Organizing

Introduction

Supporting residents to use neighborhood resources to solve neighborhood problems.

Overview

This section inclues ideas on how to involve residents in solving issues of concern and short term and long-term organizing training opportunities.

Page Index

  • Key Issues
  • Common Problems and Solutions
  • Successful Strategies
  • Annotated Web Resources
  • Topic Library
  • Sub-Topics and Vendors


    • Key Issues Related to this Topic

  • One-on-one conversations are the foundation. Neighborhood groups often build up their volunteer base through door-knocking and one-on-one interviews with community members. Volunteer or paid organizers start a campaign by asking individuals about their hopes for their families and the neighborhood and about their gifts and talents. When several people have expressed concerns about a common issue the neighborhood group can then support those with an interest in a topic to work together to find solutions.

  • Fostering Collective Action- while neighborhood associations often encourage residents to express their individual views on public policies, the real power of neighborhood groups comes from bringing diverse community members together to discuss an issue, hear all sides and come up with shared recommendations which they implement themselves or give to city departments, elected officials and others who can help.

  • Achieve small victories on the way to large ones. Every large challenge your neighborhood is facing, from traffic problems to boarded up buildings can be divided down into a number of smaller problems that can be addressed with small, manageable tasks. Many neighborhood groups build volunteer momentum by celebrating small victories.

  • Developing a powerful community organization. Neighborhood organizations seldom have much money so they must use “people power” to get things done. Neighborhood associations develop their “people power” by maintaining strong communications with block clubs, keeping a data base of active volunteers and by building up a history of bringing together the diverse members of their community to discuss, think well and make shared recommendations for solving issues of common concern. When neighborhood groups expand their core beyond several dozen volunteers they develop more credible political power & influence.

  • The evolution of community organizing methods- within the twin cities, neighborhood groups emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, often starting with a “confrontational” organizing model and evolving toward a “win/win” or partnership organizing model. Organizing efforts in Twin Cities neighborhoods tended to focus more on meeting needs and solving problems in the 80’s and have shifted toward identifying, mobilizing and strengthening community assets in the 90’s.

  • Neighborhood associations are the stewards of their community’s vision. By engaging local residents in sharing their fears and hopes for their neighborhood, a neighborhood association can help develop a community-wide vision that encompasses the diverse needs and interests of neighborhood residents and stakeholders. By developing a neighborhood vision and bringing community partners together to work toward that vision, neighborhood groups can add focus, energy and effectiveness to the work of block clubs, churches, businesses, schools, parks, libraries, city departments and private foundations.

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    Common Problems and Solutions

  • Expanding beyond a small core group. Every neighborhood group starts its work with a smaller group of dedicated residents and stakeholders. Following the motto “each one teach one” can help a core group of volunteers mentor new volunteer leaders to share the work load

  • Low turn out at meetings. Often when seeking to involve residents in an issue neighborhood associations face the challenge of low turn out at meetings. Many neighborhood associations are using alternative ways gather feedback from and foster the involvement of residents including door-knocking, phone trees, email, web sites, house parties, focus groups and block club gatherings.

  • Finding common ground on divisive issues. Neighborhood residents often appear to be deeply divided on some issues, making the search for common solutions difficult. In these situations facilitation training and/or outside facilitators can help your group create forums which allow for respectful listening and sharing of diverse views, searching for the common good and the development of common ground.

  • Thinking ahead to become “proactive” instead of “reactive.” Often neighborhood residents feel like they are reacting to the policies and proposals of city departments and developers late in the game with little opportunity for having their ideas included. By developing long-term plans and goals and volunteer committees who develop expertise on an issue neighborhood associations can help community members set the development agenda for their community instead of reacting to the agendas of others.

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    Successful Strategies

  • Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) has proven to be an effective way of revitalizing inner city neighborhoods, nation-wide. The premise of ABCD is that your volunteers and staff will have more energy to work for community change if you look at the glass as being “half full” instead of being “half empty.” Effective groups must not only have “needs maps” but “asset maps” as well. In Kretchman and McKnight’s book on ABCD “Building Communities from the Inside Out,” they recommend starting with mapping individual assets, then mapping the assets of civic associations in your community, then tracking the assets of community institutions and finally including the assets of government and private partners.

  • Identify individual assets. Each resident, property owner and business owner in your neighborhood has talents and resources to offer. One-on-one interviews, participatory group methods and individual asset surveys can be used to identify individual assets. Individual and family assets can be tracked on a map, in a rolodex or a database.

  • Use the power of civic associations. Every neighborhood already has dozens of civic associations, including block clubs, churches, garden clubs, sports teams, bowling leagues and cultural associations. Neighborhood groups can become an “association of associations” mobilizing the talents and energy of all of the civic associations in a neighborhood to realize the community’s vision.

  • Engage local institutions. Your neighborhood’s park, school, police station, businesses, banks, hospitals and universities all have staff time, volunteer time, physical plants and resources which can be used for the benefit of your neighborhood.

  • Bring in public and private partners. Once you have identified and mobilized your individual, civic and institutional assets from within your community the job of brining in matching resources from public agencies and private funders to help you meet your community’s goals will be much easier.

  • Create symbols, images, and slogans which express the growing sense of community identity and values which your group is uncovering.

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    Annotated WebLinks

  • Organizing Training Center
    Gameliel Foundation   09/23/01
    A national organizing training center.

  • Organizing Overview
    Map for Nonprofits   09/23/01
    This section covers a wide variety of topics in organizing.

  • Asset-Based Community Development Institute
    Nothwestern University   09/23/01
    Publisher of "Building Communities from the Inside Out" and many helpful publications on community organizing

  • Publications on organizing and collaboration
    Wilder Foundation   09/23/01
    Purchase a great book "Organizing for Social Change" and other helpful titles

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    Library

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    Vendors by Sub-Topic

    In-depth Organizing Training  
        ACORN
        Change Architects
        Communities of Color Institute
        Community Leader Development Program- Family & Children's Service
        Full Circle Institute
        Gameliel Foundation
        Glenwood-Lyndale Community Center
        ISAIAH
        Minneapolis Training Program for Neighborhood Organizers
        No Limits for leaders
        Organizing Apprenticeship Project
        The Future Now
        The Midwest Academy
        Wilder Foundation- Services to Organizations


    Introductory Organizing Training  
        Asset-Based Community Development Institute
        Change Architects
        Change Incorporated
        Community Crime Prevention / SAFE
        Community Leader Development Program- Family & Children's Service
        Glenwood-Lyndale Community Center
        Hawthorne Ministerial Alliance
        Headwaters Fund
        ISAIAH
        Lyndale Neighborhood Association
        Many Rivers Popular and Folk Education Project
        MAP for Nonprofits
        Metro State Univ. Center for Community-Based Learning
        Minneapolis Neighborhood Revitalization Program
        Wilder Foundation- Services to Organizations


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