Foundational Guides for Community Change

At IP3 and Community Commons, we work to deepen understanding of—and drive investment and action toward—the well-being of people, places, and the natural environment. IP3 advances this mission by organizing and sharing knowledge that builds awareness, engages learners, and turns learning into action—strengthening the capacity of stewards to advance equitable well-being across the nation.

Community Commons introduces powerful ideas to changemakers in clear, accessible ways that connect directly to real-world community change. We invite readers to bring these concepts into their daily practice, share them with others, and build collaboration and collective action needed to create lasting impact on community well-being.

Introductory collections on Community Commons offer applied guidance across a range of community-change concepts—from foundational ideas like Health Equity, Stewardship, and Systems Change to timely topics, such as Social Capital and Trauma-Informed Practices. Introductory collections also cover core community change processes—like Community Assessment and Advocacy—and data and measurement support.

We’ve gathered our introductory collections of content and resources here to help you get started. Explore the topics below, and please let us know which concepts you’d like to see added to this growing set of foundational guides for community change.