In this article, the authors argue that successful learning communities are built on the stakeholders' clear understanding of how a learning community model is fundamentally different from traditional curricular approaches and cannot simply be overlaid onto traditional pedagogy. Especially in difficult economic times, well-functioning learning communities and weak programs alike are well served by purposefully constructing a narrative that emphasizes how this approach can be an integral part of the institution's culture and identity. To protect resources and help a learning community program flourish, it is important for stakeholders to create and sustain a program narrative that details why the program matters. The need for a strong narrative is especially important for learning communities, which more often than not lack funding, staffing, and other critical resources.