COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Community Development Strategy Section examines the importance of a strategic approach to community development that aligns community needs and
company resources to produce tangible, sustainable benefits. First of all, five core principles are presented as a foundation for effective strategy
development: 1) Be Strategic; 2)Adopt a Community-Driven Focus; 3) Build Capacity; 4) Work in Partnership; and 5) Design for Sustainability.
Next, a six-step process is suggested to guide a company through assessment, planning and implementation of high-impact community development programs.
These steps include: 1) Needs and Assets Assessment; 2)Stakeholder Analysis; 3) Defining the Companys Unique Contribution; 4) Designing the
Program; 5)Planning for Partnering; 6) Budget and Resource Mobilization.
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY & WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
A community development strategy is a long-term plan that identifies company strengths and leverages them to make a unique contribution to human development
in local communities hosting mining, oil and gas (OMG) operations. In other words, it is the companys plan for doing best what only it can do among all of the
development
actors
involved.
A strategy is important for properly aligning the companys development program with community needs, mustering appropriate resources to respond to those
needs, identifying key opportunities for partnering and focusing company efforts to assure tangible and sustainable impact. Companies who support many shortterm, unarticulated development initiatives instead of focusing on one or two strategic areas run the risk of having many small successes but no single area
where they can point to fundamental, enduring improvement in the local communitys quality of life. On the other hand, a comp any that has a long-term, coherent
development strategy and works in partnership with the local community will have examples of tangible, lasting improvement and a better answer to the question
that
communities
typically
ask
themselves,
Are
we
really
better
off
than
before
the
extractive
operation?
A company cannot be everything to everyone nor should it try. Taking a strategic approach to community development means making choices, sometimes
difficult ones, but the reward is a clear roadmap of where a development program is going and how to decide what projects to support. It provides a company with
a clear set of criteria, developed together with the community, for confidently saying yes to new projects or, equally conf idently, saying no. It assures that the
company is supporting projects that respond to real community needs and does so in a way that fully leverages both the companys and the communitys ability to
make
a
unique
contribution
to
development.
Companies can also consider collaborating with other mining and non-mining companies in their areas of influence to promote local mining clusters. A mining
cluster is a group of companies in a geographic area which are linked together through their participation in a common mining value chain. For example, a cluster
may include one or more mining companies, and all of their local suppliers and subcontractors (such as caterers, equipment providers, materials suppliers,
technical consultants, machinists, auto mechanics, etc.) If nourished with capacity building and a strategy of diversification, a mining cluster can become a
sustainable
vehicle
for
community
development
even
after
mine
closure.
No matter the project location, experience shows that successful company-sponsored community development programs share a common set of core principles:
1.
2.
3.

