Thank you for writing to us with your question, and please excuse our delay in getting back to you. Chapter 26 on the Community Tool Box contains information on how to improve parks and other community facilities; this may be useful to you. In addition, Chapter 19 contains several different sections with many more details on how to conduct community interventions. Beyond that, a simple Google search might be helpful to you here.
Thank you again for writing, and all best wishes for success in your important work.
Thanks for writing to us with your question, and please excuse our delay in getting back to you. You of course describe a situation that is broad, long-standing, vitally important, and one with many dimensions. Because of these factors, and as you probably know, addressing the problem is likely to call for ongoing effort on the part of many people. We wish there were a simpler solution, but do not think there is.
Our best brief advice is to start small and to gather a core group of those people who are most affected by the problems, such as some Sioux members in a particular community. Discuss the current situation with them, and learn from them what problems they think are most important to address at this time. It is almost always essential for those most affected both to define the problem and propose ideas for its solutions. When that is done, your core group can then devise a plan and action steps for addressing the problem they have identified.
Your own primary role may be to assist the group in its needs assessment and planning, and to help the group design an intervention that is most likely to succeed. That is, your task may be more one of support and facilitation rather than one of formal leadership and direction.
For further information, you may wish to consult Chapter 19, which contains different sections with many more details on how to conduct interventions.
Thank you for writing to us with your question. To learn more about leadership, and developing your leadership skills, you can consult Chapters 13-16 and Toolkit 6 of the Community Tool Box, which gives much detailed practical information.
But in just a few words, three key recommendations for any aspiring leader, perhaps including yourself, would be to (1) Listen to the people you hope to be leading – what are their interests, and their goals? (2) Form good relationships with those people, so that they come to like, respect, and trust you. And (3) Let them help you do the job that needs to be done, so that you all do it together.
There’s much more to it than that, but perhaps this much can give you a start.
We hope these thoughts may be helpful to you. Thank you again for writing, and all best wishes for success with your goals.
Thank you for writing to us with your question. In doing evaluations, it is of course important not to take more time than is necessary. But it is often more important to conduct an evaluation that gives an accurate portrayal of the effects of the initiative. An evaluation that is conducted too hastily can be misleading, and can sometimes be worse than no evaluation at all.
In your circumstances, it would be wise to first ask yourself these questions: (1) What specific evaluation questions do I want to answer? (These will often include questions proposed by the group you are working with.) (2) What action steps (or, what methods) will be necessary to answer these questions? And (3) How much time will it take to complete these action steps effectively? (Note here that you may also be able to enlist others to help you.)
When you have answered these questions thoughtfully and honestly in advance, that should help guide you in terms of what to do next. You may not be able to, or need to, conduct an evaluation that lasts for a year or more. But you may be able to, or need to, conduct an evaluation that takes more than a casual day or two.
There’s no one-size-fits-answer; the best answer instead depends on your starting questions. But having said that, evaluation is serious business; for the results of a serious and accurate evaluation can benefit a program or initiative very greatly, and is frequently well worth the time expended doing it.
You will also find many more detailed thoughts on how to conduct evaluations in the Community Tool Box, Chapters 33-36, and Toolkit 12.
We hope these thoughts may be helpful to you. Thank you again for writing, and all best wishes for success in your important work.
Thank you for writing to us with your question. Normally, we don’t respond to personal questions such as yours on Ask an Advisor, but we do understand the difficulty of the situation you describe.
We of course do not know all the details, but we can say that in seeking help of many different kinds, it is very important to know the resources in your community. It souns like you know something about this already, so that is a good start. In your own case, who are the people or groups who might be best able to help you? This can include your friends andcother personal contacts. You could take a few minutes to create an actual written list. Then you could prioritize.
