Communities are crucial for productive society and individual happiness. Understanding community means recognizing the importance of productive, sustainable organizations. To grow a community, requires planning and investing in the fundamentals then continuing to develop the on-going effort.
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Using alumni relations to advance education is, to me, one of the finest and most fulfilling things that can we can do for our world.
Karan Bhola, Ashoka University
Foundations of a Strong Community
Purpose
A well-stated community purpose will describe the blend of shared interest, shared values, shared goals, and shared cause that brings the membership together. Leadership and membership need to be aligned in support of the organizational purpose.
Culture
Each entity has a unique culture built on member expectations, history, policies and purpose. The culture needs to be managed to foster mutual respect and a feeling of being welcome and included for members. Belonging and connection are embedded in the culture.
Structure
Every community needs a defined structure that includes policies and rules such as a definition of membership, code of conduct, and leadership roles. Depending on the size and purpose of the community, structure can be informal with little documentation or complex such as defining subgroups.
Leadership
Leadership is necessary to make decisions and guide the community. Leaders take on responsibility for maintaining and growing the community. The structure can define leadership roles or it might be an organic development. Sustainable organizations have a strong leadership pipeline process.
Membership
Mutually supportive members with a shared interest or purpose define a community. Members help further the shared purpose and perpetuate its existence. There must be an understanding of who is a member and how to become a member to provide a sense of belonging and connectedness.
Strengthen your Community
Impactrics works with all types of organizations including educational institutions to provide customized guidance to address the specific interests of the community and its members. Key areas of opportunity to grow your community can be grouped into four areas.
Mission and Vision
- Mission discernment
- Strategic Planning
- Impact determination
- Goal setting
- Volunteer motivation
Communications
- Branding
- Communication strategy
- Email campaigns
- Newsletters
- Social Media
- Website content and design.
Programs
- Mission-centric events/parties
- Networking/Career events
- Ambassadors/Social Media Ambassadors
- Volunteer engagement programs
- Life-long education programs
- Interactive virtual events
- Member affinity travel
- Program effectiveness metrics
Structure and Leadership
- Organization formation
- Strategic Planning
- Organization of regional or affinity groups
- Board training
- Governance structure and policies
- Benefits of membership
- Leadership development
- Metrics systems