Cornerstones, formerly Reston Interfaith, was established over 45 years ago to help its neighbors in need overcome tough economic times in a region that has a high cost-of-living. Operating in most of northwestern Fairfax County, Virginia, Cornerstones has grown into a bedrock of the community by providing services and advocacy for those in need of both immediate and long-term support with food, shelter, financial assistance, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other services. Cornerstones focuses its services and partnerships on promoting self-sufficiency by building a community that values all people and shares resources and services to empower those in need to make positive life changes.

Cornerstones experienced a period of change and adapted its programming in response. The organization seized an opportunity to acquire housing units that doubled its portfolio and also launched a collective impact hub for human services delivery, serving as the connector between individuals in need and a variety of essential services. The proportion of the community living in poverty or economic distress has been on the rise, even as state and county government funding for support programs has been level or in decline. While Cornerstones remains committed to serving its most vulnerable neighbors, finding ways to do so sustainably continues to challenge the organization.

In 2016, Impact Catalysts (through its predecessor firm, Root Cause) worked with Cornerstones to develop a new strategy for the organization that reframed its work as a community backbone, coordinating the development and delivery of services for vulnerable people through a network of partner agencies. The organization has begun to spin out some programs to partner agencies in order to concentrate its resources on its core, while building its capacity to serve in the new coordinating role.