Once you have done that, you would then naturally want to approach the people or groups at the top of your list. It is often best to do so personally, rather than by e-mail or phone, for evidence suggests that face-to-face contacts are usually more effective. See if you can make an appointment; or if you can’t do that, you could simply show up at their office. It is important to be polite, but also assertive here, and to make your needs very clear. And if someone can’t help you directly, ask for a referral, and ask if you might use their name in making that referral contact.
We don't want to suggest this is easy. It can take persistence. And our apologies if we are saying things you know well already. Again, we do not know the details of your situation. But in general we do believe that a personal, planned, prioritized, and persistent approach -- the four "p's" -- is likely to work best in getting what you need, and that those criteria hold true for seeking many other types of help in the community.
We do hope some of these thoughts may be helpful to you, Thank you again for writing; we send all best wishes for better timesahead.
Thank you for writing to us with your question and comments. You of course raise an enormously big topic, one in many respects beyond the scope of what we do at the Community Tool Box.
But what might we add that could be helpful? We’ll try this:
We heartily support your goals of justice and peace. And there are surely many paths to that goal, which often are not easy. The work you have been doing represents one path, and we hope it may continue. As with any organizing effort, it will take thoughtfulness and planning to make sure you are reaching the right people in the right way; it will take time and persistence; and it will benefit from joining together with like-minded people. It is a lifetime work. We’re sure you know this from your own organizer training, but sometimes all of the basics need to keep being said, many times over.
Our own path to building peace focuses on strengthening local communities. In short form, we believe that building communities that are cohesive, inclusive, participatory, equitable, sustainable, and just will provide many benefits to people – and if this can be replicated across communities everywhere, the prospects for peaceful coexistence will increase. No guarantees, of course, for few guarantees exist in community life. And we are not saying that this is the only way. But it is one way, open to anyone including yourself, and it is where we place our own time, energy, and personal and professional commitment.
We hope some of these words may be helpful to you. Thank you again for writing, and all best wishes for continued success in your own work.
While we do not have a hard copy of this tool available to send, please feel free to download and use it for professional purposes.
Thank you for writing to us at the Commlunity Tool Box, and all best wishes for success in the work you are doing.
Hello Nancy,
Career transitions can be challenging, especially if it is moving into a somewhat different field. This question is really somewhat outside of the purpose of the Community Tool Box, but I will offer a couple of tips:
1. Set up informational interviews and networking visits with individuals who work at the types of organizations that are of interest to you. Have some questions prepared - such as what are skills they are looking for, how to find opportunities, and what might make you a stronger candidate.
2. Before you talk with anyone, read the job descriptions you can find and see how your skills/expertise match them, and what value you can bring to their organizations.
It's mostly about networking, doing a lot of homework, and then convincing them that you have something to offer.
Good luck to you!
Hello,
I am not clear as to what your question is. If you are asking what is the role of various stakeholders in the corporate governance process, that would be outside of the Community Tool Box range of topics.
I am sorry I cannot be more helpful.
Community Tool Box
I'm sorry, but your question is outside of the scope of the Community Tool Box. I would suggest that you contact your local medical center or a radiation therapist to get an answer.
Thank you for contacting us.
Hello Damon,
Thank you for contacting the Community Tool Box with your question. I think you're on the right track since you expressed that you do not want to be wordy or overwhelming. The Community Tool Box has resources to assist with communicating with communities. I recommend Chapter 7 which offers specific guidance on writing letters to encourage participation and other relevant information. There are some examples of how to word things in there. Chapter 6 also includes guidance on crafting communications as well. There are two Toolkits you might also find useful: #1 and #8.
I have found that keeping communications brief and to the point works best, but also including as much information as possible to interest people is important. I'm sorry I don't have a specific example, but I think you will find these two chapters and the Toolkits to be helpful. And keep in mind that people usually want to know what, why, who, when and where.
Please contact us again if you have additional questions. I hope this is helpful.
If you click on the "About The Tool Box" link, and then look at "Who Are We" there is information about the team who authored The Community Tool Box. Each individual section also tells who developed the material.