Be Strategic: Develop a strategy of what to do, and what not to, and then stick to it.
Adopt a Community-Driven Focus: Look to the community to identify their own needs, prioritize responses, and truly lead the development process.
Build Capacity: Invest not only in community hardware (physical and economic infrastructure) but even more importantly in human software (building
capacity so that local leaders can replicate successes on their own in the future).
4.
Work in Partnership: Partner with local community and government in the design and implementation of development programs, while maintaining active
company involvement throughout the process.
5.
Design for Sustainability: Think about the challenge of social, economic and ecological sustainability at every step of project design and implementation.
HOW DO I DO IT?
Below we describe a broad, step-by-step approach to designing and implementing high-impact community development programs based on the core principles
outlined
above.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Needs and Assets Assessment: Community development begins with understanding community needs and assets. A socioeconomic baseline
study provides information on the communitys historical and current situation. Baseline data typically includes demographics, health and wellness, geography,
physical and economic infrastructure, environment and ecology, social structures and norms, government, politics and institutions. Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA) is a useful tool for directly involving the community in identifying needs, prioritizing them, and most importantly leveraging community assets
to respond to those needs. A SWOT Analysis is another useful tool, applicable to both company and community, for identifying strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats.
Stakeholder Analysis: Community participation is easier said than done. Identifying valid community representatives and understanding their real issues of
concern and aspirations around an OMG operation is always a challenge, especially for a company new to the community. Stakeholder Mapping is a
powerful tool for systematically identifying stakeholders, depicting their inter-relationships and inventorying their concerns, hopes and dreams around the
operation. The result is a short list of the most important stakeholders and their issues to guide the rest of the steps.
Defining the Companys Unique Contribution: The result of Steps 1-2 will be a long list of community needs, assets and actors. No company could possibly
respond to all of them. Rather, the company should look inside itself, identify its own key competencies and resources, and strategically match these with
particular areas of community need. The result is a short list of program areas in which the company can make a unique contribution i.e., what the company
can do better than any other actor at the table. Focusing on these areas, the company can feel assured that it is maximizing impact from scarce resources.
Program Design: The heart of a development program are the program areas, drawn from a broad range of human development possibilities: Basic health,
HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, education, agriculture, livelihoods, microcredit, small and medium-size enterprises, etc. Capacity building and partnership
should be key cross-cutting themes of any program design. Other considerations may be more or less important depending on local context, such as
indigenous peoples, gender, youth, etc. The logic model (SeeMeasurement and Evaluation Section) is a critical tool for clearly modeling the logic
underlying the planned program. It is also often a requirement for funding from international development agencies. The program design should also include a
communication strategy for disseminating program successes, obstacles and learnings to the local community (in a culturally appropriate manner) and include
their feedback to improve ongoing implementation and build community support.
Management and Partnering Plan: A strategy is only as good as its implementation (Steps 5-6). An internal management plan clearly identifies roles and
responsibilities for implementing the program, policies and procedures for making decisions and, most importantly, how the community development program
will be integrated into the rest of the company. An external partnering plan clarifies similar issues in the companys relationship with its external partners. It
should address three areas that typically cause friction with partners over time: External communication (i.e., mention of partnership in public communications),
shared expectations (i.e., very explicit expectations of what is possible and what is not in the partnership) and an exit strategy (i.e., how the partners can
gracefully terminate the relationship when expectations are no longer met, or how the partnership simply ends at the close of the project).
Budget and Resource Mobilization: Community development does not happen in the year-to-year timeframe of most company budgeting cycles. A multiyear budget commitment (for example, five years) assures that resources will be available for long-term program continuity. Some mining, oil and gas
companies have found it useful to make public commitments of 0.5-1.5% of their pre-tax profits to their community development programs. However,
companies do not have to do it all alone. They can use their investments to raise additional funds from other partners such as businesses, local or national
government, private foundations, international development agencies or multilateral organizations. http://commdev.org/community-development-strategies

Section 1. Strategies for Community Change and Improvement: An Overview

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/promotion-strategies/overview/main

WH AT D O ES IT M E AN TO O R G AN IZE F O R C O MM UN I TY C H AN G E?

WH Y S HO U LD Y OU EN G AG E IN C O MMU N ITY O R G AN IZAT IO N ?

WH AT AR E EF F EC T IV E S TR ATEG IES I N C O MM U N ITY O R G AN IZA T IO N ?

H O W DO Y OU B R IN G AB O U T C H AN G E TH R O UG H C O M MU N ITY O R G AN IZAT I O N ?

Throughout the Community Tool Box, our authors talk about different ways to improve our communities, and how to do all of the tasks,
small and large, that make an organization work and work well. But broadly speaking -- how does all of this work? What are the
overarching strategies that work to improve our communities? Why do some grassroots organizations fail, while others do great things
and flourish?
Throughout the Tool Box, we offer many suggestions of what we feel are "right" ways to approach community work. Our belief in the
equality of all people, for instance, or in the importance of individuals' efforts to improve their communities -- are not topics of specific
sections, but make up the foundation of what we do. These beliefs and ideas are at the base of all of our work at the Community Tool
Box.
One such idea is that of community organization -- the idea that people can and should come together to talk about what matters to them,
and then work together to successfully change their communities. As this idea is a common thread woven throughout our work, we'd like
to use this chapter to make it explicit, and try to explore it more fully.
So, then, on the following few screens (and in the next few sections) we'll do just that. In the remainder of this section, we'll give a
general overview of community organization -- what it is and how you do it. We'll also give brief explanations of different ways of
looking at community organization. Although all of the strategies we will discuss have quite a bit in common, it may be helpful to
separate out and compare different approaches in order for us to look more clearly at our work.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO O RGANIZE FO R COMMUNI TY CH ANGE?

Community organizing is the process by which people come together to identify common problems or goals, mobilize resources, and, in
other ways, develop and implement strategies for reaching the objectives they want to accomplish.
As you can see, it's a big idea -- it's really a way of looking at all of the work that we do. Because of that, it encompasses many of the
other ideas discussed in the Tool Box. For example, effective community organization will generally include:

Gaining an understanding of the community. The first key step is learning what the community is like, and what is important
to its residents.
Generating and using power. There are many types of power; depending on the nature of your organization and your long
term goals, your organization may have (or need) different types. Different kinds of power include:
Political or legislative power -- for example, you could work to pass laws to make it more difficult for young people to get
hold of alcohol or tobacco
Consumer power -- your organization might organize a boycott against a company whose policies are environmentally
unsound
Legal regulatory power -- your organization might take a delinquent landlord to court
Disruptive power -- employees of an organization might go on strike as part of a demand for better working conditions
Articulating issues. A crucial part of effective organizing is being very clear about what people find important, and what you
feel should be done about it.
Planning purposeful action. Action planning is central to effective community organization.
Involving other people. Community organizing works in large part because of the strength that exists in numbers. The idea that
"what we can't do alone, we can often accomplish together" is what community organization is all about.
Generating and using other resources. While involving many people is at the heart of any community organizing effort, a
group will need to obtain other resources as well. These may include cash, gifts in kind, and other forms of donations or
support.

