About Community Commons

Community Commons is a robust online platform that supports change-makers working to advance equitable community health and well-being. For over a decade, we’ve connected those driving change to the best tools, resources, data, and stories to support this work.

There are countless toolkits, resources, data/mapping tools, and stories around the web, but finding what’s reputable and relevant can be overwhelming. On Community Commons, we’ve curated thousands of these that can inform and inspire meaningful community change, organized them across over 200 topics, and provided a comprehensive, intuitive search function to help you quickly find content relevant to your work.

We believe community improvement takes all of us, and that the most innovative, sustainable strategies come from those on the frontlines. We strive to democratize data, facilitate partnerships, and lift up the voices of communities to harness our collective strength for the common good. We keep a finger on the pulse of emerging trends from thought leaders, funders, and fellow change-makers, as well as what’s happening at the national level through participation in myriad national networks and initiatives. The Commons helps put local community work in context with national efforts like Thriving Together: A Springboard for Equitable Recovery & Resilience, as well as sense-making frameworks, like the Vital Conditions for Well-Being.

On Community Commons, you’ll find a short summary of what each resource, tool, and story entails, enabling you to quickly determine what will be most useful. Hundreds of new resources are added each month, ensuring content is up-to-date. There are also content libraries that provide knowledge management through customized taxonomies, house large collections of related content, and allow filtering of resources by type (e.g. data tool, case study). Content libraries include the 100 Million Healthier Lives Change Library, the Equitable Economies Policy Library, and the COVID-19 Peer-to-Peer Response Resource Library, among others.

In Common Newsletter

While those who leverage Community Commons come from many different backgrounds, areas of focus, and professions, there's one thing they all have in common: they are change-makers working to advance equitable community well-being. They are ready to see change, take action, prioritize equity, and make data-driven decisions that acknowledge issues as part of larger systems we have capacity to change.

Our bi-monthly newsletter is called In Common and shares new and timely tools, resources, data, and stories from Community Commons right to your inbox. Visit our In Common Newsletter page to learn more and subscribe today!

Commons Good Podcast

The Commons Good podcast is about stewardship and starting points for learning and acting together to secure intergenerational well-being and equity for all. It makes visible the practices and progress of community pacesetters, sparking dialogue about what it takes to create legacies of dignity and inclusion, and build the civic muscle needed to expand vital community conditions.

Who is behind Community Commons?

The hearts and minds behind Community Commons are the folks at the Institute for People, Place, and Possibility (IP3). IP3 is a nonprofit organization working to create healthy, equitable, sustainable communities that advance well-being now and for future generations. We build capacity for transformative change through movement from community insight to concerted action. Our work is founded in a commitment to improving community and population health. We provide knowledge and know-how surrounding data and technology, rooted in our deep passion for community partnerships. We have a long history of working with large and small organizations to provide data and reporting tools to assess community needs, prioritize investment areas and efforts, share stories for inspiration, and create lasting community change.

We’re always seeking new, innovative ways to partner with others and collaborate. Please reach out with any questions or partnership interests.