Sincerely,
The Community Tool Box Advisor
Hi Tracy,
If you are using the American Psychological Association referencing style the reference is:
The Community Tool Box (n.d.). Retrieved (DATE HERE) from /en
Hello, The first place to start for assessment tools is to find out if a tool has already been developed. You can start by going to Google and Google Scholar, typing in your request (for example, HIV dislosure questionnaire) and looking through the results to see if there is a tool out there. If you need additional help with the evaluation and tools, you can look at Chapter 38 of The Community Tool Box which describes methods for evaluating. If you are unable to find what you need, I suggest you contact a local college to find out if there is a professor who has these skills. Sincerely, The Community Tool Box
Hello Janice,
The Community Tool Box does not provide referrals to agencies or firms. I would suggest that you contact other organizations that have engaged in similar projects and find out who they worked with, and whether they would recommend them. I'm sorry we cannot be helpful.
Hi Cathy,
Chapter 4 of the Community Tool Box provides information about how to get issues on the public agenda, and Chapter 33 provides guidance to conduct a direct action campaign. You might also find Toolbox #10 useful.
Hi Beverly,
There are a number of ways a nonprofit can use The Community Toolbox (CTB). Here are just a few:
1. For staff development - CTB offers online courses that staff can take; the chapters and toolkits can be used for group or self-study if there are specific topics of interest; and the CTB group provides custom training.
2. To solve a specific issue - if the nonprofit is tackling a specific issue, the staff can browse the CTB chapters and toolkits to see if some of them are particularly relevant, or they can go to the CTB Troubleshooting Guide.
3. To learn about Best Change Processes
4. To find a source of best practices.
5. Subscribe to the eNewsletter
6. CTB provides collaboration workstations if you are working with a group of nonprofits in your community
7. The Community Checkbox Evaluation system will support your evaluation
These are just a few. Click around and explore and you might find more uses!
Hello Joanna,
Starting a new nonprofit requires a variety of types of knowledge and skills. While a certification or degree is not required, it is helpful. If you do not have the educational background, it would be a good idea to partner with someone who does so they can help you to navigate the requirements and develop the programming. Degrees such as social work or public administration often provide the requisite knowledge and skills.
I would suggest that you first start by looking through all of the chapters and toolkits provided in The Community Tool Box and reading those that apply, especially Chapters 8 through 29 and 36 through 46. There are organizations that can help to set up a nonprofit, including getting your nonprofit status, structuring the organization and other technicalities. You might also explore to find whether your community or a nearby city has a center for nonprofit management. These organizations provide training and certificates for nonprofit management and other important skills.
I hope this is helpful.
Dear Mandisa,
We are sorry to hear of your loss and difficulties. The Community Tool Box does not provide financial assistance.
Hello Beatrice,
The Community Tool Box has not produced material in a book. The reason is because we are always updating and improving the information provided and could not do so if this were in hard copy print. You will have to continue accessing the material online.
Dear Mr. Wahmann,
The Community Tool Box Ask an Advisor feature does not provide speakers. However, the Community Tool Box services include Training and Education. I suggest you contact them. Here is their contact information:
For more information about our services, please contact the KU Work Group by phone at (785) 864-0533, by email at toolbox@ku.edu.
Dear Marcus,
While we do not have specific examples of a healthy community, the Community Tool Box Databases of Best Practices provides links to many resources for promoting community health and development. Some of these include examples. Just click on the "Help Taking Action" tab and then the Databases of Best Practices.
Hello Tracia,
Chapter 3 has information and guidance for assessing needs. Toolkit #2 provides additional resources and guidance. If you are concerned about the wording of questions you might prepare a draft and then test it with some local residents and get their feedback.
For evaluation, the Community Tool Box Chapters 36 through 39 provide guidance to develop and implement an evaluation. Toolkit #12 gives more hands on details and examples. You might also go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (https://www.cdc.gov/eval/framework/). This website also includes evaluation guidance.