Communicating with your community. There are many ways to effectively get the word out and let the community at large in
on what you are doing, why you are doing it, and why they should be a part of it.

An important point to remember is that community organization is fundamentally a grassroots process. It's not about an outside "expert"
telling a community what it should work on. Instead, it's about community members getting exercised about something, and using that
energy to create change. In short, community organization is all about empowering people to improve their lives, however that might be
best done.
A fundamental lesson for the community organizer is that you don't organize people to do something you think should be done; instead,
you find out what is important to people in the community, and then help them reach their goals.
Community organizing, done right, leads to a shift in power: you're building a power base among a broad group of people. Many times,
community organization is done among those who have traditionally been denied a voice, or whose needs have been ignored -- the poor,
the homeless, certain minority groups, etc.

WHY SHOULD YOU ENGAGE IN COMM UNITY ORGAN IZATION?

Organizing members of a community -- no matter what your goals might be -- has some general advantages that will occur if the work is
well done. These advantages include:

A greater ability to bring about the changes you want to see. The collective voice of many people working together on a
problem is usually much more powerful than a single voice.
Empowerment. Involving people (especially those who haven't traditionally had much power) in improving the conditions
which shape their lives can increase people's sense of their own worth and capabilities, helping them to live more fulfilling
lives.
Increased self-sufficiency among community members. Organizing people to bring about change helps maintain a high level
of ownership by people for their own destinies. Ultimately, this reduces the amount of outside help that will be needed.
Increased social support. By bringing together diverse groups of people who are working for the same cause, people get the
chance to talk and learn with others they may not have met otherwise. Both professionally and socially, community
organization offers ample opportunity for growth and enjoyment among those who come together.
Greater equity in the society. When people gain control over the forces that shape their lives, it changes the balance of power
in the community, spreading it more broadly and distributing it more nearly equally. That, in turn, changes for the better the
circumstances of those with the least power, making for a more just society.

WHAT ARE EFFECTIVE S TRATEGIES IN COMMUNITY

ORGANIZATION?
There are many different ways for a community to bring about the changes it wants. In the Community Tool Box, those we are most
interested in are those in which people come together to improve life in their communities. This occurs in different ways, and for
different reasons. Thus, there can be slightly different ways of looking at the process of organization. The four ways that follow will be
discussed in more detail in the subsequent sections of this chapter.
Organization for locality development. Also known as community development, locality development focuses on community building
by improving the process by which things get done. For example, it emphasizes the ideas of community competency--the ability of the
community to solve its own problems by learning skills such as group facilitation and critical thinking that are crucial to community
work -- and through working to build harmonious relationships among people from different racial, ethnic, and social-class groups. A lot
of weight is put on how people think and feel about things. The idea of "helping people help themselves" is key to this concept.
Organizations such as the Peace Corps and VISTA offer good examples of what we mean by locality development.
Social planning or policy change. Whereas locality development focuses primarily on the process of working together, social planning
focuses on getting results. That is, it emphasizes solving specific social problems, such as a lack of adequate housing or a very high
crime rate. Delivering goods and services and avoiding the duplication of those services are important ends in this type of organizing. It
is often initiated by community officials or planners, or as the result of state or federal programs.
Because it is driven primarily by statistics and other types of data, social planning may be seen as more "scientific" than locality
development. For example, an organizer might point out that, "Records from the health department show that only about 65% of the

