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Ask an Advisor Answers

Question:
Hello Advisor,

I've been looking at your tools on collaboration. Would you be able to direct me to any tools for NFP partnership agreement/MOU templates?

Thank you
Answer:

Good Morning, Melanie,
Thanks for contacting CTB.  Please take a look at Chapter 9 under our Table of Contents, for information and checklist about writing MOUs.  You might also look at portions of Chapter 33, section 15 regarding mediation of conflicts that may be encountered along the way.

Question Date: Thu, 07/05/2018
Question:
I am a Social Worker. My residents consist of elderly and young disabled. We have a diverse population. Some of the population speak in their native language and those who do not understand feel left out, and visa versa when English is spoken and others do not understand they feel left out - what is your solution to this situation ?
Answer:

Hi Mary, and thanks for asking.
If I were in your position, I would confer first with leaders/natural helpers of those language groups in your community.  Ask them for advice not only about language issues, but also about ways to promote cultural exchange/celebration within your client population.  Possible strategies might be to promote celebration of the different cultures with meals, parties, music and ethnic celebrations that involve all of the clients - don't leave anyone out.  My personal belief is that the more fun people can enjoy together, the more understanding and the fewer jealousies may arise.
But the ethnic community leaders in your area will know more than I do about how to promote cultural exchange in your vicinity.  Please ask them for the advice you seek.

Question Date: Mon, 07/09/2018
Question:
Good Morning, our Siqondimfundo Creche NPO No. 149547 need an assistant for funding our creche is situated at a Rural Area, no funding from the Government yet.How to apply for funding.
our contact number 072 232 0009 / 078 6829 553
Answer:

Good Day Thembi, and thanks for contacting CTB.
We cannot refer you to a person who can assist you in searching for funds, but there is a fair amount of information about grant writing in our information base.  Please see our Chapter 42 and its related Toolkit #14 in our Table of Contents under the Learn a Skill graphic.
I wonder, also, whether there are any nearby NGOs that might be able to help find funding for your development efforts.
 
 

Question Date: Mon, 07/09/2018
Question: How do I cite information from Chapter 8 in APA format?
Answer:

Hi Amy, and thanks for asking.
When you go down the home page to the area in black, you will find among the green links our "use policy."  Click on that and the citation process is part-way down the page.
Cite on!
 

Question Date: Wed, 07/11/2018
Question:
I am doing research on dialogue and participatory leadership and am looking for datasets either qualitative or quantitative to answer the question of impact or efficacy of community conversations/dialogue on social cohesion, identity or health of communities. Would you be able to assist?
Answer:

Hi Julia,
 
Although we do not have datasets per se, Section 11 of Chapter 1 in our Table of Contents does provide a lot of guidance to the evaluation process.
I don't have a lot of knowledge about this category of dataset, so let me suggest that you post your query on the SCRA listserv: SCRA-L@lists.apa.org
I suspect that others may have leads to the types of datasets you seek.

Question Date: Thu, 07/12/2018
Question: What are that you dont feel as strong?skilled?
Answer:

Good morning Brigido,
I do not fully understand your question, which seems to have something to do with self-confidence or self-esteem.  Those are issues that CTB is not equipped to answer, so I encourage you to find a local counselor and seek a more personal answer to your question.
 

Question Date: Tue, 07/17/2018
Question:
Hi I am putting together an event on an extremely limited budget to benefit and promote a non profit organization. How can I ask for help from different companies? (eg. Soliciting that the business supply prizes or water for the event day) And is it appropriate to do so?
Answer:

Hi Sarah,
Local businesses often are willing to support nonprofit organizations, especially if they have compatible interests, so I encourage you to contact those businesses that seem to fit best with what your nonprofit is trying to accomplish.  Take time to write down an "elevator speech" request explaining clearly but briefly what the nonprofit does, the specific assistance request, why you are asking for assistance, and how the company's support will be publicized.  Include your own contact information.  Make certain that your nonprofit has a 501(c)(3) determination from the IRS and leave a copy of the determination letter if requested..  Ask for a half-hour appointment with an appropriate official to make your request in person, and leave the written request for their further review.  Let the company know by when you need their decision.  Follow up with a written thank you note appreciating the opportunity to meet with them, and later with a written thank you note expressing thanks for their donation.  Publicize their support in organization newsletters and websites.
Oh, by the way, during your half-hour interview, also ask the person to suggest other possible leads, and whether you can use the person's name when you contact those recommended leads.

Question Date: Fri, 07/27/2018
Question:
What would be ten great questions to ask key influencers about what's important to them , their favorite causes or their thoughts on their community?
Answer:

Hi Ozzie,
I suggest that you take a look at our Toolkit 2 under the Table of Contents.  That Toolkit has a number of subheadings easily converted into questions.

Question Date: Tue, 08/07/2018
Question:
Hi! I would like to start a community based fitness/running program for people in recovery. Any suggestions on where to start? Thank you so much!! ❤Krystal
Answer:

Hi Krystal, and thanks for contacting CTB.
Two chapters of our online book may be of assistance as you start.  Under Table of Contents, take a look at chapters 3 and 5.  You may also find the related Toolkit helpful as you plan how to proceed.  I have checked a couple of other sections below that may be of use later.
In general, your early efforts should involve talking with people in the recovery community - including people in service delivery organizations - about how they see the need for exercise as part of recovery and how best to deliver your proposed running program.  Look for persons also interested in promoting exercise and physical activity as part of a healthy recovery.  After getting an impression of perceived community needs and resources, work together with interested others to plan out and "market" your program.  Consider whether it is more beneficial to develop a program solely for persons in recovery, or to build a program that involves persons in recovery running with others for whom running is a hobby.
Your idea sounds like a good one, and we wish you well.

Question Date: Wed, 08/08/2018
Question:
Hello, My name is Bianca Jenkins and I am a 3rd year medical student working in a rural community in Michigan. I work in Arenac County in Michigan which as of 2018 has been ranked #80 out of #83 for health rankings by county in Michigan. I am only here for 6 months, but in this time I have seen many health issues. The health issue that has been particularly near and dear to me is their ever increasing opioid epidemic. With that said, I would like to educate the community about the opioid epidemic, how it has affected and affects their community and what they can do to help but I have no idea where to start. I have been looking for statistics specific to Arenac county but since it is a smaller town, there is not much literature besides vague "drug overdose" mortality records. I guess I'm just not sure where to go from here but any advice would be appreciated.
Answer:

Good morning, Bianca.  Thanks for contacting CTB.
Let's frame your objective during a 6-month stay as trying to lay a foundation for what might then be an ongoing effort by local people in Arenac County.  That raises several possibilities:
First, who else, and what organizations, in the county are already focusing on the opioid epidemic there?  If you have not done so, I suggest that you query the local health department, coroner, hospital emergency rooms, any available behavioral health (MH and SUD) providers, school district and law enforcement, county government officials; maybe even the local newspaper.  Find out several things.  What information have they already compiled about opioid use there?  In what ways are they concerned about opioid use there?  Are they working together/talking with each other about the issue?  (if not, your most valuable short-term contribution may be bringing them all together to share information and form a coalition against opioid use.).
Second, I suggest you query state behavioral health officials.  What additional information might they have compiled that compares opioid use in Arenac County with other counties in the state.  Ask for rate per thousand population information rather than just numerical counts, so you can make meaningful comparisons.
Finally, I encourage you to look at https://samhsa.gov for a lot of information about opioid use.  If other local resources with whom you have talked are not aware of this website, show them how to find it and what all it provides concerning the opioid epidemic.
You have focused upon a very important public health issue.  Although you are an "outsider" you bring genuine concern about the issue.  As you talk with some or all of those local resource people, approach them as a learner; be nonjudgmental and affirm what they might already be doing or considering.  
Because yoy will be there only six months, I have checked three of our core competencies that can contribute to laying foundation for subsequent leadership by others.
 

