A network of communities creating a movement where every person can thrive.
CommUnities in Action is a framework that brings the unity to community transformation. It aligns people who live, work and play to design, deploy, and fund solutions to the housing, infrastructure, and economic development challenges that they face.
Just as we recognize that there are consistent challenges, there is also deep experience and success happening across the country. By creating a network where those can be shared, we can create change together.
OUR RESULTS
USI has led powerful results for three CommUnities in Action
In 2023, USI launched our CommUnities in Action framework in Cleveland, OH, Durham, NC, Saint Paul, MN and Selma, AL equipping under-resourced communities with the resources, training, and support to lead their own public and private investment planning and application processes. Over one year, we’ve seen incredible results:
4
communities called to action
3
successful federal grant applications
$11.75 Million
in public private funds raised
THE FRAMEWORK
Partner with USI to increase investment in your community through aligned and result-driven action
USI has developed a framework based on our 45 years of experience working in 63+ communities undergoing transformation. This framework urgently redefines and advances powerful action that disrupts years of chronic disinvestment by leveraging public and private funding and bringing additional resources and cross-sector decision-making practices to three areas of impact: housing, civic infrastructure and economic development.
We are working within our legacy cities through a three-step approach to begin solving challenges and highlight success. By requesting a consultation, your organization can accomplish similar goals toward transforming your community for the better.
Assessing: Current Realities and Priorities
- Developing a North Star to guide your work
- Assessing root causes that create challenges
- Creating a set of powerful strategies to address those challenges
Aligning: Moving to High Action and High Alignment with Action Lab Work
- Activating work groups and partnerships to align strategies with local city and county priorities to reduce silos and increase impact.
Acting: Locally led actions with deep impact
- Connecting to the network of resources and leaders to learn, get support, course correct, and pursue funding to help your community accelerate results.
JOIN THE NETWORK
USI is leading cross-sector collaboratives of industry leaders
If you’re not ready to schedule your consultation and get one-on-one support from USI, you can join our free CommUnities in Action network. By joining the network, you’ll be activating a collective that works together to understand the root causes of disparities in your community. Develop strategies backed by the expertise of community and data to tackle housing, infrastructure, and economic development challenges.
Accelerating innovation by testing new strategies
Expanding what is working and learn from what is not.
Attracting new funding streams to your community
Setting shared priorities
OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Work one-on-one with USI to co-develop results-based actionable plans for revitalization and economic growth
We have over 45 years of experience leading cross-sector collaborations improving the lives of individuals and families, transforming communities and closing the racial wealth divide. USI is also an official Annie E. Casey Foundation Results Count® Hub Organization. We don’t just teach this framework; we use it to make a measurable difference across the United States (and in two territories). We are holding this moment with both urgency and intentionality. The need for bold action is urgent. The time for intentionality is now!
Explore, Envision and Evolve
A critical component of leadership is the capacity to be reflective about yourself, your roles, and the context in which you lead.
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During this session, you will use Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: (MBTI) to understand more about yourself as a person and leader within the system where you work. In addition, you’ll utilize the Bridges Transition Model to tap into the wisdom of where your organization has been, get clear on where you want to go and chart the course to get there. What will you gain? What will you have to give up? What difference will it make? Let’s take this journey together. This session is perfect for organizations experiencing transition.
Built Through Adversity
One of the benefits of being built through adversity is that to you, challenge, is just a regular Tuesday. The skills that grow from adversity can’t be learned in a boardroom.
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However, the same skills that have allowed you to survive might also be blocking you from fully leaning into all your leadership gifts. Get ready to meet your past, present and future selves all in one place. This session is designed for leaders who are ready to step out of their comfort zone and step into their authenticity. Who are you really? We can’t wait to find out.
Facilitating Necessary Conversations
Ever been in a meeting where everyone knows what the problem is but no one will name it? Worse yet, the person who finally speaks up is treated as though they are the problem.
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Nothing stops collaboration in its tracks faster than the conversations that people avoid. Difficult conversations aren’t fun, but they are necessary. In this session leaders will gain insight into their own relationship with conflict, while strengthening their skills to work through the beliefs, values, personality preferences that so often impede progress. If you don’t love conflict, you probably still won’t at the end of this session. But you’ll walk away more prepared to work through it the next time it shows up.
HA/HA: Collaborative Leadership is No Joke!
No one organization can achieve population level results alone. Moving real results requires multi-sectoral collaboration around a shared goal and then working in lockstep to get there.
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At USI we call this working in High Action and High Alignment (HA/HA). You will learn how to name and work through political and adaptive challenges that derail partnership and learn to use the Theory of Aligned Contributions to make a measurable difference for the populations you serve.
Leading for Results
Forming a group is one thing, getting that group to work toward a shared goal is another. Let us support your team in identifying a common result to serve as a North Star for powerful action.
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Your team will develop indicators of success and leave with tools to develop a commonsense data agenda. Your team, organization or collaborative will leave prepared to measure what you treasure and track your progress to your goals.
Getting to All
Data doesn’t lie. Racial disparities persist in every single social determinant of health. We can’t keep throwing programmatic solutions at systemic problems and expecting a different result.
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In this session we’ll talk about race, place, class and histories of oppression. You’ll also learn how to get to root causes where you can leverage your positional and relational power (your whole self) to get to all. All children have food. All people are stably housed. Every person thrives. Whatever matters to you, our data-driven approach can support you in developing a set of strategies to get you there.
Failing Forward
What does it mean to fail forward? At USI we believe that failure is just a starting point for innovation.
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In this session, leaders will learn how to use a rapid cycle quality improvement tool to test a hypothesis, measure progress, adjust strategies and repeat. This session is great for getting groups out of stuckness!
Delivering Results
This multiple day session will support your team, organization, or collaborative in creating a North Star, clarifying individual and organizational contributions, identifying indicators of success, exploring root causes and developing strategies.
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You’ll walk away with everything you need to move from thinking about results to achieving them. This session is designed to be three days in length but can be tailored to meet your organizational needs.
Consultation
If you’re not sure what you need but are interested in growing your own leadership, the leadership of others in your organization, learning to use data, learning to fail forward, improving organizational effectiveness, building collaboration, or moving from talk to action on an idea or initiative, let’s talk. We are ready to design a consultation plan that helps leaders and organizations achieve their goals.
Facilitation
Our facilitation team can support you in design, agenda development and/or facilitation of your next leadership meeting, training or conference. Schedule a consult today.
Choice MEANS Choice Conference
The Choice MEANS Choice conference is a biennial convening that engages the CommUnities in Action to develop strategies on overcoming the challenges in transforming communities and creating equitable opportunities for historically excluded residents.
We ask: What does HOME mean to you? As a place, an achievement, and a yearning? Join us in 2027 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Central Corporate Office • 100 N. Broadway, Suite 1110 • St. Louis, Missouri 63102
Phone: 314-421-4200 • Fax: 314-279-0067 • Email: info@usi-inc.org
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