children entering kindergarten are fully immunized; we need an initiative to make sure all of our children receive the immunizations that
will safeguard their health."
The use of "experts" may be considered a necessary part of this approach because of the importance placed on statistics and other data.
This is more true of this type of organizing than for any of the others that we will discuss.
Organizing for social action, or systems advocacy. When we think of the civil rights demonstrations in the South in the 1960s, or
AIDS activists conducting "die-ins" in front of the White House in the 1980s, this is what we are talking about. Social action organizing
is highly adversarial, and the concept of social justice is a dominant ideal.
In social action organizing, members of a certain group -- often those who are discriminated against or low on the economic ladder, and
thus have little voice as individuals -- come together in order to make demands on the larger community for increased resources or equal
treatment.
Coalitions are broad groups that bring together people and organizations from throughout the community, including many groups that
may not normally work together. For example, a coalition working to increase AIDS awareness in the community might bring together
officials from the health department, representatives from the faith community, young people, business leaders, and members of the
GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered) community -- groups that sometimes don't see eye-to-eye.
The power of coalitions comes from the idea of strength in numbers -- bringing together many diverse people gives you the power you
need to make the changes you want.
When looking at these four strategies for community organization, it's very clear that these approaches are not completely distinct from
one another. A group that is mostly concerned with the processes of locality development will nonetheless have, some results they want
achieved, and they may well use the more strident tactics of social action to achieve those results. And certainly, a coalition might choose
to use any (or more likely, all) of the other three strategies at some point during its life span.
However, our hope is that by separating these ideas -- even if the separation is somewhat academic -- we can help organizers to think
systematically about their desired ends and the means it will take to get there, as well as to organize their work in accordance to their
values.

HOW DO YOU BRING ABO UT CHANGE T HROUGH COMMUNIT Y

ORGANIZAT ION?
Community organization can be done in many ways; how you do it will depend on where you are working and what your specific goals
are. More detailed "how-to's" are found in each of the strategy-specific sections that follow this one.
However, some of the basics are pretty much the same, whatever your ultimate goals might be. What follows then, is simply a general
overview to get you thinking about the fundamentals.

First of all, and most obviously, you need to involve people in your community efforts. This is the heart of community
organizing. This may be done in many ways -- from informal conversations, to going door-to-door, to using more formal
methods of recruitment.

Door-knocking is a classic tactic in community organizing that is still used regularly by community activists. Going door-to-door in the
area that interests you with a short script like the following can do a lot to spark original interest.
"Hello, I'm ____ and I work with ___. Were asking people in the neighborhood about how the community can be improved. Would you
be willing to take a few minutes to talk about what you think should be looked at or changed?"
Be careful here. There may be some members of your group not comfortable going door-to-door as a way to get the word out. They may
be unsure about the safety of the neighborhoods they are visiting. It may also be illegal for your organization to communicate with
community members through door-to-door visits. So, before you begin your campaign, check the comfort level of your members and
examine local laws to make sure that a door-to-door campaign is safe and legal!

Next, from the comments and suggestions you have heard from community members, identify the issue that seems to be of the
greatest concern. Three questions are especially important to consider when deciding to tackle a problem:
o Is it important enough to people that theyre willing to take action about it?

o
o

Is it specific? For example, violence may be a problem -- but what kind of violence are people concerned about?
Domestic violence? Violence in our schools? Muggings after dark?
Can something be done to affect it in a reasonable amount of time? You may not be able to do much locally to
change global warming, but you can probably do quite a bit to encourage energy conservation and the use of green
building techniques and power sources.

Then, those who want to do something about the problem should reframe it as a goal. That gives people something positive to strive for,
and enlists them in building the community, rather than simply eliminating something harmful or annoying. It not only makes working
on the current issue more compelling, but prepares people to continue the community-building process in the future.
It also allows you to narrow down the issue to something clearly achievable. Suppose the issue identified by the community is traffic.
Its noisy, it pollutes, and its gotten a great deal worse over the past ten years, so that what was a ten-minute drive now takes 45 at rush
hour. Whats a clear goal that will address the issue?
There are a number of possibilities. Improving and expanding public transportation is one, and one that a community initiative could
probably have some influence over. The designation of bike lanes and the building of off-street cross-town bike paths is another. Each
of these presents a clear, goal that not only represents a community organizing success, but that can inspire people to participate in the
next campaign, which might have a more ambitious goal.

Developing your strategy is the next step in community organizing. What your strategy will be will vary greatly, depending on
what type of organizing you are doing. However, in all types of organizing, members of your group will want to come together
and develop agreed-upon answers to the following questions.
o What are your long- and short-term goals?
o What are your organizational strengths and weaknesses?
o Who cares about this problem?
o Who are your allies?
o Who has the power to give you what you want?
o How can we make our work enjoyable for community members to be a part of?

