Community Organizing Overview Nan Van Den Bergh, PhD, LCSW

What is community organizing? Assisting individuals and groups to deal with problems through planned collective action Fostering self-determination through collective action is a fundamental component of community organization

Why will people agree to organize? An issue is personally important There is an identified target who/that can be the focus People sense the potential for POWER through collective action A concrete and immediate change seems likely

Becoming a community organization A “hope to be” community organization must engage in strategic planning thinking: – What is our primary purpose ( mission) – What are our short term and longer term goals? – What are our SWOT? – What are the critical issues facing us (money, credibility, visibility)? – Who are our supporters and what value do we offer them? – Who are our opponents, what form may their opposition take? – Who do we need to influence? – How can we influence them?

Community Organizing Tactics Collaboration: mutual problem solving…win/win Campaign: – Petitions – Public hearings – Lobbying policy and decision makers – Media coverage Confrontation: overpower the target – Boycotts – Rent strikes – Sit-ins

Guiding Principles for Community Organizers Anticipate problems and challenges – Look ahead 3,6,12 months Start where the group is: – Encourage group to take on tasks that can be accomplished – If you have concerns, share your perspective, convey possible consequences, but leave ultimate decision to the community

Be aware of organizational and interpersonal dynamics Who domineers? Are there cliques? Listen for ways to reflect: – Concerns – Consensus: a “satisficed” agreement – Agree to disagree

Stages of Community Organizing: Engagement Who is the community? Identify key informants; meet with them What are the various constituencies? Who are the leaders, motivators, interested parties?

Community Organizing: Assessment What are the community’s issues, needs, assets, and strengths? What is the major problem, contributing factors, consequences? Assessment methods: – Secondary data, i.e. census and Florida Charts – Surveys – Focus groups – Public meetings

Community Organizing: Planning Creating mission, vision, goals and objectives – Calendar year plans and multi-year plans – Teach community members how to: a) run meetings, b) create plans, c) pursue funding

Community Organizing: Policy Interventions Modify an existing policy: i.e. children born in U.S. of undocumented parents cannot have in- state educational benefits Create a new policy: Dream Act – Advocacy tactics: Demonstrations (contest ) – Campaign tactics Lobby legislators and decision makers (collaborate with others for coalition) Hold public hearings Secure media coverage

Community Organizing: Create New Organization Create a charter/constitution/bylaws – File with state division of corporations File for nonprofit status, after receiving state incorporation, with Internal Revenue Service to become a 501 (c) (3)

Community Organizing: Evaluation Policy change: what worked in seeking change; and, what did not work? Policy creation: is the need being addressed? Program evaluation: yearly assessment of process variables and outcome variables Evaluation methods: – Quantitative: descriptive, change, scaling – Qualitative: words, images, audio-visual

Core Skills of Community Organizer Engagement: – Listening, reflecting, reframing, focusing, confronting Assessment: – Issue and those it affects in: present, past and hoped-for future Planning: – Goals, objectives, action steps, time lines Intervention roles: – AdvocateResearcher – EducatorActivist – BrokerLobbyist – MediatorPlanner – Enabler