Question Date: Wed, 08/15/2018
Question:
How to present a survey report concerning the health of pregnant women and childrend to the audience.
Answer:

Hi Blessing,
Thanks for asking.  Your question is kind of general, and I am going to respond first with "It depends!"  Is your purpose to provide the information contained in the survey report merely to inform your community about the health of the women subjects, about the effectiveness of the local pregnancy care system, to promote media coverage of the report and the issue, or to recruit relevant providers and community officials for further study and program development?  Or is it a question about what media to use during your presentation?  Is the presentation about physical health status alone, or do you have data that correlates physical health status with "social indicators of health" such as housing, transportation, etc.
 
I want to encourage you to review portions of two chapters in our Toolbox.  First, take a look at Chapter 45, section 7 in the Table of Contents.  That section focuses upon promoting community awareness of an issue.  Chapter 38, Section 9 focuses upon the development of community-level indicators, so that the audience can see how your community compares to others with similar issues.  Beyond those two, if your goal is to help mobilize a community response, you might look at Chapters six and seven.
These days, media such as PowerPoint are used widely in presentations and can be very helpful in communicating with your audience.  However, having sat through many such presentations, I encourage you to put your key information points and data graphics on the PowerPoint slides (keep them focused and succinct) but develop really good speaker notes that amplify or clarify the information you want to present.  (Personal bias follows:)  Please do not just read each slide to your audience.  Deliver your lecture and supplement it with the slides.  Intersperse the data with photos and/or stories that give examples of what you have learned.  Highlight your conclusions and recommendations.  Invite questions throughout your presentation and encourage dialog - but keep it focused on the main points - discourage or defer responding to audience tangents until after the presentation has ended.
Hope this responds sufficiently to your question.  You picked an important topic!

Question Date: Thu, 08/23/2018
Question:
I have used your excellent toolkit for my graduate course on leadership and social justice. Previously, the toolkit had a complete example of a strategic plan (related to adolescent); however, I can no longer find that example. Was it been taken down or moved?

Thanks!
Answer:

Hi Denise, and thanks for asking.
There are complete examples  of strategic plans, including at least one for adolescents under our Table of Contents, Chapter 8, Section 5.  Under the Main Heading subtab, look toward the bottom of that page under the Resources heading.  I don't know whether one of these is the example you were hunting, but they are good examples.

Question Date: Tue, 08/28/2018
Question:
Hello-
I am needing to write a paper on my community to assess the population. For defining the community, the following are given to address. My community chosen, boundaries, etc are in all capitals. My problem is that I cannot find statistics. Any tips are appreciated. Thank you! Mary
Answer:

Hi Mary,
Thanks for your question. A necessary first step in working towards community change is being able to define and describe the communities we hope to work in and change. Defining and describing a community frequently includes many of the elements you've included in your question, like identifying (and explicitly naming) the community chosen, what defines and bounds the community, and descriptions of the individuals make up a community. Whether you are working towards providing this information in a paper for a class assignment, a presentation to a potential community partner, or a proposal for a funder, providing information on the community with which you plan to work is critical.
I recommend you review Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Community Toolbox. It focuses on "Understanding and Describing the Community," and includes information on how to define a community, the importance of understanding and describing the community, types of information to gather, and where to find such information. This section also contains links to specific online resources where you may be able to provide statistics and other information specific to your community.
I hope this helps!

Question Date: Sun, 09/02/2018
Question:
What is the Homeless population in Durango, CO today? I need to know for a paper.
Answer:

Hi Mary,
Thanks for sending in another question. Unfortunately, the Community Toolbox Ask an Advisor service is not able to provide an answer, as it is outside of the scope of what we do. We are here to respond to more general questions about community development, and help identify sections and resources within the Toolbox that may be particularly informative and helpful for someone's work. We are not able to answer specific questions about specific communities, or act as a research/fact-finding service.
Best of luck to you in your work! We hope the Community Toolbox continues to be helpful to you.

Question Date: Sat, 09/08/2018
Question:
I am looking for evidence on the use of Butterfoss and Dunet's "Plan Quality Index" for reviewing the quality of community health action plans. If not this tool, a recommendation for a similar qualitative assessment tool would be appreciated. Thank you!
Answer:

Hi Anna,
Thanks for your question. Evaluation is a key piece in developing, implementing, and refining community change initiatives. Unfortunately, Ask an Advisor is here to respond to more general questions about community development, and cannot act as a research service, thus I'm not able to speak to the specific tool you mentioned. You may consider, though, checking out Chapters 36-39 on the Community Toolbox. These chapters discuss evaluating community programs and initiatives. Chapter 38, specifically, reviews some methods for evaluation comprehensive community initiatives and provides links to other resources that may be helpful to you.

Question Date: Wed, 09/19/2018
Question:
Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm Thomas Salima from Papua New Guinea, a developing country in the pacific region. I come from a rural area in Madang Province of Papua New Guinea. I am currently a bacherlor's degree holder and working in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea. My village/community had faced a lot of social, economic issues in today's world and I would like to help set up a community development framework that will assist in reducing those issues and to increase the living standard of my rural community. Would you please help me with some advise on how or where i should start, what needs to be done to get the plan in place, the different components of the community development plan or framework, which people or organistion should i seek to gain help, and any donor agencies whom I should see if I needed help in terms of finance to establish special projects for the community. I sincerely await your reply. Kind regards, Thomas Salima
Answer:

Dear Thomas,
Thank you for contacting Ask an Advisor. You've raised important questions as to how we both begin, and sustain community development initiatives. The Community Toolbox was built to help promote community health and development. I think that many different chapters, sections, and Toolkits within the Toolbox may be helpful to you. To get started, I would recommend visiting the Table of Contents. This will give you a sort of lay of the land as to what kind of information and resources are available in the Toolbox. For example, you asked about putting together a community development plan or framework. Chapters 8-12 discuss putting together and implementing a strategic plan and organizational structure for community change initiatives. You asked about how to identify people and organizations with which to partner. Chapters 6 and 7 discuss how to develop communications that can promote interest in community work, and even includes a Toolkit on Creating and Maintaining Partnerships. These are just a few examples; the Toolbox contains much more information than this that I think will be helpful to you and your work.
It sound like you've decided to take on really critical work in your community. It will be a long journey, and reaching out to and becoming familiar with the Toolbox is a great step. Take a look at our materials. If specific questions arise for you, or if when you begin the work, you encounter obstacles, are unsure how to move forward, or have other questions, please do reach out to Ask an Advisor again.
We at the Community Toolbox wish you the best as you begin this important work.

