<<< Back to Core Competency
A. Planning and Assessment
1. Identify and engage a network of persons who share your concern.
Chapter 7: Encouraging involvement in community work
Chapter 5, Section 5: Coalition Building I: Starting a Coalition
a. Name the problem or issue you are concerned about
b. Identify those persons or organization who are also concerned and why
c. Propose a meeting to get together and discuss possible ways to work together
2. Set up an exploratory task force
Chapter 9, Section 3: Developing Multi-Sector Task Forces of Committee
a. Utilize your current network to identify more people interested in the issue
b. Who do you know that could represent different sectors of the community (e.g., business, faith communities)?
3. Define a service area and know your territory
a. Describe where those persons affected by the issue live, and thus where you should target your efforts
Chapter 3, Section 2: Understanding and Describing the Community
b. Outline your target area and population- whether geographically or by sector
Chapter 3, Section 2: Understanding and Describing the Community
c. Inventory existing community resources related to the problem and strategize how they might be tapped
Chapter 3, Section 11: Determining Service Utilization
4. Discover/uncover priority needs
a. Conduct needs surveys and focus groups among those in the community of interest.
Chapter 3, Section 6: Conducting Focus Groups
Chapter 3, Section 7: Conducting Needs Assessments Surveys
b. Research past surveys or statistical information related to the issue.
Chapter 3, Section 4: Collecting Information about the problem
c. Talk to other organizations either working with your target population or working on similar issues in other communities.
5. Pick a focus, set objectives, and plan on how to accomplish them.
a. Clearly define what it is you want to accomplish as an organization
Chapter 8, Section 2: Proclaiming your dream: selecting a vision and mission
b. Set objectives (e.g., by this date this risk factor will decrease)
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating Objectives
c. Write out what changes will need to occur in the community
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan
6. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your organization as it is now and what outside threats work against its success.
Chapter 3, Section 14: SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
a. Your organization's strengths (e.g., experience of staff)
b. Your organization's weaknesses (e.g., not well known in the community)
c. Outside factors that may provide opportunities to advance your goals (e.g., national media covering your issue)
d. Outside factors that may act as threats or barriers to your success (e.g., increasing risk factors in the community)
B. Creating a Governing Structure
1. Recognize the need for a governing structure
Chapter 9, Section 1: Organizational Structure: An Overview
a. It provides members with clear guidelines for how to proceed.
b. It creates a structure that binds members together and facilitates their interactions.
2. Review the structures necessary for an organization to function.
Chapter 9, Section 2: Choosing a group to create or run your initiative
a. Some form of governance
b. Rules of operation
c. Explicit distribution of work
3. Identify the formal roles or committees that need to be established to ensure your organization's success.
Chapter 9, Section 1: Organizational Structure: An Overview
a. Steering Committee
b. Coordinating council/committee
c. Project Coordinator
d. Task Force
e. Board of Directors
f. Action Committees
g. Support Committees
h. Other Supports
4. Describe the rules of operation
Chapter 9, Section 7: Writing By-Laws
Chapter 10, Section 5: Developing Personnel Policies
a. By-laws
b. Conflict of interest policies
c. Financial policies
d. Personnel policies
e. Media policies
f. Volunteer policies
g. Quality assurance policies
h. Program policies
i. Disaster policies
5. Outline who will be responsible for what within the organization
a. Write position descriptions for all members
Chapter 10, Section 2: Preparing Job Descriptions and Selection Criteria
b. Decide which positions will be volunteer and which will be paid
Chapter 11, Section 1: Developing a plan for involving volunteers
c. Create a visual representation of the relationships between different roles within the organization.
Chapter 9, Section 1: Organizational Structure: An Overview
d. Circumvent future power struggles and conflict by outlining:
a. The decision-making process for different actions
b. How information will be shared
c. Rules for modifying policies and procedures
d. How disputes will be resolved
e. Who has authority to make final decisions in specific situations?
C. Managing and Enhancing Staff and Volunteer Efforts
1. Determine whether your organization will utilize the community's volunteer pool.
a. How will the volunteer and staff managers connect with the planning and evaluation of the organization or project?
b. Does the governing body of your organization see the value of using volunteers and consultants to reach the organization's goals and objectives? Are volunteers included in your mission statement?
Chapter 11, Section 1: Developing a plan for involving volunteers
c. How will you report the contributions of volunteers to your governing board?
2. Review your organization's goals and objectives and describe the tasks it will have to do to reach them.
Chapter 12: Providing Training and Technical Assistance
a. What skills will be required?
b. Are the tasks ongoing or one-time activities?
c. Is this to carry out a new activity?
3. Determine the skill level and qualifications of people who will carry out the tasks.
a. What background or training will the person need to carry out the work?
b. Develop a job description
4. Decide whether the tasks can be carried out by staff, consultants, or by volunteers.
a. If you hire someone to carry out the work, what will you pay them?
b. Will you need approval from the board?
c. What tasks does staff need help with? How will that be determined?
d. Will you need a volunteer manager? What role will they play? Will they be paid?
e. How will you assist staff in seeing volunteers as partners?
f. Will you have a budget for volunteers?
5. Devise a recruiting and hiring plan for staff or volunteers
Chapter 11, Section 1: Developing a plan for involving volunteers
a. How will you draw on the interests of individuals and motivate them to apply or volunteer? How will you match this with your opportunities?
b. Where will you seek volunteers or staff? What groups and individuals will you target? What message will you give them
Chapter 10, Section 3: Advertising for positions
c. How will you get to know the applicant and screen them? Will you do reference or other background check? How well do you have to know the applicant to be able to place them?
Chapter 10, Section 4: Interviewing for positions
d. How will you make the offer?
e. How will you handle those not qualified for placement?