It's important to build your organization's strategy in a logical manner. People like to look upon themselves as being reasonable. Thus,
organizers should develop the strategy in such a way that each escalation of activity makes sense, so that neither members of the group
nor the larger community see what is being done as overblown or reactionary.
A small town in eastern Kansas organized to protest the introduction of a roadway through environmentally-protected and spiritually
sacred Native American wetlands. Two organizations in town began by writing letters to local government officials requesting that the
road be constructed around the wetlands rather than through them.
When that didn't work, the groups became more active. Newspaper articles were written, and community members were encouraged to
write their local representatives in protest. Residents attended local council meetings and vocally protested the decisions of the city
government.
When the letters and verbal protests were unsuccessful, the organizations staged rallies. After the rallies did not get the desired results,
the community members began to protest along the portions of the roadway that had been constructed. The protests were ignored in
much the same way the letters, council meeting attendance, and rallies had been.
Finally, the two organizations hired attorneys and sued the city to prevent the roadway from being constructed -- a move which never
would have been condoned by residents at the beginning of the dispute. The lawsuit attracted the attention of the EPA, and soon federal
agencies became involved. To date, the groups have been successful in blocking the completion of the roadway.

From strategies, your organization should develop specific tactics for the strategy you have chosen. Examples of tactics
include boycotts, petitions, demonstrations, meetings with people with power, and so on. As we discussed in the last step on
developing strategies, members of the group must be sure that the tactics fit the situation -- that they aren't too extreme (or too
weak!); that they target the appropriate people; and that they have a good chance of being effective.
The next step in community organizing is to choose specific actions to carry out the strategies and tactics you have developed.
These action steps are the bread and butter of your community work. They should be very explicit, specifying who will do
what in what way by when.
The organizer should set goals for immediate, short-ending wins, and these wins should be celebrated. Most community work
takes a long time; some of it is never done. Your organization's goals may be very large -- ending child abuse; developing a

thriving neighborhood in what is currently a run-down, crime-infested area; or an end to all forms of discrimination. These are
goals that will take a long time to reach; they may not even be completed in our lifetime.
Because of this, it's important that the group does win something very quickly. It's important for the morale of the group to feel you
really are making progress; that your work is not only for a good cause, but you're also going about it in the right way. No one likes to
feel that their work is useless, that they are giving up precious free time for a lost cause, or that they are not appreciated for all of their
work. So make celebrations of your work -- and the people doing it -- a regular part of your organization's life.

Finally, the organization needs to keep on going. As we said above, community work never ends. Your group may be
organizing people to work on specific goals. But when your group has won (or when you have decided it's time to bow out
gracefully), then it's time to rest, regroup, and move on to the next campaign.

IN SUMMARY
The power of an organized community working together to reach agreed-upon goals is nothing short of spectacular. There is no more
important step to take than organization when trying to improve life in our communities. And so, it is crucial for those of us working for
our communities to understand how to do so effectively.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a tremendously powerful organizer. In a speech in Memphis in 1968, he rallied listeners with the words, "Let
us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these
days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation." We at the
Community Tool Box ask that you take that opportunity -- that you work to organize people for a better community, a better nation, and
finally, a better world.
Contributor
Jenette Nagy
Retreats
Windcall Resident Program
Windcall
c/o Common Counsel Foundation
1221 Preservation Park Way, Suite 101
Oakland, California 94612
telephone: (510) 834-2995
fax: (510) 834-2998
email: ccounsel@igc.org
If you're working hard to change the world, you know it's an endless struggle... a struggle that can leave you exhausted even when your
work is fulfilling and affirmative. You might need a chance to step back, take a break, catch your breath in a place where you can stretch
out and see the far horizon.
That's why we established the Windcall Resident Program. Since 1989, it has been a place of retreat and renewal for people engaged in
work for social change. Our principal aim is this: to honor and help conserve the commitment and energy of those who work towards a
more just society. If you've been doing this difficult work and need to step back to see what's ahead, we encourage you to apply to
Windcall.
You may apply to stay at Windcall for two or four weeks during one of its residential sessions. Summer residencies are available during
June and July, with a January 15 application deadline. Fall residencies extend from after Labor Day to the end of October, with an April
10 application deadline.
Windcall welcomes residents at no cost during their stay. There are only four guests at any one time. We offer a partial travel stipend for
those in need, and we encourage residents to drive whenever possible so that once here they can take full advantage of all that
southwestern Montana provides.
Print Resources
Berkowitz, W. R. (1997). Community and neighborhood organization. Chapter for Handbook of Community Psychology.

