ASSET-MAPPING Building on Community Resources July 20, 2010

What is Asset Mapping? CapacitySkillsRelationshipsResources A method to identify and assess community resources that have the potential to help further community or organizational goals.

Where Asset Mapping Begins Ask “what are our current strengths and what can we build on?” Not “what are our deficits and what do we need?”

Asset Mapping Helps Discover and Coordinate Resources Relationships skills knowledge political connections space materials access to key stakeholders What are Assets? Private, public and nonprofit organizations community leaders physical structures businesses citizen groups and associations unions foundations Where can they be found?

WHAT DOES ASSET MAPPING ACCOMPLISH? Lays a foundation for strong program planning Deepens understanding of systems and linkages Catalyzes partnerships Organizes and motivates Strengthens your fundraising efforts by building… strategic partnerships and alliances robust programs that effectively leverage assets and understand needs 5

WHERE TO BEGIN? What are our goals? What do we need to know to accomplish them? What “community” are we mapping? Who are our stakeholders? What assets are we looking for and how will we find them? What type of map do we need? Ask Yourselves…

PROJECT EXAMPLE: BUILDING A REGION’S MANUFACTURING SECTOR 7 Identify industry need – jobs? Skills? Source: employers, econ. dev. Agencies Methods: interviews, web research Assess current alignment of WFD resources with need Source: provider, school system and employers Method: interviews, focus groups Identify WFD resources Source: Funder websites City/state inventories Method: web research some interviews Identify opportunities to create greater alignment Source and Method: same Career Ladder Development Plan to Support Growth of Manufacturing Sector

DEPTHS OF INQUIRY* 8 Asset Identification Identify inventories Secondary, web-based research: state and local public agencies (education, community planning, economic development); business, educational or nonprofit Associations (e.g. Chambers of Commerce) Basic Evaluation Assess relative value of each asset (e.g. capacity, effectiveness) Mainly secondary research and some primary research (surveys, interviews) Comprehensive Assessment Identify assets most worth leveraging Identify relationships between assets Mainly primary research (surveys, interviews) *Department of Labor

SOURCES FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ASSET MAPPING Websites: Local public school systems City and regional agencies – planning, adult education and training, economic development State agencies -- economic development, workforce development, secondary and post- secondary education US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; US Census Chambers of Commerce, Industry Associations Local, regional and state foundations Interviews with employers, providers, local public and private funders for: perspective on an assets’ relevance, value capacity information additional leads, missing information 9

Asset Mapping and Resource Development Similarities in process and sources of information Asset Mapping Resource Development

ORGANIZE AND DISPLAY THE DATA SO IT CAN BE USED EFFECTIVELY Inventory – spreadsheet, database Physical map – push pins or colored dots Electronic map – GIS mapping software Diagrams, charts, other visual displays 11

Inventory Example ` Sponsor GED/ HS Dip, Dual HS/ college enroll- ment Neigh -bor- hood City- wide Parti- cipants ServedNotes Readiness ABCDCBO ●● Youth and adults YES CBO ● ChiHS Youth20 Bay and Evening Acad- emy NP ●● 16 – 21 year olds Boston PIC/Harvard STEP WF ●● HS Boston Adult Technical Academy BPS ●● ● 18 – 22 yr. olds 280 [1]

Inventory Example

ILLUSTRATING DATA WITH MAPS 14

ILLUSTRATING DATA WITH TABLES 15

DEVELOPING MAPS A geographic information system (GIS), or geographical information system, is any system that captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that are linked to location Census.gov and other on-line sources have free maps and mapping services 16

ASSET MAPPING RESOURCES Career One-Stop.org, US Department of Labor ontents.aspx Asset Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Free GIS Mapping Software and instruction Free downloadable tables and maps 17

Grant Maker Associations often have databases of funders in that state Wealth of funder info. Subscribers only, Some grantmaking associations offer free access, forms are free, other info. by subscription Enormous list of grantwriter resources, including books, links to common application from from consortia around the country, how-to-write sites, links to private/consulting grantwriters, and tips on non-grant fundraising Databases of federal solicitations 18 WEBSITES FOR RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

JENNIFER FREEMAN FREEMAN CONSULTING TEL FAX Broad Street, 8 th Floor, Boston, MA Prescott Street, Suite 405, Worcester, MA Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 5300, Washington, DC