Hello, Lisa –
Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your important question.
When it comes to starting an organization in your community, we could write a book! But since we can’t do that in this space, we’ll start with Chapter One.
We think the first and most important thing in starting an organization as with most anything in life, is wanting to do it. If you don’t want to do something, deep down, then it’s less likely to happen. It sounds as if you are well motivated, so the good news is that you are already off to a good start.
The next step is thinking about what you want to accomplish with your organization. What, precisely, do you want to do? What would you like to see happen, say a year from now? This takes thought, before you start – and, frankly, careful thought, because you want to be ambitious, but also realistic in terms of your own situation and the resources you have. You want to find the proper balance.
In doing this kind of thinking, it’s often helpful at the beginning to meet with others who share your basic vision, and brainstorm with them. This can be done very informally, around a kitchen table. Hearing different ideas and strategies will help you. And as a bonus, perhaps several of these people will be willing to be part of your planning team as you move forward.
The last step is Chapter One is to make a plan, based on your thinking. It’s best if you write it down, since the very act of writing will clarify your thinking. Your plan should contain an overall goal, specific objectives, specific action steps, responsibilities (who executes each action step), and timelines. Doing all this realistically takes work, maybe several hours. But it will pay off for you.
(A good sense of humor is not a bad idea, too. But, believe us, people have done many wonderful things that are even more hilarious than what you have in mind!...)
After that you are ready for Chapter Two – to take your plan out into the world, and execute it! We won’t tell you that is necessarily easy – as we said, you’ve got to really want to do it – but it is certainly possible. With strong motivation, a clear vision, good people behind you, and a clear plan, your chances of success are much improved. And we are hopeful that you will succeed.
There are sections in the Community Tool Box that give more detail on many of these points, and we would recommend in particular looking at some of the sections in Chapter 17 on Defining the Problem, Section 18 on Deciding Where to Start, and Chapter 8 on Planning. Pick the sections that most interest you, and just start reading.
We hope some of these points may be helpful to you. Thanks again for bring in touch with us, and all very best wishes for success in your work.
Bill Berkowitz
For the Community Tool Box team