Hello Raul,
I am not able to recommend specific tools without having more information about the organization, the issues at hand, and other factors. I would recommend that you use Google Scholar to search the literature for a tool that has validity and reliability evidence, and more information about how others may have addressed similar problems. You might also consult with a management consultant (especially one that works with similar organizations). if your center is a nonprofit, look for a nonprofit management center that is a nonprofit.
Hello Dana,
Thank you for alerting us about this problem. I have forwarded your report to others and am optimistic that it will be resolved.
Hello George,
Unfortunately we cannot answer this question. The organization's by-laws should provide these guidelines so I would look there first. If it is not in there, then check with the president and Board.
Hello Kelly,
The Community Toolbox provides a Database of Best Practices and you might start there if you have not already explored it. Another good resource might be to look at web sites for professional associations related to such topics. The Society for Community Research and Action (www.scra27.org) is one. Send an inquiry to the listservs of such organizations or review the literature and contact the authors.Google searches for the various groups affected by inclusive communities might also yield examples, especially if you contact the advocacy groups for each of these issues.
Hello Eshirera,
My first thought when I read your question was that your academic advisor should be able to provide you with this guidance. You may want to start there. That said, I can offer the following guidance to you.
Introduction and Background - In this section you are going to read literature relevant to the issue your research will address. Be sure to include only peer-reviewed research and statistics from credible sources (the CDC for example). You should then integrate what you read to tell the 'story' and convince the reader that what you plan to do is necessary and important. Again, your argument has to be based entirely on the research and be sure not to insert anything that seems like opinion into your argument. Do not simply describe study after study and be sure to integrate what you read. The reader should fully understand the rationale for your work.
Method - You must then describe in great detail the method you plan to employ for your project. For a meta analysis, you will need to include how you will find the studies, and what the criteria will be for inclusion. You will also need to describe in detail how you plan to analyze the data and summarize your results.
The results and discussion will not be in the proposal of course. They will come after your proposal is approved and you have conducted your analyses. Results should include only the results of your analyses, and not any conclusions about them.
Discussion includes your analysis of the results. The analysis should tie the reader back to your introduction and demonstrate how you answered the question or issue at hand.
This should get you started, but your next step should be to talk to your advisor and let him or her guide you in this endeavor.
Hello Wendy,
Chapter 38 (Some Methods for Evaluating Comprehensive Community Initiatives) in The Community Tool Box provides guidance and resources for assessing coalitions. You might also find Toolkit #12 useful as it provides additional guidance and resources.
I hope you find these resources helpful.
Hello Adam,
I can recommend a couple of ways that you can balance the need to respond to current issues and then sustain the efforts over time. First, if your organization has not engaged in strategic planning, I would suggest you explore its potential. A strategic plan can be useful to set some specific goals for each of those areas. Preparation might include conducting an organizational assessment to determine the current state. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis of your organization can also help you to analyze your organization. The strategic plan should be sure to include input from all stakeholders and can in the end provide you with a strategy for addressing both, with agreed-upon goals and boundaries for the extent to which you will engage in each. The objective should be to determine the proportion of time and resources that will be allocated to activities for each of your goals.
Chapter 8 of The Community Tool Box presents guidance for developing a strategic plan along with Toolkit #5. Section 14 of Chapter 3 gives more information about conducting the SWOT analysis.
I would also recommend, if you haven't already, that you engage in evaluation for all activities. It will provide you the feedback needed to determine how much to continue engagement in an area. The Community Tool Box Chapters 36-39 and Toolkit #12 may be helpful for this.
Hello Donna,
The Community Tool Box does not take a stand regarding political views or ideologies. However, it is clear that you feel very passionately about the need to engage. Here are some resources the Community Tool Box can offer to you that may be helpful. We suggest that you review the recommended chapters and examine the Toolkits.
