• Communities must be located in Lake County, Indiana with a population size below 40,000.
  • If your town or city has a population of over 40,000 and you are interested in engaging your community, please reach out to set up a meeting.
• The selected community must be ready to begin initial planning in December 2025, begin Phase 1 of the program in January 2026 and can commit to continuing the Community Heart & Soul process over the next two years.
• The Community Heart & Soul process must be implemented through a partnership between residents, a local nonprofit organization, and the selected community’s municipal government.
• Each application must identify a Community Heart & Soul 501(c)3 convening partner. This role can be filled by either a nonprofit organization or municipal government. If an organization is the convening partner, the organization can be of any size, including grassroots organizations and resident-led community groups. If the organization does not have its own 501(c)3 status, a fiscal sponsor may be used.
• Both the organization and municipal government must each have at least one staff person, or elected official, who will play an active role in the Community Heart & Soul Core Team.
• The municipality and organization must prioritize community involvement and invite residents from all backgrounds to actively participate in the Heart & Soul process.

Legacy Foundation will commit up to $80,000 over two years to the selected community. The community is required to raise a $10,000 local match over the next two years. This funding is to support the use of the Community Heart & Soul method to engage residents in community planning and development. Legacy Foundation funding can be used on expenses such as: staffing/project coordination (a project coordinator is required), supplies, marketing/communications, events, and implementation. Legacy Foundation funds may not be used for overhead expenses, indirect costs, or capital improvements. Legacy Foundation will also prioritize Community Heart and Soul communities in future grantmaking.

In addition to receiving funding, the selected community will participate in a community of practice and work with Legacy Foundation staff for exclusive training and technical support throughout the course of the Community Heart & Soul process. This training, coaching, and technical support includes:

• Access to Community Heart & Soul resources, materials, and in-person training on each phase of the Community Heart & Soul model, covering topics like completing a community network analysis, creating your workplan, resident engagement planning, story collecting & sharing methods, developing community value statements & action ideas, and stewarding Community Heart & Soul in your community.
• One-on-one coaching from a trained Legacy Foundation Community Heart & Soul Coach, as well as access to regular community of practice calls with the national Community Heart & Soul Network.

Applications are reviewed by a committee of Legacy Foundation staff, Foundation Board of Directors, and Community Heart & Soul staff. In addition to the criteria listed below, the community will be selected with the intention of funding a diverse community based on several criteria such as characteristics of the community being served, and types of stakeholders involved in the project. Above all, communities should demonstrate their readiness and commitment to using Community Heart & Soul as a new way to plan for their community’s future. Additionally, applicants should show:

• Why this is a good time for their residents to engage in Community Heart & Soul and that the community is committed to using the process as a method of planning and development.
• Involvement of key partners, including the local municipality and convening partner. Applicants should show that the convening partner is well-respected and trusted in the community, and that other local community partners and organizations are dedicated to working together to make Community Heart & Soul a success.
• Experience with, and commitment to, engaging the public in decision-making processes, with a particular emphasis on connecting with hidden and missing voices.
• Commitment to contributing significant resources (financial and human) to the Community Heart & Soul process and their community project fund at Legacy Foundation.