Partnering with Community Based Organizations

Resources and case stories to help facilitate partnerships between local governments and community based organizations. Community-based organizations can offer unique and important insights into the challenges and opportunities facing residents in their area and can help local officials improve their ability to communicate and connect with a wide range of community members.

City of Lodi – Love Your Block Program

This video highlights Lodi’s Love Your Block program. The effort has provided leadership training to 60 community members and supported the exploration of local projects conceived by Love Your Block participants. The story focuses on the transformation of a blighted vacant lot into a ‘greened’ space that showcases a two-story mural.

Expand Your Agency’s Community Networks

Many local officials have a rich network of community relationships, yet this list of groups may not come to mind when a public agency is planning a public meeting. Use this inventory of various kinds of community organizations to help broaden the reach of your public engagement and create a ready resource for each engagement effort.

Guide on partnering with community-based organizations for improved public engagement by the Institute for Local Government.

Partnering with Community-Based Organizations for More Broad-based Public Engagement

Collaborating with local community-based organizations can enhance the breadth and depth of participation by community residents in local decision-making. This publication reviews the benefits of partnering, selecting partners, types of partnerships and the conditions that support effective collaboration. It also outlines common challenges with community partnerships and offers guidance on how to avoid them.

Comparing Perspectives of Local Government Officials and Community Leaders in Public Decision-Making

Review innovative research that compares the views of local government officials and leaders of civic and community organizations about public participation in California. One of the key findings is about the role of partnerships.

Using a Collective Impact Framework for Community Partnerships

Some local agencies are involved in multi-sector collaboratives that are using a specific framework for aligning their efforts called “Collective Impact.” The Stanford Social Innovation Review has been a thought leader in this area and the link on the right is to an article about putting Collective Impact theory into practice.

Map of Turlock city districts with numbered areas and color-coding for local governance.

City of Turlock District Elections

Communities throughout California hold either at-large elections or district based elections. With the passage of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) in 2001, every community has an opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.