6. Decide who will orient, supervise and provide support to staff and volunteers and how that will be accomplished
a. Who is best suited to manage this activity, staff or volunteer?
Chapter 15, Section 1: Developing a Management Plan
b. Will your volunteers know what their job is and whom they can turn to for assistance and support?
Chapter 11, Section 3: Developing Volunteer Orientation Programs
c. How will you protect volunteers, your group, and those you serve?
d. How can staff and volunteers provide feedback to the management or new ideas to the organization?
7. Create an evaluation system to assess performance of staff and volunteers
Chapter 40, Section 1: Achieving and Maintaining Quality Performance
a. How will you evaluate the volunteers as well as the staff who supervise them?
b. How will you provide feedback on performance to staff and volunteers?
8. Provide career development opportunities to staff and volunteers
a. Do your staff or volunteers see a future with your group?
b. Are there clear paths to and opportunities for more advanced work within your organization for staff and volunteers?
c. How will you support development of staff and volunteers?
9. Recognize the accomplishments of staff and volunteers
a. How will supervisors provide immediate feedback on performance and behavior
b. Will your organization provide more formal forums for recognition
D. Planning for Managing Finances
1. State your mission, goals and objectives. How has your organization chosen to meet these objectives
Chapter 8, Section 1: An Overview of Strategic Planning
2. What specific activities are needed to reach your objectives and what staff will be needed to carry out those activities?
a. Describe the needs of those served
Chapter 3, Section 1: Develop a plan for identifying local needs and resources
b. Describe your objectives
Chapter 8, Section 3: Creating objectives
c. Describe how budgetary decisions will be made
Chapter 43, Section 2: Managing Your Money
3. Describe the role of the board, CEO, financial officer, program manager, and others in developing and using the budget.
a. Who will establish policy related objectives, income targets, and personnel and other costs
Chapter 9, Section 1: Organizational Structure
b. What policies and procedures govern your budget, and projection of income, cash flow or expenses
Chapter 43, Section 3: Handling Accounting
c. Describe your financial record keeping
Chapter 43, Section 3: Handling Accounting
d. Determine the types of accounting functions the organization needs
Chapter 43, Section 2: Managing your Money
e. Decide who will carry out these functions
f. Describe the types and sources of income your organization will have
Chapter 43, Section 2: Managing your Money
g. Who needs to know about the organization's finances and decide how that will be communicated with them and how often
Chapter 43, Section 5: Creating a Financial & Audit Committee
h. What controls are needed to maintain secure finances
Chapter 9, Section 1: Organizational Structure
i. How will your handle problems? Who will resolve financial disputes
Chapter 43, Section 5: Creating a Financial & Audit Committee
j. How will you keep track and report your finances? What controls will your have over your budget and resources
Chapter 43, Section 1: Planning and writing an annual budget
4. Seek resources to support your efforts
a. Match your outcomes, goals and services with potential funders, volunteers, and other donors. Who are they and why did you choose them
Chapter 11, Section 2: Recruiting Volunteers
Chapter 42, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Financial Sustainability
Chapter 46, Section 3: Promoting Adoption of the Initiative's Mission and Objectives
b. Describe the types of support you will seek
Chapter 42, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Financial Sustainability
Chapter 46, Section 4: Attracting Support for Specific Programs
c. Describe how you will seek this support
d. Describe how you will sustain current and future funding relationships
Chapter 46, Section 2: Strategies for Sustaining the Initiative
Chapter 46, Section 17: Establishing and maintaining a membership program
e. Set your performance measures for success
f. Explain how you will be an ethical steward of your resources
5. Specify how you manage your finances
a. Identify the type of budget your need (e.g., organizational or opportunity)
Chapter 43, Section 1: Planning & Writing an Annual Budget
b. Develop a budget
E. Enabling Communication Within and Outside the Organization
1. What do you want to accomplish? What are your objectives?
a. Did you specify how your goals and objectives are related to your overall mission?
Chapter 46, Section 3: Promoting Adoption of the Initiative's Objectives & Mission
b. How do you want more people to know about your organization?
Chapter 6, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Communication, Chapter 45, Section 2: Conduct a Social Marketing Campaign
c. Do you influence people who can help you reach your goals?
Chapter 45, Section 4: Segmenting the Market
Chapter 18, Section 3: Identifying Targets and Agents of Change
d. Do you want to raise money and acquire resources?
Chapter 46, Section 2: Strategies for Sustaining the Initiative
e. Are you advocating for change?
Chapter 30, Section 1: Overview Getting an Advocacy Campaign of the Ground
f. Are you trying to increase membership or get more volunteers?
Chapter 46, Section 17: Establishing & Maintaining a Membership Program
2. Identify your audience. Who are you trying to influence or attract?
Chapter 3, Section 8: Identifying Community Assets & Resources
Chapter 7, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Increasing Participation in Community Action
Chapter 45, Section 2: Conduct a Social Marketing Campaign
3. Describe your main messages
Chapter 6, Section 12: Developing Creative Promotions
4. Identify the best channels through which you will reach individuals in your targeted audience.
a. Describe the approached you will use to convey your message
Chapter 45, Section 2: Conducting a Social Marketing Campaign
Chapter 45, Section 5: Promoting Awareness and Interest Through Communication
b. How will you stay in touch with the media? How will you make it easier for them to help you?
5. Describe the materials and items that will be used to transmit your message
Chapter 6, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Communication
Chapter 45, Section 5: Promoting Awareness and Interest Through Communication
6. List the dates by which you want to carry out your plan
Chapter 6, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Communication
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan
7. Determine the cost for carrying out your plan
Chapter 6, Section 1: Developing a Plan for Communication
Chapter 8, Section 5: Developing an Action Plan