1. Models of Community Engagement
Kelly Benkert
Director, Leadership Development & Community Engagement
Northwestern University

2. Agenda Intros Anchor institutions Asset-Based Community Development
Collective Impact
Key principles of community engagement and partnership

4. Conversation
Why are libraries spending more time and energy thinking about community engagement? What has changed in the landscape or understanding/interpretation of your institutional mission that is leading to an increased focus on community engagement? What is the difference between engagement and outreach?

5. Libraries are Anchor Institutions
Location bound = vested interest in the community
Drivers of the creative and intellectual economy
Drivers of economic development

6. Libraries are Anchor Institutions
Provide anchor institution leadership
Create a network of anchor institutions
Agree to a set of basic behaviors
Study impact of the network

7. Anchor Institution Resources

8. An approach and orientation… Build together
Strengths/Assets Based vs. Needs Based
Voices of community
Relationships
Common values + Goals + Trust = POWER

9. Asset Mapping WHY do it? 3 Steps to Increase and Support Engagement
Inventory of assets available in a given community
Understanding strengths allows you to leverage them
Tool for planning partnerships
3 Steps to Increase and Support Engagement
Use learning conversations to discover the gifts and strengths of the community
Ask people to get involved and share their gifts around issues they care about
Connect people/institutions with the same passions to act collectively for the common good

11. Collective Impact

12. Complexity requires Collective Action
Food Security
K-12 Schools
Health Care
Living Wage Jobs
Funders
Public Policy
Educational Equity & College/Career Readiness

13. Five Conditions for Collective Impact
Libraries?

15. SMALL GROUPS! Anchor Institutions Asset Based Community Development
To Review….
Anchor Institutions
Asset Based Community Development
Collective Impact
SMALL GROUPS!
Which approach sparks your interest?
Where is there potential in your work to apply ideas from this approach?
4th option… the synthesizers! Where could you apply aspects of each framework in your work?

16. Principles of Community Engagement & Partnership Development
Stage 1: Designing the Partnership
Founded on a shared vision and clearly articulated values
Mutually beneficial to partnering institutions

17. Principles of Community Engagement & Partnership Development
Stage 2: Building Collaborative Work Relationships Among Partners
Composed of interpersonal relationships built on trust and respect
Multi-dimensional: they involve the participation of multiple sectors that act in service of a complex problem
Clearly organized and led with dynamism

18. Principles of Community Engagement & Partnership Development
Stage 3: Sustaining the Partnership
Integrated into the mission and support systems of the partnering institutions
Sustained by a “partnership process” for communication, decision-making, and the initiation of change
Evaluated regularly with a focus on both methods and outcomes

19. Other considerations to think about…
How do you keep track of your partnerships?
Database? Tracking system? Key Liaison?
How do you assess your partnerships or programs?
Consistent measures across programs?
Relationship or network maps?

20. Next steps? Take aways?
Acknowledge anchor status; begin conversations with other anchors
Community asset mapping with stakeholders
Identify areas for collective impact effort(s); develop capacity to be backbone support
Assess current practices through the lens of the partnership best practices

21. Kelly Benkert