Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced key components of a comprehensive community outreach plan. What follows is the remaining two components as well as some practical steps in devising such a plan.
1. Critical Steps
Below are three key steps in identifying the need for and devising a community engagement plan:
Step 1: Review inclusive engagement strategies. What is the scope and goals of the issue/process?
Step 2: Identify appropriate personnel and timeline to complete strategy development. Who are the stakeholders in the process?
Step 3: Collect data necessary for completion of any analysis of racial or cultural biases. What are the stakeholders’ interests/concerns?
2. Evaluate
Finally, to assess the success of a community engagement plan, four important questions must be answered:
a. Is the community’s role clearly identified when examining the non-profit organization’s community engagement activities?
b. Is a comprehensive community involvement plan developed and circulated throughout the organization?
c. Are community involvement results clear and have been incorporated into the organization’s long- and short-term strategic plans?
d. Is the community involvement process considered successful by all stakeholders (especially, the community leaders and members)?
Key Success Factors
As we have seen in the first part of this blog, it takes a great deal of effort to devise an effective and inclusive outreach strategy. Below are three key success factors in developing such a strategy:
a) Enhance Relationships & Engagement: There is a greater likelihood of engagement from underserved communities when organizations take steps to improve their relationships with those populations.
b) Enrich Knowledge Gathering: Strengthening connections with communities through knowledge gathering allows those constituents to play a key role in determining relevance and appropriateness of an organization’s outreach programs.
c) Embrace Organizational Change: In order for community engagement to flourish, organizations (and individuals that represent those organizations) must be open to organizational changes that are responsive to community needs/inputs and allow for shared power between communities and the organizations that serve them.
Strategic Actions
Below is a simplified “checklist” of key action items in tackling important steps in developing an effective plan:
1) Staffing & Organization: Designate a lead staff within the organization as the liaison person with the community.
2) Communications & Outreach: Create a clear identity and message to carry out the organization’s outreach efforts.
3) Accessibility & Transparency: Make sure the process is open and accessible to all stakeholders.
4) Evaluate the Process: Include evaluation of the overall process and of specific community-based activities.
Wrap-up
A non-profit organization, whose mandate calls for serving a specific segment of population, must not lose sight of the fact that its success depends on its ability to reach out and engage the community it is founded to serve. To be successful in this endeavor, the organization must devise and implement a comprehensive community outreach strategic plan. In this two-part blog, we have summarized the key steps in such an undertaking to ensure an enduring mission for the non-profit organization in question.
As counsel to many non-profit organizations, Your Great Event helps its clients develop enduring and effective community outreach programs.