Case Study
How Jasper County Brought Residents Together with One Calendar
A rural Iowa county's journey to unified community engagement across 735 square miles.
A rural Iowa county's journey to unified community engagement across 735 square miles.
Jasper County is a rural Iowa community spanning 735 square miles with 37,000 residents. Known for farmland and a dispersed population, the county has a strong focus on fostering community connection through local events and resources.
Event information was scattered across social media, posters, word-of-mouth, and outdated websites. Internal departments maintained separate schedules without coordination.
Rural communities struggle with geographic spread preventing casual community connections. The decline of traditional media reduced information channels further.
“The challenge is that there's a lot of calendars... but they don't automatically import into one place.”
JCJenn CrossCommunications Specialist, Jasper County
Jasper County adopted the BeWith platform to create a centralized community calendar consolidating government department events, external organization activities, and local resources and programs into a single, accessible hub.
“It's so seamless — from putting everything in until you submit it. It's perfect for the county.”
JCJenn CrossCommunications Specialist, Jasper County
Residents now have one place to find everything happening in their community, from government events to local organization activities.
Departments no longer maintain separate schedules, reducing overlap and improving resource allocation.
A transparent, centralized calendar built resident confidence in the county's communication efforts.
The calendar also surfaces community resources — from addiction help to free meals to Meals on Wheels — connecting residents to vital services.
“We want people in Jasper County to keep feeling like we are a community that cares and communicates.”
BTBrandon TalsmaCounty Chairman, Jasper County
See how BeWith can help your county centralize events and connect residents.