Question Date: Thu, 09/20/2018
Question:
Hello. I am a bilingual speech-language pathologist who's daughter is attending a new trailing acharter school. Her school is lacking parent involvement and I have volunteered to develop a parent informational group. I have a observed a lack of parent support regarding education on their misconceptions about multilingual acquisition and the expectations there of. I have received approval from the principal to submit an action plan. I am writing to you to inquire about consultation services as I complete the steps suggested on your website. Would this be a viable option? Thank you in advance.
Answer:

Hi Karen,
Thanks for reaching out to Ask An Advisor. It sounds like you've decided to take on a really important task. It is encouraging to hear that the principal is open to receiving and reviewing an action plan. That in of itself is an exciting achievement. I always encourage folks to celebrate all successes--big or small--as this work takes much time and dedication. Unfortunately, we don't offer individual ongoing consultation services through the Community Tool Box. However, as you work through different tasks and steps provided here, you can always come back to Ask an Advisor with your questions. We won't be able to speak to your specific community and circumstance, but can discuss how we or others might approach a particular task, how we or others may try to overcome a specific obstacle once it presents itself, etc. In addition, you may want to check out Chapter 12, Section 8 which talks more about the role of consultants, and how you might go about choosing one.
We wish you the best in your work! And will be here when other questions come up.

Question Date: Tue, 10/02/2018
Question:
Hi, my name is Eric Rosin I work for Options for All, a non-profit organization that provides a multitude of services for adults with developmental disabilities. I am the program manager for our Mira Mesa day program located in San Diego CA, we work with our participants to provide vocational support through employment/volunteer opportunities. Currently, we are working towards developing a plan to start a culinary arts day program. I was doing some research and I stumbled upon Soups and Sweets/organization which seems really amazing. I was hoping to gain some insight into your program, and how you got started, funded, success, things that didn't work. etc. I am sure you are very busy, but any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time
Answer:

Hi Eric,
Thanks for contacting Ask An Advisor. We're thrilled to learn that you stumbled upon Soups and Sweets. It is just one Community Story that appears on our website. Unfortunately, we at Ask An Advisor are not the folks who pursued this community initiative, so aren't able to speak to it. We encourage you to reach out to them directly if you'd like to learn more.
Thanks!

Question Date: Tue, 10/02/2018
Question:
I sent you an e-mail but not sure if it would go to anyone who could have answered my question. I wanted to utilize the resources from your site to help me organize my thoughts and actions in creating a workshop we (caringchoices.org) plan to hold in the spring of 2019. We are charging 20$ per head to cover costs. My concern is that because we are not a nonprofit, does this make use of your resources inappropriate?
Answer:

Hi James,
Thanks for your question. The materials provided on our website are intended to inform folks' work in their communities, so we're pleased to learn that you've found the CTB materials to be useful. We also appreciate the thoughtfulness of your question. As we understand it, your plan is to use the materials to help you organize your thoughts and actions. This is fine, and would ask that you simply cite CTB in your workshop materials. For future reference and more detail, you can also take a look at our Tool Box Use policy.
We wish you the best in planning your workshop!

Question Date: Thu, 10/04/2018
Question:
How can you someone who is suffering from social anxiety and improve his social activities and overall behavior?
What is the magic trick?
Answer:

Hi Mohammed,
Thanks for contacting Ask An Advisor. Unfortunately, your question is outside of the scope of what we do. The Community Tool Box is intended to provide resources and support for community change initiatives. You may consider contacting the National Alliance on Mental Illness for resources and assistance.

Question Date: Fri, 10/05/2018
Question:
I have read a material in your right up that I want to use to review literature for my thesis.
please how should i write the reference?
Answer:

Hi Eric,
Thanks for contacting  Ask An Advisor! We're happy to hear our materials have been helpful to you. For information on how to cite CTB, you can take a look at our use policy. I've also copied and pasted an example citation below, though it would need to be updated to reflect the specific sections of the ToolBox you used.
Center for Community Health and Development. (2017). Chapter 3, Section 10: Conducting Concerns Surveys. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from the Community Tool Box: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/conduct-concerns-surveys/main.
We wish you the best in writing your thesis!

Question Date: Wed, 10/10/2018
Question:
How do I start my workshops in the school system, and what are the first things I need to do ?
Answer:

Hi Urseal,
Thanks for your question. Knowing how and where to begin community work can be challenging. Based on your question, it sounds like you're interested in learning more about how to introduce and communicate your ideas with potential community partners in the hopes that they will be willing (and perhaps excited!!) to participate in your work. Chapters 6 and 7 of the Community ToolBox focus on "Communications to Promote Interest," and "Encouraging Involvement in Community Work," respectively. Therein, you'll find specific Toolkits on "Creating and Maintaining Partnerships," and "Increasing Participation and Membership." I think this might be a good place to start to get some ideas. As you begin to work through this, please know you can come back to Ask An Advisor anytime with more specific questions, and we will do our best to help you along.
Good luck in your work!

Question Date: Wed, 10/10/2018
Question:
we are looking for funding opportunities as the NPO to help the community to generate funds through food garden?
Answer:

Hi Simon,
Thanks for contacting Ask An Advisor! If you are interested in learning more about grant funding, such as why, when, and how to apply, we recommend you check out Chapter 42 of the Community ToolBox. This chapter includes some resources on how to search for funding opportunities. We wish you the best in your work!

Question Date: Mon, 10/15/2018
Question:
Are the terms program and intervention used interchangeably? I feel like a program is an intervention but an intervention may not be a program. I ask because I teach a program planning course, the name of the book is program planning, but as soon as we start talking about what will happen, the word changes to intervention. For me, an intervention is more research based where a program is more community based. I can't find the answer here or on the internet - what is the difference between the two?
Answer:

Hi Deirdre,
Thanks for your question. These terms are frequently used interchangeably, as a program frequently operates as an intervention. Though, these words do mean different things. A program can broadly be defined as an organized collection of activities, designed to meet certain objectives or goals. An intervention can broadly be defined as something that is created to intervene, perhaps to prevent an undesired outcome, or to promote a desired outcome. In reading the definitions I've provided here, we can see how and why these terms get used interchangeably. If in creating a program, our objectives or goals are to prevent an undesired outcome, our program is acting as a intervention. Interventions can extend beyond programs, though. If we use the definition I've provided here, many laws or policies can be considered interventions (e.g., the legal drinking age if thought to be implemented to prevent alcohol-related harms to young people), as could entire systems (e.g., the criminal justice system as an intervention to prevent or mitigate crime and its impact).
It's not surprising that in the book you're using, the word, "intervention" comes up quite frequently. While "interventions" are not limited to research settings, and "programs" are not limited to community settings, folks in academic/research communities may be more drawn to the term, "intervention," while communities like the word, "program." This may be because researchers are frequently interested in if a specific program/intervention is effective in intervening, while communities may feel as though the word, "intervention," feels too clinical.
I hope this helps, and that all goes well in teaching this course. Please do come back and visit with us if more questions come up for you.

