C.O.R.E. (Communities of Resilience and Excellence)

A Baldrige-aligned approach to community transformation and impact

What challenges does your community face?

What are the most important opportunities to improve the overall health and well-being of the people in your community?

Are all key stakeholders—residents, businesses, educational institutions, health care providers, government agencies, and nonprofits—working together to develop shared strategies and action plans to solve the most important challenges?

And if your community were a business or a nonprofit organization, would it be considered high performing, merely average, or fighting for its very survival?

About Communities of Resilience and Excellence

C.O.R.E. (Communities of Resilience & Excellence), formerly Communities of Excellence 2026, is a nonprofit that empowers communities to improve quality of life using a systems-based approach grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Through practical tools, coaching, and learning networks, C.O.R.E. helps community leaders align data and strategy to achieve measurable improvements in areas like health, education, and economic vitality.

Collaboration

The Baldrige Program and C.O.R.E. collaborate in these areas:

• Adapt the Baldrige Framework to develop the C.O.R.E. Guide: This resource provides communities with a structured approach for advancing performance and resilience by tailoring excellence concepts to the local context.
• Empower leaders and residents to:
  • Align around a shared vision and priorities.
  • Use data to understand community conditions and progress.
  • Coordinate cross-sector strategies and initiatives.
  • Engage residents and stakeholders in decision-making.
  • Track results and drive continuous improvement.
• Educate individuals and organizations on the framework and its application.
• Encourage community assessments against the guide to identify strengths and opportunities.
• Share best practices identified through these assessments to foster nationwide community excellence.

Learn More

Learn more about C.O.R.E. and how communities can get involved: https://connectwithcore.org