Over the years we have observed that sometimes the best results come from individuals, whom we call Human Sparkplugs. These are people who lead change by example. 

Our Community Sparkplugs initiative helps local leaders use self-help and volunteerism to achieve results even in the absence of money. We work with foundations and other philanthropy to support sparkplug trainings in their region, often asking the nonprofits they support to identify promising and emerging volunteer leaders.

Human Sparkplugs are more powerful than great plans, a big committee or even a lot of money in achieving organizational and community change. Sparkplugs are present in all places—although many are inhibited by conventional process models of change.

Key characteristics:

	Energy. Without it many projects will begin, but few will finish.  And many will begin boldly, but end up as weak copies.
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	Bias to Act.  Many people are at heart critics, planners, or boosters.  Sparkplugs are doers. They want to solve problems, not study or decry them.
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	Results Orientation.  Sparkplugs believe that the outcome, not process, matters most.  Networking and capacity building are the means, not the end.
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	Personal Responsibility.  Sparkplugs take responsibility for their own behavior.
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	Belief in Common Good. Sparkplugs look beyond what is good for their families and friends.
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	Inclined to Teams.  Sparkplugs provide the juice, but know they need an engine!

Apalachian Community Learning Project – ACLP. As partner to The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), we began this program to jump start renewal with small results-driven projects in 72 Appalachian settlements. This start spread to communities in many non-Apalachian states through our Real Time Community Change, including neighborhoods in Baltimore (with our partner, the Annie E. Casey Foundation), Washington, DC and Atlanta.

Distressed Area Turnaround. Drawing from the dynamics of School Turnaround as an intervention strategy, we now offer an approach to bringing change to depressed rural counties where conventional funding programs have made little difference. We use community sparkplugs in a broad range of areas, including environment, social and human services, and education.

Sparkplug Trainings and Summits. The skills and dispositions needed for Sparkplug leadership where some turnaround is needed are distinct from those normally taught and practiced in community leadership. Our focus on energy, target setting and milestones, and collaboration based on harnessing differences is offered in training workshops and in convenings that bring sparkplugs together to learn from and reinforce each other.

The Small Town Environment Program – STEP. This program has helped over 200 communities to build water and wastewater lines as the essential base for human health and community viability. The program saves an average of 40% or more off retail costs by engaging residents in installing vital infrastructure. The social capital built is even more important than the sewer line!