Community Mobilization + Engagement

Develop shared expectations for community engagement and assess each engagement effort during and after it is complete. Creating goals before the engagement will ensure that you prioritize equity values. Evaluation of these goals should occur throughout the process and successes reported and reviewed upon completion.

Prioritize community-driven initiatives. When engaging the community, be willing to adjust or abandon agendas that are not deeply informed by and developed with community residents, especially those most impacted by the issue. This adaptive approach will optimize lessons learned in the process. Be willing to leverage the brand reputation to amplify and channel the authentic voice of the community with donors to inform, educate, share with them community concerns. Shared learning for all partners is an investment in equitable engagement.

Compensate participants in your community engagement efforts. This acknowledges systemic inequities and supports equitable access for partners with different resources.

Establish and invest in community-led decision-making bodies in your process. Being explicit and transparent about the timing and roles encourages participation and shared expectations.

Invest in building the leadership capacity of community residents, where needed, to advocate for their community. Identify opportunities for community members to share their experiences and perspectives in external communications and with partners. More leadership opportunities can amplify the impacts of equity in the process.

Continue to broaden your reach. Engage youth, artists, and elders in your community engagement efforts. Inviting diverse skills and perspectives allows for more robust responses, and therefore better data input.