1. 1 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

2. 2 Community Engagement WHAT: Reaching out, involving, facilitating, listening and learning from WHO: People who reflect the community. People who hold credibility at all layers of the community (not just official leaders and so-called “experts”) AND people who represent the cultural, ethnic, racial, political and social diversity of the community.

3. 3 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Community Engagement HOW: Seeking input through dialogue, discourse, debate, research and technology; working together to determine priorities, set an agenda, build commitment, and increase the potential for collective action WHY: To enhance the sense of community, collectively build knowledge of the community, and create the human capacity in the community to act on complex community problems

4. 4 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community What’s the extent of engagement at your UW? 1. Mainly engage the community in the annual fundraising campaign. 2. Involved from time to time in community research & engagement beyond the campaign. 3. Regularly involved in community research & education. Organize and support ongoing community involvement. 4. Regularly involved in community research & education, actively involved in multiple approaches & activities. Successfully engage a wide spectrum of community and encourage the community to participate in the spectrum of UW programs (planning to execution).

5. 5 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Principles of Community Engagement Ongoing -- not just a series of tasks to be accomplished Common good – inspires a belief in shared concerns (Low educational attainment affects everyone) Common ground — getting agreement and buy in Action — community members are active in the talking and the doing Listening — genuine listening is critical Reach — beyond our usual work with companies, volunteers and agencies

6. 6 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Community Engagement more than civic engagement Civic engagement refers to participation in the civic (government) realm. The usual forms and measures include things like voting, being involved in public policy, running for office etc. Civic engagement is important. But it’s only part of community engagement which refers to participation in the community more generally. civic= of or relating to a city, citizenship or civil affairs civil= of or relating to citizens or the state as a political body United Ways engage more than citizens

7. 7 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Community An entire geographic area A neighborhood A school district A city A population segment Latinos teen mothers A shared or common interest the early childhood community

8. 8 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Engagement More than a survey More than volunteering Volunteering is important. It’s of value in and of itself. But it’s just a piece of engagement. It can be a strategy to lead to deeper engagement It can be a way to mobilize resources behind a strategy.

9. 9 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community United Ways and Volunteer Centers Nearly half (46%) of United Ways support a Volunteer Center More than half (60%) of United Ways have links to volunteer opportunities on their websites Referrals resulted in more than 9.5 million hours of volunteer service annually Volunteer Solutions resulted in nearly 200,000 referrals in 2005

10. 10 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community United Way and Day of Caring Almost 500 United Ways conduct a Day of Caring More than 350,000 people volunteer annually with Day of Caring Fewer than one third of the United Ways align the event with their community impact work

11. 11 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Knowing the Community Community Engagement and Vision know the formal and informal leaders understand the social and economic landscape listen to and learn from members of the community build a shared commitment to act At the base of the transformation

12. 12 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Knowledge of the Community Broader and Deeper Multiple methods---more than a survey

13. 13 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Shared Community Vision Beyond assessing needs Beyond collecting data Beyond indicator reports Looking for aspirations, assets and priorities (not United Way’s vision but the community vision Setting goals for collective action.

14. 14 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Work United Way of Northeast Florida  United Way of Northeast Florida’s Stein Fellowship  The Mayor’s Early Literacy Project – Rally Readers  Multi-generational Early Literacy Collaboration  Born Learning Inter-active workshops

15. 15 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Engagement Strategy United Way of Northeast Florida United Way of Northeast Florida’s Women In Local Leadership (WILL) and the Born Learning Campaign  Born Learning Webinar – Key Volunteers  Focus Group involving 10-15 WILL members  Born Learning Breakfast  Born Learning Engagement Opportunities  Partner with Community Leaders

16. 16 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy United Way for Southeastern Michigan  Task: –Reach as many people as possible from all sectors and the community at large. –Elevate their voice towards a regional aspiration & an Agenda for Change.  Tactics: –Leadership Interviews (100); Focus Groups (30) –Community Action Survey – 6,500 –Innovative, Cost Efficient and Built from our Strengths – i.e. Relationships –Viral Web-based & 2-1-1 Invite –Total organizational commitment needed –4.5 million people in our region; 4,200 responses was the goal – 99% confidence

17. 17 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Latino Advisory Delegation created to investigate life in Dane County 28 Latino leaders 9 monthly meetings Data, data, data Determine scope and dimension Listening to the community Comprehensive recommendations Latino mortgage originations lag behind whites Percent of mortgages originated from applications

18. 18 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Cuéntame allowed us to experiment with engagement methods Leadership team Data walls Radio Stakeholder engagement Listening session Report launch

19. 19 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Payoff: Huge media visibility, strengthened reputation as convener, created trust Community rhythm Developed trust with Latino reputational leaders, Latino media Latinos reciprocated Latino “central” Agencies noticed—clients, board members, staff, increased culturally competent services Increased programming in 2007

20. 20 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Lessons Learned? Do it again? Yes! Off on wrong foot Months of planning, conversations, developing relationships with reputational leaders Report launch too long Creative community engagement Involved students: youth delegation, artwork Follow-up, follow-up

21. 21 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Turning Information Into Action The Strategy The Anchorage Community Assessment Project

22. 22 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Partnerships Matter Municipality of Anchorage Academic – Business - Foundation

23. 23 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Volunteers Matter Short term Long term

24. 24 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Surveys 1100 Face-to-Face 400 Telephone Secondary Data

25. 25 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Strategy Community Matters Voice in goal setting Results Matter Clear indicators with which to measure success

26. 26 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community The Payoff Awareness Extensive media coverage

27. 27 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Neighbor Engaging Neighbor The Payoff “If you need my help again, just ask! I enjoyed the experience.” Randy Akers Volunteer

28. 28 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% The Payoff Volunteer work only Both volunteer and contribute Contribute money only 72.2 % 30.8 % 37.0% Civic Engagement

29. 29 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community Parting Thoughts Community Engagement— It’s civic and more Engagement is volunteering and more. It requires the involvement of Community Impact, Brand and RD. It starts with knowing the community. There are many ways to do that. It can be strategic. It doesn’t just happen.

30. 30 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community More Resources Knowledge Café Point of View Get Engaged Get Engaged webinar 2 SLC presentations 2 Brand forum presentations Other people in component 1 Community Engagement Community of Practice