Building Caring Communities

Creating spaces where trust, connection, and purpose come together to build stronger, more caring communities.

Stronger Communities Start With Caring Leadership

Communities thrive when people feel seen, valued, and connected. Yet, many communities today face fragmentation: organizations working in silos, leaders under pressure, and residents navigating disengagement and disconnection.

At the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities, we believe leadership is not limited to the workplace; it is a community responsibility. Our Caring Communities model brings together leaders across sectors, including public, private, nonprofit, faith-based, and civic, to create a shared language of care and a unified approach to leadership.

Through cohort-based learning, intentional convenings, and collective impact partnerships, we embed human-centered leadership practices that:

Build trust across organizations and sectors
Strengthen intentional connections among leaders and residents
Create a culture of learning and belonging within the community
Align people and organizations around meaningful work and shared purpose

From anchor organizations to cross-sector collaboratives, Caring Communities cultivate ecosystems where caring leadership is the norm. The result is stronger families, healthier workplaces, and communities where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Together, we are proving that when communities care deeply, they also succeed greatly.

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Changing The World, One Relationship At A Time

Caring Communities is a growing movement fueled by real people, meaningful relationships, and shared purpose. Together with our partners and alumni, we’ve seen how caring leadership can spark transformation in families, workplaces, and across entire communities. This work is alive in the connections we build and the leaders we empower.

We move forward with confidence, knowing we have the people, the passion, and the potential to shape a future aligned with our vision: a world where leaders have the skills and courage to care.

Want to explore what this could look like in your community?

Start a Conversation → Connect with us to explore how Caring Communities can take root where you live.
Download the Caring Communities Overview → Get a clear picture of how we build communities of caring leadership. Download here.
See Impact in Action → Watch stories from communities across the nation that are transforming through caring leadership.
Bring Leaders Together → Host a community gathering to align leaders across sectors.
Join the Movement → Be part of a growing national network of Caring Communities!

Partner Impact Stories

“I would tell any leader of any organization that’s working to benefit their community, nonprofits or otherwise, that oftentimes, we get so focused on working out in the community that we forget to pay attention to the essentials of building a culture that is self-sustaining, that is nurturing of people’s gifts, skills, and abilities. Sometimes, we’re so busy working outside the organization that we fail to listen to one another, build the skill sets to have effective communication with one another, and share with one another clearly. We have found the Chapman Foundation classes to be really essential in building that kind of culture among our team, which makes us that much more effective in the work that we do out in the community as well.”

– Bill Stanfield

CEO of Metanoia

“Chapman Foundation classes have made a difference for Habitat for Humanity of Kent County by positioning folks to understand better how to communicate, how to listen, to be empathetic, and to build a caring community.”

– Bev Thiel

Executive Director (Habitat for Humanity, Kent County)

“One of my favorite parts of working here (Town of Snowmass Village) is the diversity of people—from police officers to snowplow drivers, waste removal professionals, and financial professionals. This programming has given us a common language to communicate across those differences. Personally, it’s helped me at home. My wife went through the training before I did, and it’s helped shape how we talk and connect. At work, it’s improved team dynamics and made meetings more effective and respectful. People understand each other better, and when communication breaks down, we now have tools to fix it. In the community, it’s made us more empathetic and better at receiving feedback. The issues we face as a government are complex; this training gives us a foundation for civil, high-quality communication, regardless of background, beliefs, or politics. This isn’t a one-off or feel-good program; it actually works. Whether in personal relationships, across teams, or out in the community, it gives people the tools to communicate better.”

– Clint Kinney

City Manager (Town of Snowmass Village)