Technical Assistance

Building healthy, equitable, and prosperous communities is difficult work. Local leaders are confronted by complex issues that are often divisive, while resources are scarce and implementation challenging.

Through the support of our philanthropic partners, we leverage the resources needed to provide community leadership development and on-the-ground assistance for a limited number of communities each year. If your community is ready to dig in, we’re excited to help. Typically, we prefer communities to go through our award-winning training before we engage in Technical Assistance work together.

The Community Builders Difference

At the heart of Community Builders’ model is a true partnership with communities. We focus on community needs first and commit to staying until the work is done, bringing our own funding to the table to match a community’s own investment.

The nature of this type of partnership is unique. It is not a traditional consulting relationship and CB is not “hired” by partner communities. Rather, both parties agree to work together on a project with shared commitment, responsibility and resources. It allows CB to adapt to the community’s needs, put in the amount of time needed to get things right, and to commit real resources to community engagement and capacity building, which are typically cut short (or out) of many projects where budgets are tight

How to work with us

The partnership between the community and Community Builders is the foundation of every project. We rely on a competitive application process to select communities that are primed for success. Successful applications are typically focused on inviting key partners to the table, while the project meets a clear need and has a good chance for implementation.

Through the support of our philanthropic partners, we are able to supply financial resources and staff capacity to every Assistance project. However, we require a financial contribution from each community in addition to its “people power.” Project success relies on shared buy-in with both the community and our team having skin-in-the-game, allowing each partner to do more with less.

Selected applicants work with the Community Builders team to create a scope that meets the community’s specific needs and fits within time and budgetary constraints. Projects are concentrated on economic development, housing, transportation, and land use issues. The average duration is one year, varying depending on each community’s needs. Strong preference is given to communities that have attended a Community Builders training, received prior assistance, or otherwise worked with Community Builders. This is particularly important for applicants seeking support on larger scale projects.

The Assistance program is available to county, municipal, and tribal governments throughout the American West. We solicit applications from communities for assistance when our staff capacity and funding enables us to do so. We are always looking for partners that want to make this work possible. If you are interested in funding assistance in your region, or have an issue you’d like to work with us on, please contact us.

Although we are not currently running an application cycle, to see the most recent application, click here.

Our assistance model

We embed ourselves in communities, building relationships and bridging division to build better places. Through our award-winning assistance model, we bring people together to build a shared vision for their community, and develop the tools and capacity to take action. While each community and its needs are different, we’ve found that the most successful and lasting projects have the same key elements.

We start by laying the groundwork for a successful project – ensuring essential foundations for an in-depth engagement process are in place. We then work with communities to assess the current reality and get everyone on the same page. This often includes values engagement, a process that helps communities identify what matters most to them, setting the foundation for the rest of the project. Our next step is to create space for community members to envision the direction they want their community to take, providing a clarity of purpose and direction. We then strategize with our partners to identify concrete actions communities can take to progress towards their shared vision. Finally, we help implement  these efforts, securing public commitment from key decision-makers and launching the actions that will sustain the community’s momentum towards a more livable future.

See our Technical Assistance work in action through our current projects.

Working with us outside of our assistance cycle

Community Builders has established relationships with state and federal agencies to provide in-depth consulting and assistance on a variety of issues, including affordable housing, transportation, economic development, and land use policy. We have worked throughout the West as service providers through programs such as the Affordable Housing Toolkit for Local Officials (CO Division of Housing), Colorado Brownfields Partnership (CO Department of Public Health & Environment), and the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities Initiative (National Association of Counties).

Our team also periodically responds to requests for proposals (RFPs) that are aligned with our mission, vision, and staff capacity. If you have an RFP or project proposal and are interested in exploring a collaboration with Community Builders, please contact us.

The [Silverton] Compass Master Plan documented one of the best community outreach processes I have ever seen and was instrumental in the successful award of a $800,000 Multipurpose grant for the Town from the US EPA.
Dan Brown, Partners Environmental Consulting, Inc
Through the Community Builders Housing Institute, we were able to re-engage key community partners and find ways to make a larger impact by working together.
Shay Coburn, Town Planner of Ridgway, Colorado
Community Builders gave us the tools to make major changes in our community.
Carly-Ann Carruthers, Laramie Main Street Alliance
Excellent services and knowledge. These people are subject matter experts by providing the tools needed to grow your community.
Derek Tippetts, ProTech Solutions, LLC

Recent Work

We work with communities and local leaders throughout the American West that are shaping more livable places.

West End, CO

Creating a community-led strategy for the future that celebrates the interconnected nature of the region.

View Project

Leadville & Lake County, CO

Creating a shared vision and comprehensive plan for the future of Leadville and Lake County.

View Project

Gunnison Valley, CO

Bringing together the communities of the Gunnison Valley to address shared regional challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

View Project

VIEW ALL WORK