Coalition Building I: Starting a Coalition

What is a coalition? A diverse group of individuals and organizations who work together to reach a common goal. That goal often includes one of the following: Adapting, creating, or developing public policy Influencing people's behavior Building a healthy community 2

Why start a coalition? To address an urgent situation To control the future of the community To obtain or provide services For effective and efficient delivery of programs To pool resources To increase communication among groups To plan and launch community-wide initiatives To develop and use political clout To create long-term, permanent social change

Barriers to starting a coalition Turf issues Bad history Domination by "professionals" or some other elite Poor links to the community Minimal organizational capacity Funding Failure to provide and create leadership within the coalition The costs of working together outweigh the benefits for many coalition members 4

Who should be part of a coalition? Stakeholders Community opinion leaders Policy makers 5

How do you start a community coalition? Put together a core group Identify the most important potential coalition members Recruit members to the coalition Plan and hold a first meeting Follow up on the first meeting Continue with other next steps Use general guidelines for getting a coalition off the ground 6