Building Stronger Communities Through Strategy, Partnership, and Action.
We’re Sarah and Renee, And this is why we built Thrive.
WE'VE SAT IN YOUR SEAT.
Between the two of us, we’ve spent decades inside this work, not simply advising from the outside, but doing it.
Economic development. Grant strategy. Community planning. Entrepreneurship. Organizational leadership. The difficult conversations that happen when priorities compete, funding falls through or a good plan gets stuck somewhere between strategy and implementation.
We’ve celebrated the wins that took years to earn. We’ve experienced the setbacks, pivots and funding rejections, too.
That perspective, the full picture of the work, is what ultimately led us to create Thrive Community Partners.
Thrive Was Created to bridge a gap.
We kept seeing the same thing.
Capable communities. Purpose driven organizations. Promising entrepreneurs. Good people with good ideas who were getting stuck.
Not because they weren't working hard enough, but because they didn't have the right support at the right moment.
Sometimes that meant funding strategy. Sometimes strategic planning. Sometimes additional capacity to actually implement the plan. And sometimes it meant having an experienced outside perspective in the room asking the right questions.
WE BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY IS THE STORY.
We believe every community already has its greatest asset: its people.
Real progress happens when those people are aligned around a shared vision, equipped with the right tools, connected to meaningful partnerships, and empowered to take action.
That's why everything we do is built around helping communities increase their capacity, not just complete another project.
Whether someone downloads a free planning toolkit, listens to a podcast episode, participates in a planning process, or partners with our team on a long-term initiative, our goal is the same:
Help communities build momentum that lasts.
HERE'S WHERE WE CAN HELP
We've created a growing library of free resources, practical frameworks, articles, podcast episodes, and planning tools to help community leaders continue learning long after a meeting ends.
Whether you're looking for your first grant readiness checklist or developing a multi-year strategic initiative, our Resource Center is designed to equip communities at every stage of the journey.
Big ideas, real impact.
We don’t just talk about transformation, we work alongside partners to make it happen. From small towns to regional collaborations, communities are advancing priorities, securing resources, and implementing solutions through shared effort.
Explore our Partners & Impact to see who we work with and what we’re building together, or read our Success Stories for real-world examples of how strategic support and collaboration are driving measurable outcomes.
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More than $43 million in grant funding has helped turn ideas into real projects, programs and investments. That experience gives Thrive a practical understanding of what happens before the application is written, from building a fundable strategy and aligning partners to creating a plan that can actually be implemented.
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More than 40 startup entrepreneurs have been supported as they worked to move ideas toward viable businesses. Through coaching, strategy and practical guidance, Sarah and Renee have helped entrepreneurs think through the decisions, resources and next steps that turn an idea into something sustainable.
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More than 250 distressed properties have been part of revitalization efforts that turned challenges into opportunities for communities. That work represents more than improving individual properties, it demonstrates how thoughtful strategy, partnerships and investment can create momentum well beyond a single project.
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Initiatives supported across multiple projects
Thrive’s experience also includes supporting major capital investment initiatives where economic development, infrastructure, funding and partnerships have to work together. Sarah and Renee understand the coordination required to move complex projects forward and the role those investments can play in creating jobs, strengthening communities and positioning them for future growth.