Communities Building Belonging

 

 

Communities Building Belonging

Strengthening Neighbourhoods and Ending Social Isolation in Canada

For the past seven years, we've passionately nurtured and empowered communities across Canada under the name "Cities Deepening Community." In 2023, we have shifted to Communities Building Belonging, a name which better conveys our work and what we stand for. 

Why Belonging?

For individuals to thrive, to feel at home in their communities, to feel welcomed and accepted in the places they frequent, and to be mentally strong and happy, we need belonging. 

Communities Building Belonging (CBB) has worked with and will continue to work with neighbourhoods and neighbours across Canada (and beyond) to do more of what is so natural: support people to build the social networks, associations and norms that are at the heart of individual and collective well-being in communities. 

We provide resources, communities of practice, webinars, and events, producing publications that share our learnings and supporting our members with specialized coaching. 

The CBB team is here to support you. Do you have any questions? Want to get involved? Reach out to any member of the team: Jorge Garza, Prachir Pasricha, Astrid Arumae 

 

Circle of Actions promo image EN - 2-1

Exciting news! In 2024, CBB is launching the Circle of Actions, a seven-month learning journey designed to help communities develop plans and interventions that centre belonging at the heart of community transformation. The application deadline is February 29. Learn more and apply!

 

Questions on the Circle of Actions? Join us for a Q&A session on February 7 at noon ET. Learn more and register.

 

Learn more about CBB's journey and how you can get involved by signing up for our quarterly newsletter! 

Sign up today!

cbb homepage square national strat

Our Call for a Strategy for Belonging

 

Join the Movement Today

Books - Pexels

Member Resource Library

 

Login here

Membership Directory (2)

Become a Communities Building Belonging Member

 

Read our Brochure

Cubes_Joined_Together_by_Lines_Shape_Colourful_3D_Animation_Symbol

Join our Communities of Practice


Learn more

ABCD

Learn about ABCD Canada

 

Learn more

Featured Resource

BOOK-10-A-Guide-for-Deepening-Community_cover

A Guide for Deepening Community

Reconnecting and Making Community Essential

With the growing sense of disconnect and social isolation happening in communities across Canada and the lack of civic participation in our towns and cities, we need to declare community essential.

We believe that Deepening Community is the answer.

This guide has been developed to support community champions, concerned citizens, municipal staff and decision-makers such as mayors and elected officials to build the case to deepen community and make your community essential. 

Read the Guide

Upcoming Events

Getting Started

 

If you want support to develop a community plan or neighbourhood strategy, reach out to Heather or Astrid.

people in front of houses

Guide: Building Your Case for a Neighbourhood Strategy

Cities are now developing neighbourhood strategies that help guide municipal staff, organizations, and residents to work together to build healthy vibrant neighbourhoods. This guide is for municipal staff or community groups interested in building the case for the development of a neighbourhood strategy.

Learn More

Community Engagement-1 square

Guide: Community Engagement for Developing a Neighbourhood Strategy

If you are looking to build a neighbourhood strategy, this guide will provide you with tools and resources to assist you in engaging the community and, ultimately, developing a meaningful, actionable strategy.

Learn More

ABCD at a Glance

Guide: Asset-Based Community Development at a Glance

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) starts with people’s gifts and strengths (assets). These assets equip people to respond to local needs and challenges in their neighbourhoods. ABCD also considers how individual and group assets can be harnessed and connected to create positive changes within a community.

Learn More

People in a group-1

Guide: Five Steps for Building Strong and Sustainable Groups

Building a successful group takes time, resources, relationships and trust. In this guide, you will find five steps and associated resources to help build groups that will work together to make change in your community.

Learn More

Blogs:

Update From Tamarack Co-Founder Paul Born

I want to start with a huge thank you to the Tamarack Community for all the wonderful comments and well-wishes as I retired from the Co-CEO role at Tamarack. We are a remarkable community and it has been a privilege to give...

The Power of Connection and Collaboration: Reflections from Celebrating Neighbours – Measuring the Impact of ABCD

Last month, the Deepening Community team hosted Tamarack's first in-person event in over two years. This blog post is a reflection of the most significant learning I took away from the event. 

The Gifts of Strangers: Understanding the Benefits of Diversity

One argument for diversity is that it ensures participation and creates the power of being heard. It is expressed by the popular maxim, “Nothing about us without us.” Implicit in this idea is the concept that those outside...

SEE OUR LATEST POSTS

Publications:

ARTICLE | Belonging, Community and Climate Action

This resource is also available in French. Click here to access the French version.

At a time of increasing social isolation and accelerating climate change, belonging has never been more vital. 

CASE STUDY | Building Housing Co-Operative Communities

Four trailblazing communities across Canada joined Tamarack's Building Belonging Membership Program. Through it, they built capacity, engaged and re-engaged youth, and learned to focus on and utilize the gifts and...

ARTICLE | Community Belonging: A Way to End Poverty in Canada

How can community belonging help to reduce poverty in Canada?

VIEW MORE PUBLICATIONS

Webinars:

WEBINAR | Creating a Culture of Abundance and Equity: Lessons from The Learning Tree

This webinar recording features a conversation with some of the bright minds behind The Learning Tree on their organization’s work of leaning into abundance in the communities they serve. We discussed stories of how equity...

WEBINAR | Using Social Finance to Catalyze Place-Based Change

In the midst of intersecting and compounding crises, there is a pressing need for financial tools that drive positive change at the speed and scale demanded of us. Social finance has been used by communities around the world...

WEBINAR | Building Communities That Create a Sense of Belonging

This webinar recording features a conversation about the structures (social, physical and relational) that create belonging, including how to move on an individual and a collective basis from isolation to belonging.

VIEW MORE WEBINARS

Sign up for our Newsletter

Our bi-monthly Communities Building Belonging newsletter highlights the latest resources and articles on community development as well as information for all of our upcoming events.  

Sign up