About Us

A Federal Partnership with Communities

For decades, communities have requested resources and tools to successfully compete for federal funding. In response, the Thriving Communities Network (TCN) was established as a federal interagency effort to coordinate place-based technical assistance (TA) and capacity-building resources for urban, rural, and Tribal communities experiencing a history of economic distress and systemic disinvestment. These federal resources include grant and financial management support, pre-development assistance, community engagement, planning, and project delivery support.

Through TCN, federal partners commit to coordinating and collaborating across a set of TA programs and engaging their regional and field staff who often serve as key points of contact for communities.

Historic investments, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), provide funding for transformative investments in infrastructure, clean energy, climate resilience, and jobs, but not every community has the same ability to leverage this once-in-a-generation investment. Urban, rural, and Tribal communities that have suffered historic disinvestment often lack the resources and capacity to successfully engage, develop, design, and deliver infrastructure projects.

TCN recognizes the power of local communities to drive innovation if they have the tools to succeed. This includes providing hands-on planning support and access to a set of TA providers available to work directly with communities as they build upon local assets to co-design and advance infrastructure projects that address critical social, economic, environmental, and mobility needs. The TCN is deploying four key strategies to support and connect communities:

1. Technical Assistance that builds communities’ capacity to develop fundable projects that address community priorities, navigate federal programs, and apply for and deploy federal resources.
2. Federal Interagency Coordination that supports and builds federal staff capacity to align public resources with community priorities.
3. Data and Tools that support improved federal coordination and alignment of activities and resources for communities; and that facilitate community capacity-building and navigation of resources.
4. Partnerships and Outreach that engages external stakeholders in amplifying and building on the Thriving Communities Network approach to community-centered capacity building.

Whole of Government Approach to Federal Coordination of Place-Based Technical Assistance

TCN is designed to help federal partners coordinate strategy, collaborate across initiatives, and target deployment of a full range of federal place-based technical assistance and capacity-building resources to urban, rural, and Tribal communities experiencing a history of economic distress and systemic disinvestment. This effort includes resources to help communities with grant and financial management, pre-development assistance, community engagement, planning, and project delivery support.

Each TCN partner agency is committed to coordinating and collaborating between their TA programs, especially within regional or field offices that often serve as front doors and key points of contact to support communities. By working alongside and within communities, TA programs can better support the locally identified needs and priorities.

Thriving Communities Shared Principles

TCN partner agencies commit to collectively supporting the following shared principles:

• Scale for Impact – Proactively identify and collaboratively support transformative projects that demonstrate the potential for community and economic development.
• Build Community Wealth – Build long-term community capacity to successfully compete for, leverage, and manage the investment of federal funds in strategic projects and activities that build lasting community wealth.
• Center the Power of Community – Provide TA that values, leverages, and grows the local expertise existing within communities regarding their needs with competent public engagement processes.
• Meet Areas of Greatest Need – Prioritize support to rural, urban, suburban, and Tribal communities that have the greatest resource and capacity needs.
• Increase Access and Participation – Intentionally remove barriers and create access to economic, health care, education, energy, housing, and environmental opportunities in every part of the country.
• Expand Opportunity – Expand the pool of capacity-building providers to include a greater number of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and those with community-based expertise.