Welcome to the Thrive Community
In this blog, we will thoroughly explore every facet of local community development. We'll draw on various resources, skills, and real-life examples to illustrate how you can actively participate in and contribute to community development.
Why Workforce Housing Belongs in Every Economic Development Strategy
Workforce housing is more than a residential development issue. Learn how housing availability affects business attraction, employee recruitment and retention, and why housing belongs in every community's economic development strategy.
Downtown Revitalization Starts With Small Wins
Downtown revitalization doesn't always require a major investment to get started. Discover how pop-up markets, creative storefront uses and other small initiatives can build community momentum, test ideas and support long-term revitalization strategies.
What Site Selectors Really Look for in a Community
What matters most when site selectors evaluate communities for business investment? Explore why workforce availability, infrastructure reliability and community responsiveness can influence economic development decisions beyond incentives.
Preventing Burnout in Community Development Starts With Taking Care of People
Community development professionals often carry a personal responsibility for the places they serve. Learn why burnout can be difficult to recognize in mission-driven work and how leaders can support their teams by addressing workload, capacity and organizational expectations.
Brain Drain Is More Than a Young People Problem
Rural brain drain isn't simply about young people leaving. Explore how housing, broadband, career opportunities and community culture influence talent retention and the decision to return home.
The Laws of Attraction in Rural Economic Development
Business attraction can bring new investment to rural communities, but it shouldn't always be the first step. Learn why business retention, workforce development and infrastructure help build the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
Community Development Should Start With Trust
The people with the most influence in a community don't always have the biggest titles. Learn why trusted relationships and local messengers are essential to stronger community engagement.
Why Strategic Planning Looks Different When You Actually Know the People in the Room
The strongest local strategic plans don’t start with a generic framework. They start by listening to the people who know the community best and building a process that turns local knowledge, relationships and priorities into action.
Your Brand Isn’t What You Say It Is. It’s What People Experience.
Your brand is more than a logo, website, or tagline. It’s the experience people have with your business at every touchpoint. Here’s how to build a brand people understand, trust, and remember.
Why We Started Thrive
Why did Renee and Sarah start Thrive Community Partners? For the Season 1 finale of Thrive in Five, Renee shares the gap they kept seeing in communities, organizations, and businesses, and why they built Thrive to be the kind of partner that stays for what happens next.
Your Grant Rejection Is Not Personal
A grant rejection does not necessarily mean your proposal was bad. Renee explains why strong proposals still get denied, what to ask funders after a rejection, and how to use the response to decide what to do next.
Why You Should Ask for Help Before You Need It
Leaders often wait until a manageable challenge becomes a crisis before asking for help. Sarah explains why seeking outside perspective early can preserve options, prevent bigger problems, and be one of the most strategic decisions a leader makes.
You Do Not Need Authority to Lead
Community leaders are often responsible for moving work forward without the authority to make anyone participate. This episode explores how listening, consistency, relationships, and trust create the influence needed to lead meaningful community change.
Where to Find Grants
Finding grants isn’t really about knowing which database to search. Renee and Sarah explain how to narrow the funding landscape, identify opportunities that truly fit your work, and build funder relationships that improve your chances of success.
Turning Your Strategic Plan Into Action
Strategic plans rarely fail all at once. More often, they quietly stall. Renee explains how 90-day action plans, clear ownership, committed resources, and regular check-ins can turn strategy into implementation.
The Most Important Community Leaders May Be Hidden in Plain Sight
Some of the most influential community leaders don't have formal titles. Sarah shares how to identify trusted, often-overlooked voices, “choose your five,” and bring more meaningful perspectives into community planning.
The Hidden Engine of Community Growth (And What Happens When One Part Breaks Down)
Economic development is more than attracting new businesses. Renee and Sarah break down the four components of a strong local economy and why business growth, workforce, infrastructure, and community development have to work together.
Why Most Community Meetings Fail
Too many community meetings are designed to present information rather than invite meaningful participation. Renee explains how better questions, multiple ways to contribute, and genuine community input can turn attendance into ownership.
What It Actually Takes to Revitalize a Community (And Why Most Efforts Fall Short)
Why do promising community revitalization efforts lose momentum? Renee and Sarah share Thrive’s Purpose-Driven Revitalization Framework and the four interconnected pillars that help communities turn individual projects into lasting change.
Your Community Plan Is Only as Good as Your Capacity to Implement It
In this episode of Thrive in Five, Renee explains a common mistake communities make: investing heavily in planning, visioning, and strategic frameworks while skipping an honest conversation about capacity.
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