Chapter 45 - Social Marketing of Successful Components of the Initiative with Toolkit #13 Implementing Social Marketing
Chapters 30 to 35 provide guidance for Organizing for Effective Advocacy and Toolkit #10 Advocating for Change
Chapters 6 and 7 provide guidance regarding Communications to Promote Participation
We hope you find these resources useful.
Unfortunately, the Community Tool Box does not have printed copies or a book. All content exists online as you see it. If you want printed copy, I can only suggest that you print each page and somehow bind them or put them into a notebook. I would actually advise against this for one reason. The content in the Community Tool Box is updated whenever new information comes in, and new information is added as well. One of its best features is that because it is online it includes the most recent and best information possible at all times.
Thank you for your complimentary words and we are pleased that you find this resource so helpful.
Hello, Stakeholders are any individuals or organizations who have some interest in a problem, program, policy, or other type of effort. Some examples: For a nonprofit or NGO or a program, some stakeholders might be the people affected by the focal problem, the people who provide funding, staff who work for the organization, local politicians who have an interest in reducing the problem, the members of the organization's Board of Directors, and the local community in general. Each has some reason to be interested in the problem and its solution. The people who are affected by the problem would like to see it lessened so they are no longer affected. The people who provide the funding would like to see that the money they are contributing is making a difference. Staff who work for the organization want to feel that what they are doing matters. Local politicians want to take credit for making things better in their communities so they can be re-elected. Members of the Board of Directors want to see that the organization they are governing is effective. The local community all benefits from alleviation of any social problem. When addressing a problem - either through programs, policies, or evaluation - it is important to understand all people or organizations who have some interest in it, and then find out what their perspective is. You can most easily engage them if you approach them from their own perspective. I hope this is helpful. The Community Tool Box Advisor
Hello Sheila,
Systems change usually happens through advocacy efforts. I would suggest you begin with a careful analysis of the community problems to determine where to target advocacy efforts. Community Tool Box Chapters 17-19 provide guidance. Then Chapters 30-35 and Toolkit #10 provide guidance to Organize for Effective Advocacy and Advocating for Change.
Hello Susan,
Your question is outside of the scope of the Community Tool Box. I recommend you contact the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits. They can either assist you or tell you who you need to contact for such information. Their website is: https://www.ncnonprofits.org/
The Community Tool Box
Dear Kari,
The Community Tool Box does not provide assistance for individual problems. I recommend you contact a local mental health nonprofit to see if someone can give you guidance for this problem.
Dear Charity,
We are not familiar with specific organizations in Kenya so we cannot make a connection for you. However, I suggest that you do some research to learn about Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) that are doing work in the country and identify one that is doing work that interests you. Then reach out and contact the leaders of the NGO to find out if they have opportunities. The National Council of NGOs in Kenya can provide you with the information. http://www.thengocouncilkenya.org/
Hello Simeon,
The Community Tool Box does not provide financial assistance.
Dear Aida,
I am sorry I must respond in English. I do not speak Spanish. I was able to get your question translated.
I am not aware of any place that has solved the problem you described. Such problems often have local origins and are best solved by looking at what contributes to or causes the problem.
I suggest you begin by examining what is leading to this problem. The Community Tool Box Chapters 17-19 provide guidance for analyzing the problem and then designing a solution that addresses the causes you uncover within your community. Then Chapter 5 presents guidance for choosing strategies. If you need to get local government to pay attention. Chapter 4 provides guidance for getting the issues on the public agenda.
I am sorry I could not provide a more definitely solution for you, and sorry that this is written in English. I hope the information is helpful to you.
Sincrerely,
Hello Kristen,
Please feel free to use the materials and words of the Community Tool Box. Please make sure you reference and credit us for the information when you do. Chapter 9 and Toolkit 6 have the information and resources you need. If you would like additional resources, you can try a web site called Boardsource.org.
Thank you for contacting The Community Tool Box and using our resources!
Dear Nora,
We are happy to hear that the Best Practices Database has been helpful. If we were aware of any additional resources we would have definitely listed them in this database.
