Ten Years of Community Visioning in New Hampshire: The Meaning of Success

This research examines outcomes resulting from Community Profiles, a community visioning program facilitated by UNH Cooperative Extension in partnership with New Hampshire cities and towns. The Community Profile process is based on the premise that communities must engage their members in identifying and documenting common and deeply-held values from which to craft a vision for the future. Using data from post-Profile evaluations of participants, a comprehensive survey of past Profile participants, and interviews with steering committee members, this research examines the outcomes achieved by 44 communities that underwent the program between 1996 and 2006. The research suggests that intangible outcomes, those that cannot be seen or touched, are often more important for community visioning participants than tangible, bricks-and-mortar, outcomes. Intangible outcomes include increased social capital, enhanced leadership and better communication