Community Engagement

Empowering Communities & Transforming Systems

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

We bring community members, institutions, leaders, marginalized groups and the public together to listen, learn, build trust, align interests, and lift up diverse voices. Our proven community engagement approaches have helped 125+ organizations expand involvement, identify shared goals, and crowdsource solutions.

OUR INCLUSIVE

ENGAGEMENT SERVICES

ASSET MAPPING

We help agencies and communities map existing strengths, resources, partnerships, cultural assets, priorities and urgent needs. Our comprehensive process includes data analysis, interviews, focus groups, workshops, and asset inventories. For rural community in eastern NC, our asset mapping cataloged over $17 million in existing resources and illuminated gaps like affordable housing, youth programs, and access to medical care that became priorities for planning.

IDEATION EVENTS

We host inclusive forums for generating innovative solutions to entrenched local issues. Our process starts with assessing community needs, then facilitates solution ideation, and culminates with participatory selection of proposals to fund or launch. Our facilitated event helped the community crowdsource and launch 12 new programs to address priorities like youth unemployment, access to healthy food, and substance abuse with 80% local support.

HELPS BUILD EMPATHY

We provide platforms, events, multimedia projects and programs for marginalized community members to share lived experiences and perspectives. Our storytelling projects have highlighted challenges faced and resilience shown for the underinsured, low-income, victims of abuse, immigrant youth, recently incarcerated citizens re-entering society, and other groups. Storytelling helps build empathy while informing policies and solutions.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

We connect community members, institutions, leaders and other stakeholders through facilitated dialogues, shared projects, and collective problem-solving. Our proven initiatives have brought together 160+ diverse partners to collaborate on community schools, neighborhood safety, workforce programs, placemaking, social services, and other shared goals.

SEE OUR WORK

CURRENT PROJECTS

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This confidential self-assessment tool will help you rate the effectiveness of your organization’s current Diversity, Equity, Equality, Inclusion and Social Impact.