Question Date: Fri, 10/26/2018
Question:
I have used your Tool Box and would like to send you my Logic Model for review. Is there a mentor or someone that would be willing to review and provide feedback to me? I want to have the greatest impact on transforming math education for young children. Please let me know where to email my LM.
Thank you,
Barbara Pearl
215.840.1190
Answer:

Hi Barbara,
Thanks for your question. We're thrilled to learn that the Tool Box has been helpful to you in developing a logic model! Unfortunately, though, we don't offer individual consultation services through the Community Tool Box so cannot offer someone to review your logic model. Depending on where you are in your program development process, and where you are hoping to go, you might consider exploring a consultant. Chapter 12, Section 8 talks more about the role of consultants, and how you might go about choosing one. You may also consider sharing the logic model with those (who will be) most closely involved with the program to get their feedback. Logic model development is an iterative process. Even once a logic model is 'finalized,' it should be revisited to ensure it aligns with program inputs, activities, outputs, and intended impacts, and to assist in evaluation efforts.
We wish you the best in working to transform math ed for young folks!

Question Date: Mon, 10/29/2018
Question:
Can you assist and partner to launch an international mission/leadership training center ?
Answer:

Thank you so much for writing to us at Ask an Advisor! Unfortunately, we cannot provide personal assistance with specific projects. However, we can give you a few tips for proceeding forth.
We’re not sure how far along you are in your project, but just to be on the safe side, let’s start at the beginning. If you haven’t done so yet, you should identify possible stakeholders who could serve as partners and assist in the development of your training center. You state that this will be an international center; do you have contacts or know of groups abroad that can assist? Identify possible partners, and speak with them about your ideas to see if their goals and interest aligns with yours. If you are having trouble identifying stakeholders, ask for referrals or recommendations.
Second, you’ll need to work with any identified stakeholders to develop a strategic plan. This includes establishing a mission statement, identifying goals and objectives, and developing a concrete action plan to see them through.
Third, you’ll want to develop an organizational structure. The strength of an organization’s structure can make or break an initiative. Organizational structures entail identification of who makes what decisions, rules for operation, and a plan for distribution of work. If you are at the beginning stages of your plan, you may want to start with developing a steering committee. This is the initial group of people who is tasked with getting the project off the ground: they could assist with identifying sources of funding, developing your organization’s board and leadership roles, and creating bylaws.
We hope that some of these ideas have been helpful to you. For additional ideas, you may wish to review some of the materials in the Community Tool Box, especially Chapter 7: Encouraging Involvement in Community Work, Chapter 8: Developing a Strategic Plan, and Chapter 9: Developing an Organizational Structure for the Initiative.
Thank you again for writing, and all the best wishes for continued success in your work.

Question Date: Sun, 11/04/2018
Question:
Hello,

I am part of an organization that is seeking to purchase a house to create a youth-centered community space in Detroit, Michigan. Do you have any information about how groups have converted different spaces to community centers and the challenges they faced and how they were successful?

Thank you!
Answer:

Hi Emily, thank you so much for contacting us at Ask an Advisor. This sounds like an excellent project! Many cities around the country are undergoing similar initiatives. You are wise to seek out information on other’s experiences, and to plan in advance for potential challenges.
I did a quick search on what’s publicly available, and unfortunately could not find a single resource that specifically addresses your question (again, which is an excellent one!). However, let’s see if we can help you figure out how to find what you are looking for.
First, if you haven’t already, you may want to contact other organizations in or near the Detroit area that either work with youth, housing/housing development, or both. Connecting with local organizations will be paramount, as those organizations will have more specific input on local matters (such as information on existing community needs, zoning laws, available grant funding, etc.). They will also potentially know key stakeholders and contacts (e.g., contacts in city government that handle zoning paperwork, contacts to great contractors, etc.) that might help your project. When researching nearby organizations to contact, don’t overlook city government; revitalization efforts conducted by the city would be informative to your work, as well.
The benefit of approaching other organizations is that you may very well end up with additional collaborators and partners, which could bring expertise and resources that can strengthen your project.
Second, you might want to check out the resources available through the Center for Community Progress (https://www.communityprogress.net/); specifically, their Building American Cities toolkit. They also provide general resources on property revitalization efforts that might help you.
We hope that this information has been helpful. For additional information on how to approach possible partnering organizations, you may want to look at Chapter 18, Section 3: Identifying Targets and Agents of Change: Who Can Benefit and Who Can Help, as well as Toolkit 1: Creating and Maintaining Partnerships. Best wishes for success!

Question Date: Mon, 11/05/2018
Question:
Hello, checking on the best way to wrap into partnerships in a community to raise awareness, plan of action for assisting community to know and implement resources for at risk dual diagnosed youth to assist in keeping out of the pipeline to prison--
Answer:

Thank you so much for writing to us at Ask an Advisor! It sounds like you have identified a community need, and are now ready to take the next step to address it. Community partners can definitely help your initiative be effective.
One thing that we would suggest is making a list to identify possible community partners (stakeholders) who could serve as partners on an initiative. Stakeholders are those with vested interests in your project, and could be individuals, groups of individuals, or organizations. Examples of stakeholders might be the youth you seek to serve and their families, school personnel, police officers, and representatives of any agencies that work with youth populations. Try to consider both people who might have a birds-eye view (e.g., an organization’s executive director), as well as people who work directly with the problem you wish to address. If you are having trouble developing a long list of community partners, you can reach out to those stakeholders who you are able to identify, and ask for recommendations.
Once you have identified a list of potential stakeholders, you’ll need to contact them. Could you organize a planning meeting with all interested parties? If not, could you hold one-on-one conferences to discuss the project, and their potential involvement? If you lack direct contact or access to the stakeholders you have identified, who within your contacts might have direct access?
 When discussing your initiative with stakeholders, make sure to find out what their interests and goals are. Do their goals align with yours? Are they committed to the initiative? What would their involvement look like? What time, personnel, and other resources can they give to the project? If they are not committed to the initiative, why not (what are their concerns)? Can you address these concerns in any way?
Finally, keep in mind that community partnerships are really about relationship building. Once stakeholders are identified and partnerships are formed, make sure to maintain communication with stakeholders, seek feedback regularly, and make adjustments to the project or to stakeholder involvement as needed.
For additional ideas, you may wish to review some of the materials in the Community Tool Box, especially Chapter 7, Encouraging Involvement in Community Work.
We hope that some of these ideas have been helpful to you. Thank you again for writing, and all the best wishes for continued success in your work.

Question Date: Mon, 11/05/2018
Question: Do you have an APA citation for this source?
Answer:

Hello, and thank you for your question. We recognize that many people might be accessing The Community Toolbox to enhance their scholarly work, and thus wanted to answer your question. The appropriate APA citation format is:
Community Tool Box.  [Insert title of section] (n.d.). Chapter [insert number] , Section [insert number] of the Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu). Retrieved from [insert web address for section] on [insert date].   
For example, if someone wanted to cite our section on Conducting a Workshop, the citation would look like:
Community Tool Box.  Conducting a Workshop  (n.d.). Chapter 12, Section 4 of the Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu). Retrieved from https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/training-and-technical-assistance/workshops/main
 on_____[insert date here].  
Thank you for contacting us. We hope this information was helpful. Best wishes in your paper!

