LegacyWorks Announces New Chapter with Addition of Resourceful Communities

LegacyWorks Group is proud to announce that Resourceful Communities has officially joined the organization after thirty years at The Conservation Fund. The transition marks new chapters for LegacyWorks as a whole and for Resourceful Communities as they advance place-based, community-driven impact across rural North Carolina.

This migration follows a period of dedicated collaboration and planning, with the LegacyWorks, Resourceful Communities, and Conservation Fund teams working hard to manage an orderly transition. This collective effort sets the stage for the continued success of Resourceful Communities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Resourceful Communities to LegacyWorks,” said Carl Palmer, LegacyWorks Group Founder and Executive Director. “Resourceful Communities supports a remarkable array of grassroots organizations and coalitions building resilience and community leadership capacity across North Carolina.”

For the last thirty years, Resourceful Communities has worked alongside a network of 800+ grassroots organizations, churches, and small towns to generate economic, environmental, and social justice benefits for rural North Carolina. Through its Food, Health, Faith, Land, and Environmental Resilience initiatives, Resourceful Communities empowers grassroots leaders to create opportunities that preserve rural landscapes, access essential resources, and celebrate unique local cultures. Resourceful Communities achieves this by providing small-scale grants, capacity building, and cultivating strong networks among rural practitioners and resource organizations to nurture real change where it’s needed most. 

LegacyWorks is home to a remarkable network of changemakers and community-driven initiatives across the United States and Mexico, deeply aligned with Resourceful Communities’ mission. LegacyWorks Group’s initiatives and Resourceful Communities share a philosophy of building bridges, strengthening local capacity, advancing collaborative efforts, and ensuring local leadership.

Reflecting on the program’s journey, Resourceful Communities Initiative Director, Monica McCann shared, “We are deeply grateful for the 30+ years of support from The Conservation Fund, whose leadership nurtured our program from its inception to this point. And we are equally excited and hopeful for what lies ahead with LegacyWorks Group – new opportunities, new relationships, and a renewed energy to carry out the work of Resourceful Communities.”

LegacyWorks Group is also thrilled to announce that Resourceful Communities founder and former director Mikki Sager has joined the nonprofit board of directors. Mikki shared “Resourceful Communities was born out of community leadership, responding to the need for balanced approaches that addressed economic, social justice and environmental stewardship needs in rural places. Over the years, the program has pivoted in response to shifting needs at the community and network levels, connecting cultures, land access and food sovereignty, for example, to feed families during the Great Recession. The move to LegacyWorks is a pivot that will continue to grow communities’ skills, access and connections for the good of all.”

“We are honored to become Resourceful Communities Initiative’s new nonprofit home,” added Palmer. “We look forward to supporting the team, their many partners, and the rural North Carolina communities they serve in the years ahead. Here’s to a bright future for the program and even deeper impact together!”