How a gated society in Gurugram has turned dry waste segregation into a civic habit

A small, participant-led weekly arts and crafts group in Barrow has helped around 15 men living with mental health conditions, dementia, and autism build social connections and overcome anxiety-related challenges.

Los Angeles is partnering with two nonprofits, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC), to accelerate sidewalk repairs ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. LANI has spent over two decades helping council districts fix broken sidewalks more cheaply and flexibly than the city's official process, and LACC pairs the repair work with paid job training for youth ages 18–26, with 30 participants already completing the program.

Honor the Earth is an anti-data center coalition monitoring the construction of hyperscale data centers in or near indigenous land. Through their efforts, town halls, doorknocking, attending tribal council meetings and more, they’ve formed a community with people in agriculture and beyond, working to push back against data center construction and enact protections for communities. As a result of their efforts, the Tulsa City Council signed a 9-month moratorium on data centers, and the Seminole Nation also unanimously passed its own moratorium.

Kaua'i County Housing Agency uses a community engagement model for its master-planned affordable housing developments, involving community advisory committees, multiple public meetings, surveys, and online tools that allow residents to shape key housing and community decisions. The agency has applied this model for over a decade, with great results, including Lima Ola, a 550-unit workforce housing community.

One Minneapolis resident launched a grassroots education campaign to help her neighborhood reduce carbon emissions from home heating by upgrading her home insulation and using electric appliances. She then shared information about the energy-efficiency improvements and available rebates to fund them. Between 2019 and 2024, area residents using these strategies reduced natural gas use by 29%, and is now being replicated in other neighborhoods throughout the city.

In an area long-known for poverty and poor health outcomes, residents in Mumbai are joining forces to lead a community-building initiative that works to create shared community spaces, such as libraries, workshops and designated areas for rest and play, specifically with women and children in mind, as city planning historically overlooks these needs and groups.

The Haitian nonprofit Life of Hope had faced chronic rental instability for years before developing a financing strategy using federal funds, bridge loans, and private donations to finally secure permanent ownership of a facility. Since purchasing a warehouse to house the organization in June 2024, the organization has solidified itself as a permanent pillar in the local Haitian community, providing English classes, cultural programming, and other community services to more than 60,000 people, serving as a model for other Haitian nonprofits.

Faced with inadequate internet service that was driving away businesses, the remote West Texas town of Monahans launched a community-driven initiative to build its own fiber optic broadband network. The town cobbled together $3.2 million from a variety of sources, including federal CARES Act funds and venture capital, to create an underground fiber network that serves about 2,000 homes and businesses, with plans to expand.

The Heurich House Museum in Washington, D.C., has created two targeted initiatives—the Urban Manufacturing Incubator and the DC Makers' Guild—to support local small-scale artisan businesses facing barriers to growth such as high rent fees and limited visibility. These programs provide mentorship, business coaching, market entry opportunities, like various mini markets throughout the year, and advocacy support to improve market conditions for these small businesses.

Front Porch Forum is a social networking platform that allows local community members to connect, whether it be to sell items, get together and even support each other during tough times. Despite varying politics and beliefs, the Forum helps bridge a gap during a time when divisiveness is at a peak. There are currently more than 250 forums across the state, specific to each community.