Experience. Perspective. Partnership.
What does it mean for a community to flourish?
A flourishing community is an ever-expanding, growing, and thriving place where people connect, hold genuine mutual respect for one another, and share a strong commitment to where they live.
At Flourishing Communities Consulting, I believe collaboration is at the heart of meaningful community change. I work alongside organizations and communities to understand their goals, recognize their strengths and capacity, and develop approaches that fit their unique context.
My work is transparent, data-informed, results-driven, and community-centered. Depending on the need, this may include asset mapping, needs assessment, community engagement, strategic planning, goal setting, implementation, or evaluation.
Benita DeFrank - Principal and Founder
I bring more than 35 years of experience in community development, housing policy, homelessness strategies, and community engagement across the public and private sectors. After more than 20 years in local government, I recently retired from public service and founded Flourishing Communities Consulting to continue doing work that strengthens communities and creates meaningful change.
My experience spans community organizations, housing authorities, housing and homeless service programs, affordable housing development, and recreation programs. Throughout my career, I have led and supported efforts in program development and assessment, project coordination, community assessment, grant writing and administration, and community engagement.
I bring a solution-oriented perspective grounded in practical experience, strategic thinking, and a commitment to elevating community voice. My goal is to help organizations turn their ideas into action while creating the conditions for communities to flourish.
How I Help
I help organizations move from complex challenges and ideas toward practical, sustainable action. My work can be tailored to the needs of each organization and may include:
Community Engagement & Co-Governance
Creating meaningful opportunities for residents, stakeholders, and partners to shape decisions and solutions.
Strategy & Organizational Development
Helping organizations clarify goals, assess capacity, navigate complexity, and develop actionable strategies.
Capacity Building & Implementation
Turning plans into action by strengthening systems, partnerships, processes, and organizational capacity.
Evaluation & Learning
Developing practical approaches to understand what is working, what needs to change, and what can be sustained.