How We Work

Scope

Next Generation Brattleboro will serve as a coordinating and catalytic alliance focused on Brattleboro’s long-term economic and community vitality. It will bring together organizations and individuals to identify shared priorities, strengthen alignment across existing efforts, highlight projects that participating organizations and partners can advance for the benefit of the broader community.

The alliance will not replace or duplicate the work of participating organizations or existing committees, coalitions, and initiatives. Instead, it will coordinate with these efforts to identify opportunities for collaboration, and surface gaps and resource needs for members to address.

Priorities

•  Economic vitality: Supporting business growth, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and career opportunities.

•  Downtown and community vibrancy: Advancing arts and culture, public spaces, third places, civic life, and downtown vitality.

•  Housing and affordability: Championing initiatives that improve housing availability and attainability and strengthen the conditions for long-term financial stability.

•  Community belonging: Supporting welcoming, inclusive environments where residents and newcomers can connect and participate.

•  Population attraction and retention: Advancing the 802 by 2032 campaign and related efforts to attract and retain working-age individuals and young families.

•  Catalyst projects: Identifying high-impact opportunities, and connecting members and partners who may help advance them.

The alliance will maintain awareness of existing plans, initiatives, and resources and will seek to help members align their efforts with relevant municipal, regional, and state priorities.
 

Principles

Participants in Next Generation Brattleboro agree to work toward the following core shared principles:

•  We can do more together. We coordinate across organizations, sectors, and communities to advance shared goals and achieve greater collective impact.

•  We respect one another’s independence. We recognize each participant’s distinct mission, responsibilities, and priorities and approach differences with respect and an assumption of good intention.

•  We co-create value across silos. We look for opportunities to connect efforts, share knowledge, and leverage relationships and resources beyond our individual organizations.

•  We are inclusive and welcoming. We seek out diverse voices and perspectives and work toward a community where everyone has an opportunity to participate and belong.

•  We lead with optimism and intention. We approach our work constructively, celebrate progress, support one another’s efforts, and serve as positive ambassadors for Brattleboro.

•  We are data-informed and accountable. We use research, community input, and measurable indicators to guide our priorities, assess progress, and learn from our work.

•  We listen to understand. We engage with curiosity, respect different perspectives, and seek common ground in pursuit of shared goals.

•  We focus on long-term impact. We recognize that meaningful community change takes time and balances immediate needs with sustained investment in Brattleboro’s future.

•  We are thoughtful stewards of resources. We recognize that time, funding, and organizational capacity are finite and direct our efforts toward priorities where collaboration can make a meaningful difference.

•  We turn shared vision into action. We seek concrete opportunities to advance catalyst projects, mobilize resources, and strengthen the community for current and future generations.