Assistance is the most direct way we help local partners create meaningful on-the-ground progress. Working hand in hand with local partners, we help communities identify, design, and implement strategies that respond to local needs and opportunities.
Grounded in a commitment to effective engagement and strengthening civic capacity, assistance projects address the key challenge at hand while making the community better prepared to tackle future challenges or opportunities on its own.
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. These applicants are focused and able to invite 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 equal 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.
The Assistance program is available to county, city, town, and tribal governments throughout the American West. We solicit applications from communities for assistance when our 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.
