Consider the groups and individuals who should be members of your community partnership. It should include members who represent the diverse areas that influence youths’ lives, including:
Together, these groups and individuals should address the different contexts in which youth live and develop. Members of your partnership should also represent the different racial, ethnic, and cultural characteristics of your community. These cultural perspectives will help shape the decisions that are made and ensure the initiative’s success with the whole community. Tribes can read additional thoughts about community partnerships here.
Based on your community’s resources, determine the most feasible group size. It might change over time. Convene a small steering committee to formally consider the membership of the group. This committee can define the skills and resources needed for the group’s work and then develop a list of individuals and organizations that can contribute those skills and resources.
The table below provides an example of such a list.
What Skills or Resources are Needed |
Where Can We Find Those Skills/Resources? |
Who Can Contribute Those Skills/Resources? |
---|---|---|
Community leadership |
Community coalitions and existing community systems |
Heads of community groups and associations, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and businesses |
Funding strategies |
Community foundations, hospitals, colleges, business roundtables, and service organizations |
Grant writers, business leaders, development professionals, foundation officers, and religious leaders |
Designing community assessment, collecting and analyzing data |
Colleges, public health department, school district, human services agency, and community planning agency |
Social scientists, statisticians, and program evaluators |
The following questions can help you determine the composition of your community partnership:
The steering committee members should consider whether they have existing relationships with people they would like to recruit or whether they will need to forge new connections. Natural partners include individuals and organizations that are already working on youth issues. One such partnership in your community is a Local Workforce Investment Board. The Workforce Investment Act requires that all communities establish a local Board. The Workforce Investment Boards, in partnership with state and local elected officials:
These Councils involve many community stakeholders and are responsible for planning youth workforce activities and selecting educational and training providers that may receive Workforce Investment Act funds to provide services to youth. Some communities have used the Youth Councils to increase awareness of important youth issues and work to motivate individuals, agencies, and communities to improve the quality of youth services.
Think about how the specific issue you are focusing on affects different sectors of the community, and invite representatives from those sectors to join. For example, if your goal is to prevent teen smoking and tobacco sales to minors, recruit members of your local business association. Recruiting elected officials, business leaders, and members of local philanthropic organizations will help increase your credibility and may enhance your potential for sustainability.
Be creative in maximizing the time and resources that different people bring to the community partnership. Keep a list of potential members and maintain regular communication to involve them at different stages. E-mail project updates periodically to interested and relevant parties to keep them involved.
Once specific people are identified to participate in the community partnership, consider the following questions: