Asset Mapping: Locating the Gifts in Your Community Holly DeBlois Nicole LaPointe Empowering Communities Through Access to Information and Training Module #4 September 2003

Overview Definition Importance “How to” Littleton case study Sources and resources

Definition Asset Mapping The process of cataloging the resources of a community. Asset Mapping Pioneers: John Kretzmann and John McKnight (Asset-Based Community Development Institute)

Individual Resources Every single individual Individual skills Computer, child care, painting, home repair Community skills Scout troop, church supper, political campaign Enterprising skills and interests Teaching, sales and marketing

Association Resources Formal or informal group of community members working together Church Women’s or Men’s Club PTA SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives) Assets Activities/services/funding provided to comm. Communication channel Future opportunities

Institutional Resources Formal, structured organization that typically does not rely on volunteers School Hospital Assets Employees (pd time to do community svc.) Facilities/services (space, copying) Volunteer/learning opportunities (school to work program)

Economic Resources Dollars generated by local and regional activity # and/or % employees hired locally % and/or $ of supplies & service bought locally

How These Assets Fit Together

Importance of Asset Mapping

Importance of Asset Mapping (cont) Create awareness of local resources Use resources in health improvement activities Recognize and value the gifts within a community

How to Map Community Assets Step 1: Define your community Specific population: elderly, disabled, youth Geographic boundary Faith, ethnic, racial community

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 2: Define what you want to do with the information collected. Examples: Create community resource guide Create a searchable database of community resources to tap for a health initiative Link individuals with paid/volunteer opportunities

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 3: Select what assets you want to identify. What skills do you need to identify? Start with pre-existing asset inventory tool Add and delete skills Keep focused on what you will do with this information.

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 4: Identify if an asset mapping activity has been done previously in your community (ex. United Way Assessment). How recent is it? Will it provide the information you are looking for? What did or did not work well?

Asset Mapping: Previous Efforts

Individual Asset Inventory Tool

Association Asset Inventory Tool

Institutional Asset Inventory Tool

Economic Asset Inventory Tool

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 5: Develop plan to collect the information. When do you need the data? What methods will you use to collect the info? What resources (people, copying, database creation and entry, facilitators) do you need to collect the info? Who is going to do what and by when?

Sample Activity Tracker

Existing Information Resources in Your Community Chamber of Commerce Phone Book The Internet Local Newspaper Previous Inventories (ex. United Way)

Information Collection Tips Ask advise of target population Think outside the box Web / Email Surveys Newspaper inserts PDA / Laptops Church Supper Think Ahead If your goal is to build a data base, use a method whereby information is entered and collected simultaneously. Ex: access data base

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 6: Map the assets of your community Use town map & color-coded push pins Use GIS Mapping software to create a map Example: mapping recreational assets Get community map and use push pins or color-code available recreation facilities, such as: play grounds, parks, ice rink, skate board parks, etc. Create a booklet of community recreational facilities.

How to Map Community Assets (cont) Step 7: Evaluate your process and results Process: what worked well and what did not How many completed? Did you reach your target population? Outcome: Able to create final product? Benefits derived? Number of individuals mapped Grant money received

Littleton Model Community Project Nicole LaPointe, Project Director Funded Through UNH Institute on Disability and the NH Department of Health and Human Services

Partners in Planning Identified efforts that dovetail with LMCP interests Identified associations for networking Found the ‘experts’ in the community Littleton Model Community took advantage of the assets available in its community from the very earliest stages of the planning process. We identified what else was happening in the community, and how Model Community could support and gain from those successes. Model Community linked with concurrent efforts to address transportation issues, efforts to coordinate health services, to improve access to technology, projects underway to beautify Main Street and the surrounding community, and agencies that serve older adults and people with disabilities. The group also thought about how to build relationships with the community businesses, who would need to be active participants in order to create the change we wanted to see. The Chamber of commerce, Rotary, and a diverse association called Littleton 2005 were all drawn into the map of assets as conduits for sharing information, education, and networking. The project also built relationships with individuals who were ‘in the know’ about issues facing older adults and people with disabilities, and asked all their partners “who else should be in on this discussion?” and “Who might be interested in this effort?” When you know what the players interests are, and the resources that exist, then you can leverage your own resources, and make the most for everyone.

