Communities don’t need a perfect plan to begin.
The Impact Pathway helps communities move from fragmented efforts to coordinated action and measurable impact. Through five practical milestones, communities build the alignment, systems understanding, strategy, and momentum needed to improve quality of life over time.
Whether you are just beginning to convene partners or already leading collaborative efforts, the Impact Pathway allows you to start at the milestone that best fits your current goals, readiness, and stage of development.
“When we come together, working on shared goals and common goals in our community, we are able to move the needle faster.”— Excelsior Springs, MO
See the Full Pathway at a Glance
Want a quick overview of the full Impact Pathway journey? Download the one-page snapshot to explore all five milestones, formats, timing, and focus areas.
Download the Impact Pathway Snapshot
Now Enrolling - Summer 2026
Milestone 1: Gather to Build Momentum • July 14, 2026
Communities don’t need a perfect plan to begin. Milestone 1 is a focused kickoff workshop designed to help communities identify a core group, clarify why the work matters now, and begin building the momentum needed for coordinated action.
What You’ll Advance
- A clearer shared purpose and case for change
- Initial cross-sector team identification
- Early alignment around priorities and direction
- A plan for engaging additional partners
- Readiness for Milestone 2
Format: 3-hour virtual workshop
Next Session: July 14, 2026
Cost: $500 for up to 5 participants
Learn More About Milestone 1
Sign Up for Milestone 1
Communities that complete Milestone 1 may apply their full $500 investment as a credit toward Milestone 2.
Now Enrolling - Summer 2026
Milestone 2: See Your Whole Picture • Next Cohort Begins August 2026
Milestone 2 helps communities better understand the systems, conditions, partnerships, and priorities shaping quality of life. Communities strengthen alignment, expand engagement, and begin building a more complete picture of where they are today and where they want to go.
What You’ll Advance
- A stronger cross-sector team structure
- Shared understanding of community conditions
- Expanded stakeholder and resident engagement
- Refined community measures and scorecard priorities
- Increased alignment across initiatives and partners
Format: 10 bi-weekly virtual sessions over six months + coaching check-ins
Cost: $7,500 per community
Learn More About Milestone 2
Fill Out our Interest Form
“The impact pathway gives teams both the what and the how, helping them think differently and act differently.” — Coral Gables, FL
Coming Soon
Milestones 3, 4, and 5 open for enrollment in early 2027. Communities completing Milestone 2 will have the opportunity to continue their journey.
Milestone 3: Align and Plan for Cross-Sector Impact • Next Cohort Begins February 2027
Building on shared understanding developed in Milestone 2, communities move from insight to shared direction - aligning people, priorities, measures, strategies, and resources around common goals that cross sector lines.
What You’ll Advance
- Shared community goals and prioritized needs
- A coordinated community strategic plan
- Updated community scorecard with aligned measures
- Cross-sector coordination and governance plan
- Refreshed messaging and shared narrative
Format: 5 bi-weekly virtual sessions over six months + 3 coaching check-ins
Cost: $5,000 per community
Milestone 4: Put Your Plan Into Practice
Communities begin implementing selected strategies, tracking progress in real time, and adjusting their approach based on what they are learning. This milestone builds the discipline and infrastructure for sustained, coordinated action.
What You'll Advance:
Early-stage implementation of priority strategies
Scorecard-based progress tracking and shared reporting
Team reflection, learning, and process improvement
Documented results and expanded partnerships
Stronger accountability and decision-making practices
Format: 5 bi-weekly virtual sessions over six months + 3 coaching check-ins
Cost: $5,000 per community
Milestone 5: Sustain, Celebrate, and Scale What Works
Communities strengthen what is working, embed new ways of collaborating into their systems, tell the story of their progress, and prepare for the next stage of impact — including expanding successful strategies to other parts of the community.
What You'll Advance:
Long-term sustainability and governance plan
Scaling strategy for what’s working
Team reflection tools and milestone celebration
Storytelling materials and case for continued investment
Foundation for the next phase of community impact
Format: 5 bi-weekly virtual sessions over six months + 3 coaching check-ins
Cost: $5,000 per community
Every Milestone Includes:
- Live virtual learning sessions
- Peer learning and networking
- Practical tools and templates
- Access to the online learning platform
- C.O.R.E. Community Scorecard access
- Examples and promising practices from other communities
- Optional coaching support
Coaching Support Options
Communities can add customized coaching support to any milestone. C.O.R.E. coaches help teams apply what they are learning, navigate challenges, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate progress.
Support may include:
- Team development
- Strategic planning
- Cross-sector collaboration
- Community engagement
- Data interpretation and use
- Applying the C.O.R.E. Guide
- Assessment preparation
About the C.O.R.E. Community Scorecard
Throughout the Impact Pathway, communities use the C.O.R.E. Community Scorecard to better understand conditions, track progress, and align around shared outcomes.
The scorecard includes measures across our seven quality of life aspects:
- Health
- Education
- Economy
- Housing
- Built Environment
- Physical Environment
- Social Cohesion
Communities may begin with the standard scorecard and later customize measures to reflect local priorities and goals.
What Communities Say
"The project doesn’t have to be grand in scale. It really can just get started."
— Saratoga County, NY
“Communities of Excellence became the vehicle to help us address some of the larger, deep-seated issues in our community.”
— Excelsior Springs, MO
“We measure our vision. It’s not enough to say what we want to be — we measure it.”
— Coral Gables, FL
We could not have done this without engaging and trusting the Baldrige framework process.”
— Story County, IA
Ready to Find Your Starting Point?
Whether your community is ready to launch Milestone 1, join the next Milestone 2 cohort, or simply explore what might fit best, we’d love to connect.
Download the Full Impact Pathway Snapshot
Fill out our Interest Form or contact us at info@connectwithcore.org
