. 🏃‍♂️💨

For neighborhood-focused community builders, the “big money” is often out of reach. When it is accessible, it usually comes with heavy strings attached, imposing outside priorities over local dreams.

But what if community leaders could bypass the gatekeepers and fund their own projects from the bottom up?

Enter giving circles—a decentralized, grassroots strategy that pools small-scale capital to create an outsized community impact.

Join us for our next webinar as we sit down with the pioneers of this movement. We'll be chatting with leaders from The Awesome Foundation and Grapevine Giving to explore how you can fuel your local projects through the power of collective giving.

💡 Stop waiting for top-down funding. Learn how to build your own. RSVP here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LUQ0xJPGTCaoQ-1td_fU7g #/registration

05/29/2026

How is your neighborhood like a vegetable garden? 🌽🥕🍅

This is the question we started with earlier this month at the Community Connections Workshop in Orlando, FL. Neighborhood and community leaders told us that their neighborhoods were similar as they were:

- Diverse with different cultures, languages, and ages
- Seasonal with patterns of life and connection varying throughout the year
- Required some pruning as nurturing relationships takes care to navigate conflict and build healthy relationships

Throughout the workshop, participants learned how they can build on these assets to sustain resident engagement and discover the gifts within their community.

Want to activate residents in your community to create possibilities using their gifts? Reach out to us today!

Neighborhood Relations - City of Orlando Orange County, Florida Government

05/26/2026

Across the country, neighbors are gathering on stoops, in living rooms, and in backyards--creating the connections that build resilient, vibrant communities. Thanks to The Hopeful Neighborhood Project for hosting the Tournament of Neighboring! We can't wait for National Good Neighbor Day!

Celebrating 1,690 people impacted through the Tournament of Neighboring this year!

CommunityWorks USA

05/22/2026

Earlier this week, we were privileged to be at the Trust in Practice Summit hosted by The Aspen Institute and The Allstate Foundation. It was great to connect with other trust builders across the country and learn innovative ways trust is being built block by block.

NVP: Neighborhood Village Project National Good Neighbor Day The Hopeful Neighborhood Project

05/15/2026

Did you know that knowing your neighbors by name is the #1 predictor of an effective disaster response? In Azalea Park (Orlando, FL), our partners are ensuring that residents have the resources and connections needed for the upcoming hurricane season.

We had a great meeting last night to learn how we can be prepared for hurricane season! Thanks to Stacie with Orange County Emergency Management for sharing helpful information and providing free weather radios! Join us next month to learn from Orange County Sheriff's Office.

05/11/2026

Don't miss your chance to learn more about how you can activate residents and celebrate the neighborhoods in your city through National Good Neighbor Day!

Join us tomorrow, May 12 at 11:00 AM MT, for Let’s Talk: Getting Ready for National Good Neighbor Day and explore how to bring more connection and belonging into your community.

Whether you’re looking to get to know your neighbors or create opportunities for people to connect across your community, this conversation will help you turn those ideas into action.

You’ll hear real stories from across the country and walk away with practical ways to get started, from simple moments of connection to larger community efforts.

We’ll be joined by Jennifer Prophete from The Hopeful Neighborhood Project and Megan Ginn from CommunityWorks USA, who will share tools, resources, and insights to help you prepare for National Good Neighbor Day, or even a full week of connection.

If you’ve been thinking about how to build stronger, more connected neighborhoods, this is a good place to begin.

Register now: https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/meeting/register/W4MU670NSbGQOm_vMH3XJA #/registration

05/05/2026

Are you in the Orlando area? Join us this Saturday at Orange County, Florida Government and Neighborhood Relations - City of Orlando Community Connections Workshop to learn about how you can build a stronger more connect neighborhood through the Eight Front Doors Challenge!

05/01/2026

Are you in the Orlando area? Join us next week for The Eight Front Doors Workshop to learn how you can strengthen your community! RSVP below!

🚪 Ready to build stronger, more connected neighborhoods?

Join us next Saturday for The 8 Front Doors Challenge—a hands-on workshop designed to spark creativity, connection, and community transformation.

📅 May 9, 2026
⏰ 9–11 a.m.
📍 Orange County Internal Operations Center
450 E. South Street Orlando, FL 32801

Our guest speaker, Megan Ginn, is a national leader in community building and a champion of starting with the gifts already present in every neighborhood.

Let’s build something beautiful together.

Orange County, Florida Government CommunityWorks USA

04/30/2026

In Mount Pleasant, MI, residents are coming together over board games as a way to build community! The Connected Community Coalition hosts these regular games nights as a way to build connection across differences. You can read more below!

Update from the Field: Mount Pleasant by CommunityWorks | Nov 22, 2025 | Blogs | 0 comments Thanks to your generosity, Mt. Pleasant (Isabella County, Michigan) is creating a place where everyone feels welcome to be their authentic self. Read below to hear from Jennifer, a resident in Mt. Pleasant an...

04/27/2026

Join us in just a few weeks to learn how you can mobilize your community to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day this year!

Are you looking to increase connection and belonging right where you live?

Join us for a Let’s Talk session as we get ready for National Good Neighbor Day. Whether you want to get to know your neighbors or bring people together across your community, this is a simple place to start.

You’ll hear real stories, explore practical tools, and learn how neighbors, community groups, and organizations are creating more connected communities. We’ll be joined by weavers Jennifer Prophete, Director of The Hopeful Neighborhood Project, and Megan Ginn, Director of Community Building Strategies at CommunityWorks USA, who will share real examples from their work and what they’re learning along the way.

🗓 Tuesday, May 12
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM ET

Save your spot: https://aspeninstitute.zoom.us/meeting/register/W4MU670NSbGQOm_vMH3XJA #/registration