Orton Family Foundation

There are many ways to boost your community's economy, but one of the hottest options is to go green. If you're looking to help local businesses, add jobs, keep young people around, and of course improve sustainability, then you're a prime candidate for a conversation about growing a greener local economy. Featuring Jared Lang, Program Manager of NACo's Green Government Initiative and Mark Rembert, Co-Founder and Director of Energize Clinton County (OH). Call recorded on October 27, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/noD4aD.

Tornados in Joplin. Wildfires in Phoenix. Flooding in Vermont, Virginia and everywhere in between. If your community makes the list of places hit hard by recent disasters, you may be wondering how to move forward. If you've so far been spared, you know it's only a matter of time. Either way, you're due for a conversation about how to strengthen local leadership, create a new vision, and build a resilient community that can withstand whatever the future holds. Featuring Bob Dixson, Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, Abby Hall, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Sustainable Communities, and Daniel Homsey, Director of San Francisco's Neighborhood Empowerment Network. Call recorded on October 13, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/11CHuOh.

There's only so much governments and institutions can do to spur the economy. The rest is in the hands of the people - the innovators, the creators, the craftsmen, the saleswomen, the impressarios. On this call recording, you'll learn what your community can do to help entrepreneurs as they help the local economy. Featuring Mickki Langston, Executive Director of the Mile High Business Alliance and Shanna Ratner, Principal of Yellow Wood Associates, Inc.. Call recorded on September 22, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/rqu6sa.

Your wallet may be stuffed with greenbacks, but they're not the only currency around. Hear about the benefits and challenges of alternative local currencies and investment programs, which offer communities a way to sidestep "big money" and add value to the local economy. Featuring Susan Witt, Education Director of the New Economics Institute and Co-Founder of the BerkShares local currency program and Trexler Proffitt, Developer of LanX: A Local Sustainable Exchange and Assistant Professor of Organization Studies at Franklin & Marshall College. Recorded on August 25, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/nXPE8S.

Bill McKibben kicks off our new Local Economies conference call series with a discussion about why we need to stop focusing on more, start focusing on better -- how our economic system is broken, and all the reasons (from carbon dioxide levels to the psychology of happiness) to move toward more durable, grounded local economies and more connected, resilient communities. Featuring Bill McKibben, Author and Activist. Call recorded on July 28, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/mQ170F.

Politicians often get slammed for being all talk, no action. But could talking be exactly the tool to help tackle your community's toughest challenges? On this call recording, you'll find out how meaningful conversations, deep dialogues and face-to-face interactions are helping communities diffuse racial tensions, set budgets, plan for the future, improve education, and more. Featuring Sandy Heierbacher, Director of the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation and Chris Dwyer, Portsmouth, NH City Councilor and member of the Portsmouth Listens Organizing Committee. Call recorded on June 23, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/15gjIf9.

Peak oil, climate change, and the economic crisis are daunting challenges. But the grassroots Transition Movement shows that local creativity and community resilience are exactly the way to take them on — and to make our lives better at the same time. Featuring Carolyne Stayton, Executive Director of Transition US and Shauna Struby, Co-Chair of Transition OKC. Recorded on June 9, 2011. Call notes available at bit.ly/jcMwQh.

The local foods movement is taking the country by storm, and for good reason - communities that grow and consume more of their own food are also building their economies, strengthening ties between neighbors, attacking poverty, protecting open space, educating consumers, improving sustainability... and the list goes on. Listen to this call recording to find out how you can start building community through local foods. Featuring Ben Hewitt, Farmer and Author of The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food and Making Supper Safe: One Man's Quest to Learn the Truth About Food Safety and Neva Hassanein, Associate Professor at the University of Montana, Department of Environmental Studies. Call recorded on May 12, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/YWFzFX.

Young people everywhere are speaking out, stepping up, and changing their communities for the better. On this recording, you'll hear a fast-paced conference call and get inspired by a number of stories about how teens and young adults are driving community change in government, the economy, food and welfare, planning and more. Featuring Brianna Hollins, President of the Rise & Shine Food Co-op, Lottie Gatewood, Director of Development at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Lee Krohn, Planning Director for the Town of Manchester, Vermont, and Josh Arnold, Founding Director of G.A.L.A. (Global Awareness Local Action). Recorded on April 14, 2011. Call notes at bit.ly/hHDyT7.

Conservation isn't just about preserving pristine wilderness and wildlife habitat. Community-focused conservation is on the rise, and it's increasingly about people, for people, by people, and with people. This call recording focuses on how and why conservation organizations are partnering with communities to protect and steward the land that matters most to citizens, and even using smart growth and urban development as a conservation strategy. Featuring Will Abberger, Director of Conservation Finance at the Trust for Public Land and Alison Van Gorp, Urban Policy Director at the Cascade Land Conservancy. Call recorded on March 10, 2011. Notes available online at bit.ly/gKeAba.

How can government become more transparent, collaborative and inclusive? The Open Gov conference call series focuses on case studies, challenges, ideas and solutions from communities across the country that are working to open up and invite people in. Featuring Alissa Black, Director of Government Affairs for Code for America, Nigel Jacob, Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, and Aaron Ogle, Code for America Fellow in Philadelphia. Call recorded on March 24, 2011. Call notes online at bit.ly/hfAZLY.

How can government become more transparent, collaborative and inclusive? The Open Gov conference call series focuses on case studies, challenges, ideas and solutions from communities across the country that are working to open up and invite people in. Featuring Jared Duval, Fellow at Demos and author of Next Generation Democracy and Yasmin Fodil, Partner at BYO Consulting. Call recorded on November 3, 2010. Call notes available online at bit.ly/171tPCW.

How can government become more transparent, collaborative and inclusive? The Open Gov conference call series focuses on case studies, challenges, ideas and solutions from communities across the country that are working to open up and invite people in. Featuring Alissa Black, Director of Government Affairs for Code for America, Nigel Jacob, Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, and Aaron Ogle, Code for America Fellow in Philadelphia. Recorded on March 24, 2011. Call notes available online at bit.ly/feUp6L.

How can government become more transparent, collaborative and inclusive? The Open Gov conference call series focuses on case studies, challenges, ideas and solutions from communities across the country that are working to open up and invite people in. Featuring Dustin Haisler, Director of Government Innovation at Spigit and Yasmin Fodil, Partner at BYO Consulting. Recorded on January 27, 2011. Call notes online at bit.ly/fumXaX.

“It takes a place to create a community – and a community to create a place.” That’s how the Project for Public Spaces describes the challenge of Placemaking, a process that “capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, ultimately creating good public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well being.” Featuring Ethan Kent, Vice President at the Project for Public Spaces and Paul Dreher, Planning and Zoning Administrator for the City of Newport, Vermont. Call recorded on February 10, 2011. Call notes available online at bit.ly/12kkRj4.

Is your community looking to involve more citizens and enhance what makes it special? On this recording, you'll learn about a new kind of community planning - where meetings are held over potluck dinners and in neighborhood living rooms and citizen feedback means sticky notes and storytelling celebrations. Featuring Jane Lafleur, Executive Director of Friends of Midcoast Maine and Damariscotta Heart & Soul Coordinator and Betsy Rosenbluth, Director of Projects at the Orton Family Foundation. Recorded on December 15, 2010. Call notes available online at bit.ly/fCSwEe.

A sustainable community isn’t just environmentally responsible – it’s also equitable, inclusive, vibrant, healthy, and affordable. On this call recording, you'll learn more about the importance of partnerships, collaboration and local knowledge in building greener and more enduring communities. Featuring Fred Profeta, Chair of the Sustainable Jersey Mayors' Committee and Deputy Mayor for the Environment of Maplewood Township, NJ and Angela Vincent, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Director at ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. Call recorded on January 13, 2011. Call notes online at bit.ly/12ka7RD

“Our homogeneous, monolithic approach to building communities is ending. For America to see renewed prosperity, we need to learn to trust—embrace—local economies for the creative force they can be,” says Charles Marohn. On this call recording, find out how cooking oil, GIS data, and a healthy dash of creativity are helping some communities keep their economies humming. Featuring Charles Marohn, Executive Director of Strong Towns, Christopher Markuson, GIS Manager for Pueblo County, Colorado, and Hamilton Simons-Jones, Chief Development Officer for Operation REACH, Inc. Call originally recorded on November 17, 2010. Access notes from the call online at http://bit.ly/11euDAX.

Decisions about community land use and land management are rarely simple. Engaging all stakeholders in meaningful ways may seem daunting. How can you work with complex interests and issues to reach consensus? What tools help bridge divides and sidestep barriers to achieve agreement? On this recorded call, you'll learn about tools and resources for Bridging Divides in Land Use Decision Making from Pat Field of the Consensus Building Institute and Lesli Allison of Chama Peak Land Alliance. Find notes from the call and other resources at http://www.communitymatters.org/bridging-divides