Bobo, K., Kendall, J., Max, S. (1996). Organizing for social change: A manual for activists in the 1990s. Minneapolis, MN: Seven
Locks.
Fawcett, S. B. (1999). Some lessons on community organization and change. In J. Rothman (Ed.), Reflections on community
organization: Enduring themes and critical issues. Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers.
Rothman, J., Erlich, J. L., & Tropman, J. E. (Eds.). (1995). Strategies of community intervention. Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers.
Online Resources
Institute for Social Justice Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
Contact: Elena Hanggi 523 W. 15th Street, Little Rock, AR 72202. Program: Training for members of ACORN; week-long and 2-day
training sessions for others; special training for unions and in operation of radio and television stations.
Center for Community Change
CCC helps the economically disadvantaged improve their communities and change policies and institutions that affect their lives by
developing their own strong organizations.
The COMM-ORG Mission

To help connect people who care about the craft of community organizing.
To find and provide information that organizers, scholars, and scholar-organizers can use to learn, teach, and do community
organizing.
To involve all COMM-ORG members in meeting those goals.

The Midwest Academy

The Midwest Academy is one of the nation's oldest and best known schools for community organizations, citizen organizations, and
individuals committed to progressive social change.

Community Development Strategies: Yes, It Can Fit in Your Budget

Strategic Planning | Quality of Life | Leadership |Economic Health | Community Building |Resources | Learn More

People think community development is an expensive process, but it doesnt have to be. All it takes are a few simple questions to
get the ball rolling and get the community interested. With community member participation and buy-in, the process usually
expands to even larger projects. This page will show you how to get started with a simple community development process, one
that encourages buy-in from the larger community.

Rural Community Thrive

Rural Community Development in the 21st Century has
fewer boundaries with the rapid and continued growth of
technology. It recognizes that there is strength
through inclusion both with neighboring communities
and with all generations in our own towns and villages.
But rural community development in the 21st Century
also needs innovation and entrepreneurship and strong,
visionary leadership. RC-Thrive (Rural Communities
Thrive) addresses these needs and takes advantage of
the opportunities.

RC-Thrive recognizes that rural community development

should be a self-determined processin other words,
not a prescribed fix that is offered, but something that
comes from a thorough evaluation of what the
community already has and what positive future can be

supported with these local assets.

Community betterment (development) needs to be driven locally to be successful. People have the collective wisdom to know what
is needed. Its a matter of supporting them to build on their ability to create the future they envision; its a matter of asking the
right questions.

The RC-Thrive program provides a framework to develop resources and capacities within to build vibrant and thriving
communities with successful small businesses, farms and ranches, and citizens all along the generation spectrum.

For communities to be successful, local relationships and community-wide inclusiveness are necessary. Relationship and network
building throughout the community are key components to moving issues forward.

A vision of what the community wants to be in the future is a critical step in development. Thiscommunity vision becomes the
basis for future planning and decision making and needs full backing and agreement from all parties, elected and non-elected.
After visioning is complete, planning follows. The planning process should provide a complete assessment of what the town already
has (assets) and where and how these assets can be reorganized and focused on the future.

For successful community development, local leaders, entrepreneurs, and residents of all ages need to be engaged. Identifying and
drawing on these assets can build wealth, relationships, and social cohesion inside the community and bridge to resources beyond
the community. New ideas, networks and opportunities can emerge during this process.

Below are the primary components of successful rural community development. Each one is accompanied by a number of critical
questions. The components are:

1.
2.

Strategic Planning
Quality of Life

3.
4.

Leadership
Economic Health

5.

Community Building
Questions provided can be used as a type of score card that will help communities identify where development needs to be focused.
At the end of the components section is a Foundation for Getting Started to help guide communities toward reaching their goals.
Many communities may have the resources already available to them to help build this program; others may need to look beyond
their community.

Five Components of Successful Rural Community Development

Each one is accompanied by a number of critical questions. The

components are:

Strategic Planning
A strategic plan identifies long and short-term goalsthe
community wants to achieve and includes: an assessment of the
external environment; assessment of internal capacity of the
community; development of a vision for the future; development of
goals and objectives (the actions) for reaching that future;
implementation of the plan, and measurement of progress and
revision of the plan as needed. Below are critical questions to ask
which will be helpful in developing a strategic plan for your
community.

1.

Do we have a vision that can guide our planning?

2.

Have we involved the entire community to determine and identify publicly what we already have (assets), what we need, and

3.

what we want to work toward for the future?

What are we doing as far as ongoing strategic planning? Who is involved in planning? How widespread is the participation?

4.

Once planning occurs, do we evaluate, learn and move forward?

Have we built relationships with communities outside of our own?

5.
6.

Do we have a plan on how to involve more people in the communitys work?

Have we established a working plan for recruitment both of people who have moved away and of our youth before they leave?

7.

Have we created a plan for how we can invest in the youth who remain in our community?
Have we established a retention plan for people who move to our town? What are we doing right? What do we need to improve
to keep them here? Do we include and involve them? Give them opportunities to be involved in leadership development, etc?
Listen to their ideas?