Question Date: Tue, 11/06/2018
Question:
I am organizing a March for Light in response to the murders in Pittsburgh. It will be tied into Chanukah, the festival of light. How do I go about quickly organizing events in five major cities in the U.S.? Do I need an experienced organizer? I have people in various cities who are willing to be captains of the events in their cities. Time is of the essence. Chanukah is four weeks away. Thank you.
Answer:

Thank you so much for writing to us at Ask an Advisor! This is an excellent question; let’s see if we can help you with these efforts.
It’s not always necessary to have someone who has professional organizing experience. However, you definitely want someone (or a group of people) local to the city in which you plan to hold the event who can help with on-site preparations. Ideally, the people who are assisting you on the ground should know who in the city to go to for securing a route, occupancy permits, insuring there are enough police officers staffed that day, acquire any needed event insurance, securing a sound system (if necessary), assisting with advertising the event, and etc.
You said that you have people already located in various cities who could help with the groundwork. Are these people familiar with the general process for organizing a large community event or public demonstration? If not, do they have connections who can provide assistance and guidance? You might want to reach out within your various networks to organize a central steering committee for each site location who can assist with these tasks. It might help to think more broadly—has someone in your contacts organized--if not a march--something similar, such as a charity 5k or community vigil? If so, would they be willing to help your on-the-ground people organize this event, or at least point them in the right direction for assistance? If you have non-profits in the area who have a mission of or vested interest in reducing gun violence, serving Jewish communities, working against anti-Semitism, or similar, you might want to reach out to them to see if they would be willing to co-sponsor the event or provide other support.
If you are planning events in larger cities, it is also possible that the city has a general protocol or set guidelines for securing public areas for community events. You might want to reach out to city hall to see if there are existing protocols that could assist you.
For additional ideas, you may wish to review some of the materials in the Community Tool Box, especially Chapter 33, Conducting a Direct Action Campaign. Section 14, Organizing Public Demonstrations, would be particularly relevant to your work.
We hope that some of these ideas have been helpful to you. Thank you again for writing, and all the best wishes for continued success in your work.

Question Date: Wed, 11/07/2018
Question:
Dear,

I searched about multicultural Therapy in the Community tool Box website but I"m still confuse about strategies for client engagement, exercises and techniques in the multicultural perspective.

May you help me wih this issues?

Best wishes,
Beatriz Melo
+5531993177776

Answer:

Hello, and thank you so much for your question to Ask an Advisor. Unfortunately, this question, although an excellent one, is outside the scope of The Community Toolbox. Our emphasis here is on community development, rather than clinical issues. However, we would be happy to provide some general advice to you or others who are looking for more information on incorporating multicultural perspectives.
It is definitely the case that any intervention or prevention efforts, whether implemented on a community, organization, microsystem, or individual scale (as in the case of clinical work or therapy), needs to take cultural factors into account. If you are not familiar with the culture of the group you are working with, you will have to do a bit of additional leg work. Do you know anyone who is working within this culture (or one close to it) that you could ask for assistance? If not, do you have connections with people who have more expertise in culturally-driven frameworks in general (regardless of the cultural field) that you could consult for guidance? Are there organizations in your area that work with multicultural populations who could consult, and perhaps form a collaborative partnership, with?
If you are looking for additional information on working within multicultural contexts, we encourage you to explore resources in The Community Toolbox further. Specifically, Chapter 27: Cultural Competence in a Multicultural World would be of relevance, particularly Section 2 (Building Relationships with People of Different Cultures) and Section 8 (Multicultural Collaboration).
Thank you again for contacting us, and best wishes for your work!

Question Date: Wed, 11/07/2018
Question: I want to become a community leader, how do I get started? Who do I talk to?
Answer:

Thank you so much for writing to us at Ask an Advisor! We’d be happy to help. You didn’t indicate the specific type of group you are working in, so let’s give you some general tips for developing your leadership skills.
A good starting point would be to assess what your vision and goals are, both for yourself and for your group. Your goals could be more focused and immediate (e.g., to complete a particular project, such as build a community garden), or broader and long-term (e.g., to form a community coalition around a particular issue).
Once you’ve identified your goals, take stock of what particular types of skills and qualities you bring to the table. Are you good at organizational tasks and managing others? Are you better at keeping people motivated and energized? Are you good at representing and negotiating for others? You might also want to assess the skills of others in your group at the same time. What skills do others in your group bring? It is not necessary for you to excel in all leadership areas, provided you have others in your group who can help support you as a leader.
One of the things that you might want to consider as you proceed forth is your leadership style. Do you prefer to lead by authority, or a more democratic approach? Are you primarily concerned with managing the group, or do you prefer to lead by empowering others to work collaboratively and execute the group’s vision? Figuring out your leadership style might help you assess your best skills and qualities.
If you feel that you or others in your groups do not have the appropriate skills to be an effective leader, then you’ll want to look at ways to engage in leadership development. Look within your networks for appropriate, more experienced leaders who can coach and mentor you or others in your group. Among your circle of contacts, who exemplifies the type of leader you want to be? Is that person willing to mentor you, even informally? You could also establish a support group or network of leaders that can be used as a source of learning. Still another option is to seek out more formal opportunities for leadership development; attend a workshop, class, or training, for example, or schedule a formal development retreat.
We hope that some of these ideas have been helpful to you. For additional ideas, you may wish to review some of the materials in the Community Tool Box, especially Chapter 13, Orienting Ideas in Leadership. Chapter 13, Section 3 specifically reviews Styles of Leadership. Toolkit 6 on Building Leadership has additional practical guidance and resources.  Best of luck!

Question Date: Mon, 11/19/2018
Question:
I am developing a community-based learning support club as my post graduate studies project. I am a vocational educator and trainer in Australia in our community health services sector. I would like to incorporate the Community Toolbox into my blended learning workshops under licensed authorisation. Can you advise if this type of license is firstly possible for here in Australia, and under what license agreement this would occur.
Answer:

Thank you for contacting us at Ask an Advisor. We are glad to hear that our resources are useful! While we cannot speak to licensure agreements in Australia, we do have a Use Policy that may be helpful to you. It is linked at the bottom of the Tool Box homepage, and also at https://ctb.ku.edu/en/use-policy As noted in the use policy, paid leader, facilitators, or consultants should contact the Center for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas at communityhealth@ku.edu for additional permissions. Thank you, and best of luck with your training!

Question Date: Sat, 12/01/2018
Question:
i am the head of a section in my company and i have noted that members in my unit are not aware of the safety procedures and i therefore decided to make them aware.Among the three types of communication which one would i use? and why?
Answer:

Thank you for contacting us at Ask an Advisor. There are many potential communication channels, and you are correct to identify a plan to best get your message out.
The best form of communication is the one that the audience will notice, read (or watch or listen to), and engage with. What forms of communication typically work best within your unit? Do people in your unit notice flyers or posters? Do you have an internal, unit-wide newsletter or forum that could be used for this purpose? Does your unit use email, and will people read it? If you have a weekly unit meeting, could you use some or all of the time to make an announcement?
If your safety procedures are complex or if your message is lengthy, you might want to hold a training for people in your unit. That way, you can ensure a captive audience. Training sessions could be face to face, or could entail a teleconference or online training.
It may be that different people in your unit would respond better to different forms of communication. If so, it’s ok to use more than one approach to ensure everyone receives the information.
Of course, all of the above suggestions should take available time and resources into consideration. If you are short on either, that will help you narrow down your list of possible communication plans.
We hope this has been useful to you. For more information on communication planning, you might want to review some of the materials in Chapter 6 Section 1, “Developing a Plan for Communication.” If you think that your safety procedures are comprehensive enough to warrant a training, you may want to review the materials in Chapter 12 Section 2, “Designing a Training Session.” Good luck!

Question Date: Mon, 12/03/2018
Question:
A group of moms in my local community and i have started a bullying support group for families. We have gained about 200 members so far and we are constantly working on compiling a list of resources from extra curricular activities to counseling services. My question is considering we in no way wish to do any kind of fundraising do we need to take any legal steps to being a support group?
Answer:

Thank you for contacting us at Ask an Advisor, and congratulations for taking initiative to meet a need in your community! A support group is a great way to help people, connect them to others, and empower communities.  
A support group can be as formal or informal as you want it to be. You are smart to think about the possible legal implications of starting and maintaining a support group. If you are doing fundraising, then you probably want to file for nonprofit status and obtain a federal EIN (a tax identification number), as you may be required to report income to the IRS. Please contact a local CPA or attorney who specializes in nonprofits for further information. However, if you are not looking to create a formal organization and raise money, this may not be necessary.
From your question, it sounds like you might be more concerned about general liability than tax status and reporting. If you are concerned about general liability, there are some steps that you can take to help mitigate risk. Are there any existing nonprofit organizations with which you can partner? Partnering with an existing organization could provide advantages which extend beyond liability, such as helping build trust in the group and providing a meeting location or other resources. Potential partnering organizations might range from the local school system to a mental health facility to a community center. If you are concerned about protecting yourself and other group leaders from liability, make sure to directly ask any partnering organization whether their liability insurance policy would extend to your group (don’t just assume it will).
Another way to help mitigate risk is to think carefully about group structure and rules for participation. It will be important to create a confidential, supportive space in which people can talk openly about the issues they experience. Will your meetings be open to the public, or closed? We would suggest setting ground rules upon arrival to a meeting, with the most important ground rule being confidentiality: require attendees to commit to keeping what was discussed, and the identities of other attendees, confidential. You may want to ask people to sign in upon arrival, to keep track of who attends. This will also be useful for following up with attendees. Who will be facilitating your group meetings? You may want to see if a mental health professional would be willing to facilitate your meetings. If you are using peer facilitation, make that known to attendees at the outset.
Will youth be attending your meetings? If so, there are some additional steps that you can take to help protect your attendees and facilitators. At a minimum, make sure that your group: (1) develops a code of conduct for adults working with youth, (2) that no adult is ever alone with a young person, and (3) that no youth is transported to meetings without a parent or guardian’s consent. You may also want to create a requirement that youth attend meetings with a parent or guardian present.
Finally, make sure that you have crisis resources on hand. Facilitators should have both local resources (e.g., information on how to file a police report) and national resources (e.g., national anti-bullying programs and crisis line information) on hand for attendees. If you have a website, you can also make this information publicly available on your website.
We hope that these tips help get you started. For additional information on starting a support group, including more information on some things stated here, we suggest reading Chapter 21, Section 2: Creating and Facilitating Peer Support Groups. Thanks again for contacting Ask an Advisor, and best of luck in your work.

Question Date: Sun, 12/23/2018
Question:
I want to do outcome evaluation on malaria program at community level. Would you mind sending resources related to outcome evaluation, please?
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Answer:

Thank you for contacting us at Ask an Advisor. We’d be happy to give you some general tips and resources for starting your evaluation.
An outcome evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the program. Therefore, you should start planning your evaluation by reviewing your objectives and program goals. This will help you identify which components of the program need to be evaluated. When considering objectives and program goals, you may want to consider your stakeholders (the various people and organizations which have a vested interest in the program): what program outcomes do stakeholders care about?
Since you state you are interested in evaluating the program at the community level, we assume that your objectives are tied to community impact. Once you’ve outlined your objectives and goals, you’ll need to determine what community-level data would provide an assessment of each, and identify a plan to collect your data. If you are looking to assess program impact, make sure to consider both intended and unintended consequences, either positive or negative. It is possible that data collected by other agencies (e.g., a state or county health department) can be used to assess your program. For each objective, you’ll need to determine whether there are existing community indicators which would both accurately assess your program and would be available to you. Then, you can contact the identified agencies to obtain access to the data.
The Community Tool Box has plenty of resources available to assist you in drafting an outcome evaluation. You may want to read Chapter 36, Section 1: A Framework for Program Evaluation, A Gateway to Tools; Chapter 36, Section 5: Developing an Evaluation Plan for a general overview; Chapter 38, Section 9: Gathering and Using Community-Level Indicators; and Chapter 38, Section 10: Some Examples of Community-Level Indicators. Toolkit 12: Evaluating the Initiative will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to conduct an evaluation. Best of luck with your work!

Question Date: Mon, 12/24/2018
Question:
Optimal petetion format and method of circulation..
Purpose of petetion - demonstrate community support to obtain federal historic preservation status
and federal historic Landmark distinction . Petetion will be presented to elected government representatives of community to enlist support.

Method of delivery? Looking for template and process to circulate petetion electronically ...all suggestions grestly appreciated.
Answer:

               Thank you for writing to us with your question.    A leading organization with demonstrated success in circulating petitions electronically is change.org. You might want to visit its website for some ideas regarding how they operate, as well as a template you could adapt for your own work.  All best wishes for success in your efforts.

Question Date: Mon, 12/31/2018
Question:
Hi, I would like some advice/help in developing a program for positive change in Zimbabwe. After nearly 40 years of oppression and corruption, the country is facing yet another crippling economic crisis. I have observed that the general population has given up hope and there is an atmosphere of despair and negativity coupled with the feeling of powerlessness. The people of Zimbabwe need a common vision of hope for the future.
Answer:

              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box  with your very big and important question, and please excuse to our delay in getting back to you.   . 
               To develop a program for positive change for an entire country is of course an extremely formidable and challenging task – and certainly especially so for a country like Zimbabwe, which has special challenges of its own.  To create the changes you want will naturally take your own dedicated and sustained efforts over time, as well as those of your colleagues and supporters. We do not want to minimize the difficulties involved, and we suspect you know them very well.
               Given that, what strategy should you adopt?   There are options, one of them certainly being to engage in a long-term political process and work toward getting more political power for you and your supporters and backers.
              But in keeping with our own focus on communities, a different option could be to start at a community level. That is, you could choose to start small, perhaps in one community or even a neighborhood in Zimbabwe. You would focus your efforts in that area, see if you can demonstrate small measurable positive  changes in quality of life for residents there, and use your success as a model for other communities to follow.
              In other words, if you can show real success in one particular place, that much by itself can encourage others.  Success is reinforcing, and with your success you have now created a model that others can follow. In different words, this is applying the principle of social leverage.
              Such a strategy is not guaranteed, of course, and not the only way to accomplish your goals, but we think it’s something to consider.  
           We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.
 

