HABITAT FOR HUMANITY'S PLAYBOOK
http://www.atlantahabitat.org/
GET ORGANIZED
FOCUS ON ISSUES
Work with issues instead of problems. Issues bring problems together into concrete areas of focus; issues are solvable and can be organized around. Focus on one issue at a time and bring your entire network together to identify and select issues that are important to everyone.
When deciding on an issue, can it:
Work with issues instead of problems. Issues bring problems together into concrete areas of focus; issues are solvable and can be organized around. Focus on one issue at a time and bring your entire network together to identify and select issues that are important to everyone.
When deciding on an issue, can it:
- Help you recruit new members and develop leaders?
- Result in real improvements in people’s lives?
- Result in improvements that are deeply and widely felt?
- Bring people together (as opposed to dividing them)?
- Be easily explained to the public?
- Help you raise money or bring in additional resources?
- Directly connect with your overall vision and values?
MAKE A PLAN
Create a plan for achieving your goals. Good plans cover all the necessary steps to complete a project and are based on an awareness of context. Your plan should utilize the relationships, networks, and people that will ensure the best results. For instance, if you want to present new policy to City Council, your plan should address who you will need to involve and how you will get their help.
Your plan should include:
Create a plan for achieving your goals. Good plans cover all the necessary steps to complete a project and are based on an awareness of context. Your plan should utilize the relationships, networks, and people that will ensure the best results. For instance, if you want to present new policy to City Council, your plan should address who you will need to involve and how you will get their help.
Your plan should include:
- A list of measurable goals
- Resources, including funding, you have for the project
- Members, allies, and those who may oppose you
- An action plan, including a time-line
TALK IT UP
Share information about the process and your successes after each key action or event, and at the end of a process. Doing so will build trust and help you recruit new members. Some information will be for your internal team only; but, all of your achievements should be shared widely
Share information about the process and your successes after each key action or event, and at the end of a process. Doing so will build trust and help you recruit new members. Some information will be for your internal team only; but, all of your achievements should be shared widely
- Designate a point person for each particular event (someone who will attend meetings, take notes, share back)
- Make sure that notes are always shared and that information for wider circulation is sent out via the appropriate communication channels as soon as possible
- Have 2 or 3 point people to share the responsibility of attending events, documenting, and communicating (to avoid burnout)
- Report back to the entire community via media (newspapers, radio, social media), neighborhood association and NPU meetings, and other creative venues (at public school events, in the grocery store parking lot)
- Share back successful results from any action or group engagement process; internally, outline how the results did or did not map onto your goals
- Ask people for feedback about how you’re doing
SHARE YOUR STORY
HOST EVENTS
Create your own events—talks, walks, workshops, parties, festivals—that allow you to tell your story in a creative and public venue. Plan new events that support, complement, and offer something different from other community events. Or ask if you could co-host or simply be on the agenda at an existing event with a shared purpose. Use events as ways to broadcast your story but also as opportunities to support others.
Create your own events—talks, walks, workshops, parties, festivals—that allow you to tell your story in a creative and public venue. Plan new events that support, complement, and offer something different from other community events. Or ask if you could co-host or simply be on the agenda at an existing event with a shared purpose. Use events as ways to broadcast your story but also as opportunities to support others.
- Develop an events calendar that balances fun with issues-based work
- Aim to accomplish a number of your goals through events (recruiting new members, building alliances, educating community members)
- Promote your public events as places for partners to share information or host projects that align with your vision and values
STEP UP
LEARN AND GROW
Seek out and invest in opportunities for learning and growth. To step up into leadership roles, you may need to develop new skills, or find more resources. In addition to financial resources, you may need, for example: volunteers with skills in communications and social media, and/ or additional help finding and securing funding.
Seek out and invest in opportunities for learning and growth. To step up into leadership roles, you may need to develop new skills, or find more resources. In addition to financial resources, you may need, for example: volunteers with skills in communications and social media, and/ or additional help finding and securing funding.
- Identify the skills and resources you need to evolve
- Create individual leadership development plans for key staff/volunteers
- Allocate resources to education-whether tradition or non-traditional
- Partner with other Atlanta community associations to co-host trainings
- Conduct best practice research on how other community associations are run and handle similar issues
- Seek partnerships within Atlanta’s numerous colleges and universities; a professor may speak to your group; students may volunteer at your events or join your organization; a class may share their research with you on a key issue
- When working on projects with the City or other service provider partners, advocate for some education and training as part of new initiatives
- Attend national conferences for community associations or trainings for organizing