Local first organizations as community resilience: The importance of small businesses in creating a more resilient community

ABSTRACT Cornerstones of community resilience are economic and social capital; when the two work in concert, they can create a sense of place and strong bonds between community members, resulting in robust social infrastructure. The need for community resilience becomes even more important in times of hazards and pandemics such as COVID-19. Throughout the US, Local First organizations are leading the charge for more socially and economically resilient communities. To explore their work, this paper first analyzes survey results of the 50 largest Local First organizations, addressing their perspective on how they are impacting their communities. Second, the survey was extended to two case study communities, where a member survey and interviews were conducted. The results of this study show that by supporting and promoting local business, these organizations are attempting to increase investment in the local community, create greater community unity, and help make their community more resilient, but there are challenges to overcome in reaching this goal.