Question Date: Fri, 01/04/2019
Question:
Good morning,

I am looking for a breastfeeding community needs assessment. Do you happen to know of any or could you point me in the direction of who I could ask? It would be greatly appreciated if the assessment was tested or used in more than one community (perhaps across states).

Best Regards,
Wendy Avila Rodriguez
Answer:

 
              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your question.  In asking about a breastfeeding needs assessment, do you want your focus to be on the individual or the community? That is, for example, do you want to study the extent to which new mothers desire to breastfeed?  Or rather the needs for supportive community structures around breastfeeding  (e.g., provisions at work or in public accommodations)?  Or something else?   Sharpening the focus of and intent of your assessment is likely to help you find an appropriate measuring instrument.
              While we are not familiar with needs assessments that specifically relate to breastfeeding, you might want to research and contact national or local organizations that support breastfeeding mothers. You can also find some information about needs assessment in general in Chapter 3 of the Tool Box.   A good part of this may be relevant to your work.
              We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Wed, 01/09/2019
Question:
I cannot understand the issues affecting poor marginalized coommunities ...i want to determine the issues that can affect the poor people a d i want to know the meaning of marginalized communities ..can you help me on my report ?
Answer:

              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your very important question.  And it is certainly a very big question as well.
              Those who are concerned about marginalized communities have written entire books about them.
               But in short form, we regard marginalization as one in which a certain group or class of residents are isolated from the larger community or society, and in which they have little formal power, low informal influence, and do not receive a proportional amount of resources relative to need.  Marginalization of a segment of the community may be a deliberate decision of the city’s leaders, or it may occur through unintentional neglect.  But the effects are similar. 
              The members of marginalized communities also tend to be poorer and less well educated than other community members.  Their employment prospects are more limited, and they commonly have less access to good health care. 
              The issues facing marginalized communities, accordingly, are those of gaining  power, influence, and an appropriate share of the community’s resources.  It is often a challenge to do so, since those who are marginalized may lack material or organizational resources, and community leaders may not be eager to share power with others whom they might see as threatening them. Therefore, strong and sustained advocacy by or on behalf of marginalized communities may be called for, though this is not always easy to come by. 
           We hope some of these suggestions may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and best wishes as your work continues.

Question Date: Sun, 01/13/2019
Question:
I am looking to design a program specifically for homeless families in Atlanta. I am very interested in the Housing First initiative. I want to use this approach as my first point of help for these individuals then follow up with a plan to improve other areas of their lives like education, job skills, health etc. I wonder if you can point me in the right direction to initiate contacts that offer assistance with making Housing FIrst a part of our program. Any advice on how we can go about developing a program with that in mind will be appreciated. thanks

My name is Roxshawn Shilt. My email is roxshilt@gmail.com
Answer:

              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your question. We appreciate both the importance of your work as well as its specialized nature.    
              In general, a good principle in developing a new program is that it’s almost always wise to make contact with those who have specific experience in your desired area of program operation.  So in your case, as an early step it makes sense to contact key Housing First personnel.  In this case, they will clearly have more specialized knowledge and expertise that than we do ourselves.       
              It may take some investigation and digging around, and possibly a false start or two, before you locate the right person, and that is natural.  But you may also know someone who knows, or who has a good connection, and that can certainly make things easier.  When you find that person or persons, you can ask your specific questions, benefit from their responses, and perhaps begin to develop a fruitful bi-lateral relationship.
           We hope some of these suggestions may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Thu, 01/17/2019
Question:
I am very interested in talking to one of your advisors. I see that you have worked with a group within our region-- Seymour Arm Seniors. I was pleasantly surprised to discover your work being done/ used so closeby.
A group of us are attempting to obtain a long term care facility for our community of Chase and area and your resources and information could be very useful to us.
Answer:

              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your question. We appreciate the importance of your work.
              Establishing a long term care facility is of course a major project. While we might identify some of the key issues that commonly come up in undertaking such projects – funding of course, leadership, planning, gaining community support, and participation of stakeholders come first to mind – we are not experts in long-term care facilities as such, nor are we familiar with the particular nature of your own community of Chase.  It will be good to consult with relevant experts, and to at least have some preliminary conversations in your community.   
              If however, there are specific questions you have where you think we might be helpful, please let us know what they are, and perhaps we could explore them further.     
           We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Mon, 01/28/2019
Question:
Hello! I'm a journalist based in Los Angeles. I'm working on an article advising women on conflict resolution at home and at work. Please let me know if there's an expert or advisor available to provide a few insights by next week (2/7). I would just need 15 minutes or so by phone or email. I'm at 805-405-9675 or kristinmarguerite at gmail.com.

Thanks very much,
Kristin Marguerite Doidge, MA
Answer:

Hi Kristin, 
Sorry I am a bit slow here  in responding to your mail.  For your question, I am not sure if there is any expert on board here, but I will ask around to see you can connect with someone.  
Thanks for your patience.
ts
 
              May we add our thanks for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your important question. We have contacted you separately about a possible phone conversation, but in addition perhaps we can offer one or two very general observations.    
               A great deal has been written about conflict resolution, and literature on the topic is not hard to find.  You might benefit from looking at our own contribution, which you can find in Chapter 20, Section 6 of the Community Tool Box. 
                 Beyond that, one of our favorite sources on the topic is a book called Getting to Yes!,  by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton.  It’s a classic, written several decades ago, but it’s simple and very much to the point – emphasizing such principles as placing a focus on the problem rather than the person, inventing options for mutual gain, and insisting on verifiable standards.  We recommend it highly.  
               Conflict is a natural part of human existence,  affecting both women and men; it is not always unhealthy, since it can lead to creative solutions and to personal growth. Certainly, however, it can have negative impacts; but psychological techniques, such as those we refer to,  are available to lessen them.
              We hope these brief observations might be helpful.    Thanks again for writing, and best wishes for finding what you need,
 
 

Question Date: Tue, 01/29/2019
Question:
Museums that are nonprofits hold not only financial resources but collections including historic buildings and the board of directors is entrusted with ensuring the financial health of the organization as well as the proper care of the collections. Is there any reason why you should not call the Board members TRUSTEES? They are entrusted with more than financial responsibilities including oversight and fundraising. They must also be responsible for the collection.
Answer:

 
 
              Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your question.
             Thank you for writing to us.  We can see your point, and agree that it many cases it might be advantageous to call use the term “Trustee” rather than “Board Member,” for just the reasons you mention.  
                One might then ask why the term “Trustee” is not more widely used. There may be special factors that apply in a particular situation, and if so it’s good to consider what these might be.  It’s possible that the reason might be one of simple inertia – i.e., no one had ever proposed such an alternative before.
              Or it could be that the reason is more psychological, rather than legal or fiduciary. In a setting where there is resistance, it might then be useful to probe the psychological sources of the resistance, which might hamper optimal board (or trustee) functioning. This is not to imply that this is true for your own setting, or any particular setting, but rather to introduce an additional dimension that might be operative in some situations.
              In any case, it’s good to investigate the reasons why, and how they might apply to your own setting..  We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Sat, 02/02/2019
Question:
I am writing to connect myself to one of your wonderful professional advisors, for the following two purposes: 1) I am a master student in Urban Planning Program at KU. I am looking forward to talking with an advisor in person to study how emotions play a role of providing services to our community. 2) the goal of this project is to write a blog post regarding the interview for the purpose of introducing your professions/roles, as well for the advertising purposes. Therefore, I sincerely ask for a 15-minute meeting to interview one of your wonderful advisors. Thanks!
Answer:

               Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box.  In reviewing your question, we think the best place to start would be with faculty in your own master’s program.  Emotions clearly do affect a great many decisions, including decisions of service to the community, but we have no special expertise on the specifics. Exploring such questions with you seems properly like part of your program’s role. 
               If you cannot find what you want through your own program, you can contact us again at toolbox@ku.edu;  perhaps we could check to see if there are  available resources to help you further. Thanks again for writing, and best wishes in finding what you need.  

Question Date: Tue, 02/05/2019
Question:
Good afternoon,

I would love to have a conference call with an adviser to discuss a community survey that I need to create for a new initiative that we are introducing to our community.

Through this initiative, Erie Arts & Culture and its collaborating partners will enhance and activate public spaces by delivering accessible cultural programs and activities that tap into the creativity, imagination, experience, and wisdom of community members. Through the New Horizons initiative, we aim to identify and then directly address systems that have perpetuated neighborhood disparities.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Tiffanie
Answer:

              Thank you for writing.   While we are not generally able to schedule conference calls, we can offer a few general thoughts based on what you have told us.
              A key first question is what you want the survey to accomplish?     In different words, what do you want to do with the results, once you have them?    You certainly don’t want your hard-earned findings to gather dust on a shelf
              So will they actually be used to create programs?  Have you established, in advance, a pathway for this to occur?  Without making such linkage, and gaining advance agreement on it, it becomes easy for your survey results to be ignored.
              But in addition, can your survey also be used not only to create programs,   but also to gain community support, and in addition build involvement in your arts and culture work – to develop a constituency for it, which will do some later work?   And maybe your survey results can also be used to unlock future funding.  
              If your survey could be designed with multiple goals in mind, your survey could do double or even triple duty. Does this make sense to you? If you can think in those broader terms, you may be well on your way to creating a survey, and  programs, that will make a lasting different in the Erie area.
         Thanks again for writing, and all best wishes for great success for your survey and in future work.  

Question Date: Tue, 02/05/2019
Question:
Hello: After obtaining my certificate on "Prevention of crimes and violence in urban areas" ... at the Institute of the World Bank Group ... I thought to capitalize these achievements by developing a project entitled "PREVENTING CRIME AND VIOLENCE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE TRAINING STRUCTURES OF MINADER AND MINEPIA IN CAMEROON"
Currently I work as Head of socio-professional integration of youth in a government program to support the renovation and development of vocational training in the sectors of agriculture, livestock and fisheries, with the aim of mission of:
- Participate in the development of approaches and tools to support youth projects;
- Participate in the process of selecting and approving projects to be financed; and
- Provide technical support to training structures in the field of integration of young people trained.
My motivation for the design of this project is firstly that several acts of crime and violence are most often found both during the training and during the implementation of the projects of the young people trained. In a second step ... it is about the young people in various situations of inactivities ... who after being trained in agropastoral and halieutic trades ... will ensure the renewal of the aging workforce ... and of it contributes to Cameroon's vision by 2035 ... to reduce the youth unemployment rate as much as possible by creating sustainable and income-generating jobs.
My question is to know if I can benefit from a support on the finalization of this project so that it can be financed by the International Agencies?
Regards.
Answer:

              Thank you for writing to us with your important question and important issues.
              We are certainly very impressed with the work you describe in Cameroon, and it seems as though many positive things are happening.
              Naturally, we hope you can obtain adequate funding for your work; and we can understand the desire to seek international funding, over and above what  the government of Cameroon might provide.
              In seeking any funding, of course, your proposal needs to fit well with the needs and criteria of your funding agency.  Since in your case, we are not sure which international agencies you are talking about, it is hard for us to be more specific. You should certainly investigate the guidelines of those agencies, and ideally begin to develop personal relationships with people who work within them.  
               So when you write a proposal, a good question to keep in mind is “How you I design a proposal that they can see as meeting their needs, as well as my own?”  That is, you want to be able to look at your work from their point of view, not just yours.
           We hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Thu, 02/07/2019
Question:
I am trying to find some resources on identifying organizational needs. We are beginning a strategic planning process.
Answer:

          Thank you for writing to us, You should be able to find resources on assessing organizational needs in Chapter 3 on the Community Tool Box, and on strategic planning in Chapter 8.  We encourage you to check out the resources there, as well as the associated online toolkits. All best wishes for success in your important work. 

Question Date: Thu, 02/07/2019
Question: How to honor community leaders
Answer:

       Thank you for writing.  You should be able to find resources on honoring leaders, and on rewarding accomplishments more generally, in Chapter 41 of the Community Tool Box.
 
       So we encourage you to check out these resources, as well as the associated online toolkits referred to there. Thanks again for writing, and best wishes for finding and using what you need. 
 

Question Date: Mon, 02/11/2019
Question:
Hello.

I'm interested in the field and wish to see how I can grow into it, the current question on my mind is if I'm able to bring this service as an interesting idea to the Insurance company I'm currently employed in, working in the marketing department.

They're actively avoiding social media but I've got them to put some interest into the idea.
Any suggestions on options that may assist the push?
Something aimed at the insurance company itself and maybe how to assist the agents,.
Answer:

          Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box with your question. We are glad you are interested in the field, and in applying community knowledge to your own work setting!
           Though we are not insurance professionals, we think that marketing any new product or service calls for good communication skills – certainly including knowledge of your customers and how best to reach and influence them.   This is a general principle worth keeping in mind as your thinking proceeds. 
           So, how you can use psychological knowledge, such as that found in the Community Tool Box, to strengthen the communication skills of your own marketing staff and agents?  
            You might begin by asking them.  More specifically, can you ask them what are they interested in?  What do they want to know? 
           And then, might you be able to jointly design a training event that would help provide the skills that meet their stated needs?   It could be a one-time lecture, or an ongoing program, or simply a more informal discussion that takes place every so often – for example, over a brown-bag lunch.  What would work best in your setting?
           In other words, you can let your staff come up with the ideas and the program themselves; your role would be more one of catalyst and facilitator. Does this make sense to you?  
           We hope some of these suggestions may be helpful to you.  Thanks again for writing, and all very best wishes for success in your work.

Question Date: Thu, 02/14/2019

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