The only other possible resource might be for the students to do a literature search using terms descriptive of their specific interventions to determine whether there are individual publications in journals that are describing results of other interventions.
Thank you for your inquiry,
Dear Kim,
We are not sure what you are referencing regarding the "8 p's". Can you please submit a more specific question, or provide some context.
Dear Busayo,
Since legal requirements and other specifics of setting up an NGO are often governed by the laws of a specific country, we are unable to provide any specific advice for you there. We can give you some ideas about where you might find some information.
Chapters 8 through 12 of the Community Tool Box have information about developing a strategic plan for an NGO and structuring the organization. You might find them helpful.
Another suggestion is that you might contact local NGO's to ask if their leadership will provide you with some guidance and advice. They will understand the local requirements, and be there in person to perhaps provide additional assistance and advice.
I am sorry I cannot be more specific and I hope this is helpful.
I am sorry to hear how difficult circumstances are where you live. While I do not have specific answers, I can guide you to some information in the Community Tool Box that may be helpful. This sounds like a situation where it is more important than ever for community members to come together to solve problems.
You might start by browsing Chapter 1 of the Community Tool Box, especially Section 7, Working Together for Healthy Communities, Section 8 on Lessons Learned on Community Change, and Section 9 which presents a framework for addressing community goals and problems.
Chapter 2 presents different models for promoting community health and development. As you browse through the models you may find something that might work in your own community.
Chapter 5 provides information on choosing strategies to promote community health and development.
I hope you find something that is helpful and that conditions where you are change soon.
I hope I am understanding your question correctly. You are asking about how you can define a very large and diverse geographical area. Geography is usually defined by the name of a city or country or some other similar set of boundaries. It can be a section of the city as well.
I suggest you read each sentence in the article and think about what it means. In doing so you will identify what the issue and what the conclusion are.
Hello Trisch,
The bill that best meets your needs is the one your group decides would be of most interest, and that which the group feels it would do the best job of either defending or reforming. That is not a question we can answer for you.
Regarding the issue to address and how to do it, the first step is to research to find out what the issues mean. There are a number of really great questions to guide your thinking in Section 3 of Chapter 30 in the Community Tool Box. The entire chapter has great guidance for advocacy campaigns so you might find a lot of other helpful information in there.
I hope your project goes well!
Hello Patrick,
Unfortunately, the Community Tool Box does not print posters. However, we can give you some helpful guidance to hopefully meet your goal of obtaining traffic calming measures before there are excessive deaths.
First, you might explore Chapter 33 - Conducting a Direct Action Campaign to see if there are any strategies you have not yet tried. Chapters 30 through 35 and Toolkit #10 have additional information about effective advocacy as well.
If money is the only issue holding them back, then you might find out if there is a way to raise the money, perhaps by fundraising or writing a grant. Chapter 42 and Toolkit #14 have guidance for applying for grants.
Getting a new initiative off the ground can be somewhat challenging. Typically, the best place to start is with a solid plan with each actionable step laid out for you. That breaks it down and makes it more manageable, while ensuring that you have thought through all of the details.
Undertaking a new community venture typically begins with a thorough analysis of the problem. For that I recommend that you read Chapters 17 through 19, and then look at Toolkits #3 and #7. There is great information about changing the physical and social environment in Chapter 26. You might look at Chapter 42 and Toolkit #14 for assistance with writing the grant. Then Chapter 45 has information on implementing social marketing (if that will be part of your strategy). Hopefully these resources will help you move forward and finish your proposal.
Hello Josphine,
Congratulations on your accomplishment! It seems like a great project. The Community Tool Box does not provide sponsorships. You are welcome to use all of the information and toolkits provided here. We just ask that you give us credit for them when you do.
You might also look to some of the National Library's other partners and supporters to find out if they would like to partner for this initiative. Another resource might be to partner with someone from one of the local universities.
