Community Led Transformation Principles

The Community-Led Transformation (CLT) Principles are a set of values to help guide work with communities. The CLT principles were originally developed alongside collaborative work in immigrant and refugee communities, but we believe they are applicable to a potentially unlimited number of communities. The principles are flexible and dynamic; sometimes all may be used simultaneously while at other times only a few will be in focus. We believe that the principles that lead community transformation will continue to evolve.

Community-led

We uplift community power by authentically engaging and partnering with historically underserved communities. We center people who are of the community and co-create solutions that reflect community values, priorities, and lived experience.

Co-designed

We support local leaders by amplifying their lived experiences and building on their community's strengths. We co-create alongside community partners to address needs based on the community's evolving priorities.

Partnership-based and trust-driven

We cultivate deep, trusting relationships with diverse community partners, grounded in shared values and mutual accountability. We understand trust is earned by consistently showing up, respecting differences, and valuing lived experiences. We are responsive to community feedback and share the impact and results of our collective work.

Cultural humility

With dignity and respect, we strive to deeply understand and honor the rich and diverse backgrounds of communities we serve, recognizing the pivotal role of our community partners as cultural stewards. We strive to demonstrate patience, empathy, and care while navigating diverse perspectives.

Healing-centered

We recognize the holistic wellbeing of a community and create intentional spaces to acknowledge and address past and current injustices. We center trauma-informed practices, cultural traditions, belonging, and community healing as essential parts of transformation.

Strengths-based learning

We collaborate with communities to identify assets and talents that are inherent powers to build upon. We leverage cultural knowledge, community expertise, and lived experience to develop impactful, tailored solutions.

Adaptive and responsive

We approach our work with flexibility and openness, continuously learning from and adapting to feedback. We meet partners where they are, adapting to their contexts while connecting them to the resources they need.

Collaborative funding

We partner with organizations to identify and pursue funding opportunities by leveraging each other's strengths and resources. We prioritize equitable funding strategies, transparent budgeting, and regranting models that support fair resource distribution and community-led implementation.

Sustainable

We co-create resilient community systems supported by relationships, networks, and infrastructure that sustain long-term growth. We invest in coordination, leadership development, organizational capacity, shared learning, and stewardship that supports the next generation.

Community ownership

We co-develop research and action that balances scientific methods with community ownership over questions, methods, decisions, data, and outcomes. We prioritize transparency and community control over how information is collected, analyzed, used, shared, and translated into action.

CLT-related Publications

Resources

CLT Principles One Pager