8.

Do we look to the institutions in our community (schools, churches, clubs, organizations, etc.) and include them in the
planning process?

9.

Do we have a way to welcome newcomers to our town? Do we get newcomers quickly involved in planning and activities in our
community?

10. Youth
o Have we created a strategic plan and implemented it for ensuring that some of our youth can return or remain in our community?

o
o

Have we involved them in leadership and entrepreneurship development? In what ways are we involving youth in community?
Have we helped tie the school to the community and the community to the school and both to entrepreneurial development?

Quality of Life
When assessing your community, it is necessary to take a hard look
at the community. Identifying the communitys assets is usually
effortless, but taking a look at where the community has
weaknesses is a difficult, but needed assessment.

1.

Is our community a welcoming place to be? Are we inclusive?

2.

What types of clubs/institutions do we have?

What is the intergenerational atmosphere herein other
words do we include youth through our oldest members of our
town in activities and more; have we made efforts to connect the

3.

generations, paying attention to the needs of all?

Do we have anything available for the arts? Music? Do we have
opportunities like hiking/biking trails? Visually appealing
downtowns?

4.

Do we acknowledge our relationship with the natural resources in our area? Are those resources taken into consideration when
we plan for the future and our overall quality of life?

5.
6.

Health carewhat health care resources do we have available?

Housingdo we have housing available for young families, retirees and others?

7.
8.

Historydo we have a process for passing down the accomplishments in our town?
What events do we have that develop pride in our community?

Leadership
Every community has natural leaders, whether they have stepped up or have
been volunteered by others in the community. Assessing the current capability
of leadership and addressing future leadership through development programs
is essential to maintaining good leadership in your community.

1.

What is the capability of the leadership in our community? Is it visionary

looking not only at the here-and-now but building for future residents as
well? Is it inclusive or exclusive? Do we have a system in place to continually
groom new leaders, giving them opportunities to learn, practice, and build

2.

upon their desires and motivation to help lead in the community?

Do we have a leadership development program that builds capacity
through knowledge of good communication, consensus building, dealing with
conflict, bridging beyond the community to neighboring communities and
farther? Do we have some sort of mentoring in place to ensure emerging
leaders are successful new leaders? Are our youth involved? Have we

considered a broader leadership development initiative that goes beyond our towns borders?
3.

Have we considered an annual leadership retreat to look at the status of accomplishments, set goals, revisit the strategic plan,
and include opportunities to develop community members skills that is open to the entire community?

Economic Health
Creating an environment that supports the local economy is
significant. Healthy communities create awelcoming environment
to entrepreneurs, current and future. Supporting local businesses
regenerates your dollars into the community, since many small
businesses will recycle their profits back into the local economy.

1.

Does our community support entrepreneurship for both adults

and youth? What is available for existing business development?
Have we looked beyond what used to be to what perhaps might
be now? What do the storefronts look likeare they full?
Patronized? If not, why nothas anybody asked the towns
citizens if not why not?

2.

Do we recognize that things outside our community impact

us, i.e., policies, globalization, etc.?

3.

Are we nurturing new entrepreneurs, small business owners,

and beginning farmers and ranchers in our town and in our

4.

region? Do we have plans and processes for business, farm and ranch transitions?
Are we investing in the members of our community to position our town for the future? Are we seeking to build education levels

5.

and bringing in opportunities to build skills, i.e., bringing in technology training or distance learning college credit courses?
Do we look at the assets in our region to see how we might collaborate with others to create a positive future?

6.

What about our farms and ranchesis it clear how they are contributing to community building? Do we celebrate their role in
our economy and quality of life? Is community building contributing to their success and future? Do we support how they create

7.

a healthy environment and sustainable practices? Do we support good use of the available natural resources?
What are we doing to encourage, assist, and recruit beginning farmers and ranchers to our community? Are we looking at

8.

possible new markets for our farms and ranches?

Do we have a community foundation? Have we considered developing a youth community foundation? Have we figured out a
way to channel local savings and investments into building our local economy?

Community Building
Community building includes all residents local town folk,
farmers and ranchers. Successful community building creates a
sense of community and an environment where controversial
issues can be discussed and old grudges can be forgiven and
healed.

1.

What are we doing to build community? Do weinclude our

farmers and ranchers in community building? Do we have a
place where people can gather on an informal basis to discuss all
issueseven those that may be seen as controversial?

2.

What is the sense of community in our town? What is

the quality of relationships between and across community
groups? Are old grudges forgiven and healed? Are we able to put
aside old conflicts and focus on moving our community forward? If

3.
4.

