COMMUNITY COALITION BUILDING

Workshop Objectives

Describe effective community coalition building What? Why? How?

Key challenges and success factors Leadership Membership

Asset mapping & elevator speech

What is a community coalition?

Community Coalitions

What is a community coalition?

Group of diverse individuals or organizations Similar values and interests Combine resources (human and material) Pursue a common goal Aim to improve the community Usually a temporary alliance

What do coalitions do?

Identify needs Enhance awareness Stimulate involvement Develop a shared vision

and plans for action Foster networking and

collaboration Mobilize people to take

action Change practices

Source: Nemours Health & Prevention Services

Promote service integration

Influence policy and legislation

Pool existing resources Develop new resources Provide community with

information Sustain long-term focus

on an issue

Why are coalitions built?

Pooling resources and working together makes coalitions: more visible more powerful more capable of advancing their interests

Shared response can elevate an important community concern to an urgent concern

Diverse expertise and connections are available to solve complex issues

Builds a lasting base for change

Potential Challenges

Turf issues Domination by one group Poor links to the community Failure to provide leadership Inadequate planning Poor communication

Source: Nemours Health & Prevention Services & Physicians for Human Rights

Success Factors

Be inclusive and participatory Set unifying goals and a common strategy Respect each group’s self interest Use diversity of each group Communicate openly and often Make explicit agreements Structure decision-making carefully Distribute credit fairly

Source: Physicians for Human Rights

How are coalitions built?

1. Establish vision of success

2. Identify and recruit stakeholders (groups and individuals)

3. Clarify mission and goals

4. Specify underlying facts regarding the issue

5. Create a structure (i.e., work groups)

6. Anticipate and plan for obstacles

7. Evaluate results

8. Celebrate accomplishments

Who should be involved?

Consider: diversity of the group size of the group type of members 

Make a list of potential partners and prioritize the list

Recruit members Orient members

Asset Mapping

Membership Guidelines

Potential coalition members what to know: Mission and goals Time commitments Resource commitments Roles, responsibilities, and

recognition

Aid recruitment Enhance role clarity Create consistent

participation levels Provides base for

accountability Serve as team-building

experience

What are membership guidelines?

Why are membership guidelines important?

Elevator Speech

Leadership Guidelines

Effective coalition leaders need to: Commit to group Contribute to goals and

process Have enthusiasm, energy,

inspiration, and expertise Take responsibility Deliver on commitments

Aid recruitment Enhance role clarity Create consistent

participation levels Provides base for

accountability Ensures cohesion

toward progress

What are leadership guidelines?Why are leadership guidelines important?

Initial Meeting

1. Bring interested groups together. 

2. Prepare a written agenda. 

3. Describe the problem. 

4. Work through a team building exercise.

5. Solicit their involvement. 

6. Ask them to make a specific commitment. 

7. Develop a mission statement and goals for the coalition. 

8. Elect a facilitator for future meetings and develop and agenda. 9. Follow-up after the meeting: stay in touch. 

10. Send a brief summary of the first meeting. 

Coalition Benefits

Improve the community's quality of life by: developing the community's local planning

capacity increasing collaborative problem solving promoting greater cooperation developing the advocacy capacity of the

community increasing information access

Coalition Building Workbooks

Key Links The Community Tool Box, http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/

Getting Started Workbook, http://www.rpscolorado.org/community_mobi.htm

Sustainable Communities: A Guide to Community Asset Mapping, http://www.fallsbrookcentre.ca/community/index.htm

Good Luck!