Community Engagement

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

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. Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

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

4. 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). Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14. The WorkUnited 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 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

15. The Engagement StrategyUnited 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 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

16. The StrategyUnited 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 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

17. The StrategyLatino 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 Knowledge is Power: strengthening your understanding of your community

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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