Project Goals Improve access to town and public facilities Improve access to services and assistive technology Increase Employment Opportunities Increase Leadership and Volunteer Opportunities Includes access to information, and encouraging civic participation. Also includes access to places of commerce, benefiting the entire community by drawing tourism and encouraging new business to come. Requires and inventory of services and assistive technologies, especially for the use of area business who want to increase universal access to their facility, market to people with disabilities, or accommodate employees with disabilities. & 4. Requires identifying people who want to work or volunteers, and identifying the organizations and business who want to hire and who need more volunteer.

Improving access Identify town resources Inventory business that are accessible Work to create accessible public places Increase access to services and assistive technology. An inventory of the facilities, services, and materials that are available to the public must be conducted, as well as the ways that the public participates in local government in order to ensure that all of these things are available in a universal format, if requested and as necessary. This gives us the opportunity to encourage additional participation in the community by showcasing improvements or accommodations already in place. An inventory of businesses, and their level of accessibility, gives us multiple opportunities: to build relationships with business owners, to identify and support new accommodations in public places, to educate about the universal accessibility, to provide technical assistance on the issue, to discuss accessibility and universal design as a good marketing practice, to invite businesses to participate in other activities or in levels of decision-making, and to advertise the town’s assets to residents and visitors. The Town of Littleton is engaged with several projects, directed by community associations and area businesses: Littleton Main Street Initiative, TCSP (Transportation and Community Systems Preservation), and Walking Trails development, aimed at improving community public spaces. These projects are themselves assets, but also map out the places that are valuable to the community, and build social capital by engaging a broad diversity of people in planning and implementation. One of the ideas for this project is to compile a resource directory for older adults and people with disabilities, to connect them with information and services that provide medical care, health and social services, education, and other supports. Information and technical assistance on assistive technology will mostly be targeted to town facilities, businesses that want to accommodate customers and employees, and other associations’ (churches, clubs, etc.)

Increase Employment and Volunteerism Identify businesses that employ or would like to employ older adults or people with disabilities Identify organizations that rely on volunteers Identify people who want to work, their skills, and interests Again, by identifying these businesses, we are simultaneously mapping our assets and building those assets, because we also have the opportunity to: provide technical assistance, education, training, and to invite participation in Model Community in other ways. Many non-profit agencies have citizens on their Boards, or citizen advisory councils, and these seats are often unfilled. Other associations are entirely volunteer directed. There are lots of opportunities in a community to volunteer, but often there are not the means to connect interested individuals with these opportunities. Model Community is interested in identifying both the organizations that rely on volunteers, and the people in the community who would like to participate. This builds assets, to, beyond the matches that are made, because Model Community will be providing leadership training to any folks who are interested. The latter is true for matching folks with employment opportunities, also. More important than if a person can do a particular job is if a person wants to. A person’s skills and interests must be a good fit with a job to make it work.

Sources and Resources Community tool box website http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu/tools/EN/section_1043.htm, Chapter Three, Section 8 assessing community needs and resources Asset-Based Community Development Institute Institute started by John Kretzmann and John McKnight contains publications and workbooks about asset mapping and the larger concept of asset-based community development. http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html

Sources and Resources Center for Applied Rural Innovation (University of Nebraska) Vitalizing Community: Building on Assets and Mobilizing for Collective Action Facilitation Guide Workbook presents step-by-step guide to preparing for and hosting an asset mapping effort. http://cari.unl.edu/facilitatorguide.pdf Community Guide Workbook for community participants in an asset mapping effort. http://cari.unl.edu/communityguide.pdf

Summary Communities have lots of assets to capitalize on individual, associational, institutional, economic Asset Mapping is a helpful technique to identifying and USING a community’s existing resources to cause change.

Questions or Comments?

NH Institute for Health Policy & Practice 103 Pettee Hall Holly DeBlois Research Associate NH Institute for Health Policy & Practice 103 Pettee Hall University of New Hampshire Durham, NH 03820 Ph: (603) 740-1946 Fax (603) 862-4457 Email: holly.deblois@unh.edu Emp. Comm. Website: www.nhhealthpolicyinstitute.unh.edu/EPC.html Nicole LaPointe Project Director Littleton Model Communities Project North Country Health Consortium 646 Union St., Suite 400 Littleton, NH 03561 Ph: (603) 444-3996 ext 27 Email: nlapointe@nchin.org