5.

not, why not? Have we established relationships with communities outside of ours?
Have we tied community institutions together in such a way that they work together toward community goals?
Have we included all generations in community work? What are we doing to connect the older generation to the younger
generation? What are we doing to involve young adults? What are we doing to attract and retain older citizens, youth and young
adults? Are we family friendly from the youngest to the oldest?
Are people proud of their community?

Foundation for Getting Started

1. Complete a Community Assessment

A community assessment is a process led by an Assessment

Team from outside the community. It involves and invites the
entire community to participate in a number of listening
sessions to answer the following three questions: (1) what is the
best thing about my community; (2) what is the biggest
problem facing the community; and (3) if I left and returned in
10 years, what would I want to see?

Information gathered at these listening sessions is put into a

report that is shared with the entire community. It provides
recommendations and resources.
The community assessment is the driver behind development
of a strategic plan. This process begins at a follow-up town
hall meeting with the Assessment Team and results in specific
projects identified, teams assigned and leaders volunteering.
2. Identification of Community Assets

Do thorough asset review of all the communitys assets

including assets of community members, natural resource

Photo by Danny Weitzner.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zwickweitzner/ / CC BY 2.0

assets, businesses, institutions and more. (see this Web site for
more informationon this process and this document (link opens

PDF) for information on Asset Based Community Development)

Bring all community organizations together during the assessment process with the Assessment Team to identify current projects.
Use results to help develop both the vision and the strategic plan.
3. Set a Vision

The creation of a vision should be inclusivea vision created by a few will have buy-in by a few.

A good vision statement:

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Looks down the road 20-25 years.

Provides energy for the community.
Reflects a desirable future.
Is something that the community believes.
Shows a sense of pride.
Is easily remembered.
Serves as a foundation for future decision making.
Speaks to people inside and outside of the community. (A good example is the vision Hartington, Nebraska, created. You can see
it here.)
Create and Carry out a Strategic Plan

1.

Use the Vision Statement and the community assessment to create your plan. Determine which of the questions asked above are

2.

applicable to your community and prioritize those that can be and should be addressed to be included in your plan.
Set goals/benchmarks not only for final outcome, but also identify steps along the way that need to be accomplished and by when

3.

in order to reach final goals.

Select committees to accomplish each priority.

4.
5.

Evaluate at pre-determined points and address any necessary changes.

Celebrate Successesthis is an extremely important and often overlooked aspect of strategic planning. No long range goals are
achieved overnighteach one requires a series of smaller tasks in order to achieve a large goal. Those smaller accomplishments
should be identified, shared within the community and celebrated.
Evaluate

1.

Evaluate accomplishments by revisiting the strategic plan on an annual basis at a Leadership Retreat to which the entire

2.

community is invited.
Ask the following questions: How are we doing achieving goals of the plan? Is there something we need to rethink/change? Have

3.

we missed anything that should be a priority? Have we community support and commitment to this plan?
Adjust where needed.
The authors wish to thank Dr. John Allen, Professor, Utah State University and Associate Dean for College of Humanities, Arts and
Social Sciences, Rural Community Development, and Dr. Laverne Barrett, retired Professor of Agricultural Leadership, Education
and Communications, University of Nebraska, for their insight and guidance in developing the RC Thrive community development
program. The final product is the work of the Center for Rural Affairs.

For more information, contact Kathie Starkweather, Rural Opportunities and Stewardship Program Director, kathies@cfra.org or
402.438.8496 or Stephanie Fritz, Community Development Specialist, stephanief@cfra.org or 402.358.3432.

1NebGuide Developing a Vision for the Community or Organization by Anita Hall, Extension Educator; Laverne Barrett, Professor,
Leadership Development Specialist; Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Community Development
Specialist http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1574/build/g1574.pdf?redirected=true

Resources
Rural Community Revitalization Digest is a collection of short articles published in the Center for Rural Affairs monthly
newsletter.

The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund awards money and tax credits to community-based
organizations (these are called CDFIs) that work in low-income urban and rural communities across America.These organizations
have a common mission of working toward revitalizing economically depressed communities or communities underserved by
mainstream financial institutions and improving the quality of life of those that live and work in these communities. The CDFI Fund
does not make loans directly to individuals nor does it finance specific projects. Instead, the CDFI Fund provides financing to
community-based organizations that operate in communities for the benefit of people that live in them.

There are two ways to find community-based organizations in your community: Try this searchable award database or visit
the list of certified community-based organizations. If you have any further questions or suggestions, please email cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov.