Community Collaboration in Organizing

1. Community Collaborators in Community Organizing

In community organizing in public and community health, collaborators (partners) play a crucial role in advancing shared goals. These collaborations can include organized groups, agencies, institutions, or individuals. They may engage in health promotion, advocacy, strategy, grantmaking, disaster preparedness and response, research, or policymaking. Additionally, when developing an organizing strategy, organizers—whether formal or informal—should consider five main groups: core participants (those affected by the issue), leadership, supporters, competitors, and opposition. Collaborative partnerships often involve dynamic relationships with a shared purpose, emphasizing cooperation and progress. Common collaborators in community organizing include community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), hospitals and health systems, and local business leaders. Other possible collaborators include local academic institutions, health departments, and other local government agencies. There may be others in and around a community that participate, but these tend to be the common types of collaborators.

Learn about the more common categories of community collaborators, including CBOs, FBOs, hospitals and health systems, and local business leaders, by clicking on each community collaborator type below.

IN CONTEXT
Hospital and Community Collaboration

When a hospital or health system engages in community organizing efforts, it can have a significant impact on public and community health. The key steps and considerations for effective hospital–community partnerships include conducting a community health needs assessment (CHNA) to understand the health needs of the local population for a tailored approach to addressing issues. Recall that earlier in this course, you explored how to conduct a CHNA and use the resulting data to specify public and community health priorities. After the assessment data are analyzed, interpreted, and shared with the community, programs and interventions can be developed for prioritized needs. These can include health education, preventive services, or outreach initiatives. Strengthening existing relationships with existing community organizations means sharing resources and aligning goals to maximize impact. These partnerships might include schools, nonprofits, nongovernmental agencies, local governments, faith-based groups, and social service agencies, to name a few.

The hospital and community organizations should share a common mission and goals to ensure their efforts align. There should be regular assessment and evaluation of programs and interventions using data collected to make informed adjustments as needed. Challenges may arise during the partnership development. Further, addressing barriers to successful outcomes, such as resource limitations, communication gaps, and differing priorities, is required for the partnership to succeed. Successful hospital–community collaboration requires ongoing commitment, flexibility, and a genuine desire to improve community health.

Public and community health challenges are multifaceted, involving social, economic, and environmental factors. Collaboration allows diverse partners to pool resources, expertise, and perspectives. Complex issues can be comprehensively addressed. Collaborating organizations can share knowledge, funding, personnel, and infrastructure. These efforts focus on reducing health disparities by addressing inequities related to race, income, education, and access to care. Collaboration also ensures that community members actively participate in decision-making. Community members’ insights and needs shape programs, making them more relevant and impactful (Net Impact, 2023). Community buy-in increases the likelihood of sustained success.

2. Coalition Building

A coalition in public and community health is a group of individuals representing various organizations who come together to achieve a common goal. These coalitions bring together professional and grassroots organizations from multiple sectors, pooling resources and focusing on community concerns. By working collaboratively, they achieve better results than any single group could achieve alone (Society for Public Health Education, n.d.). Coalitions may form in response to opportunities (such as funding) or threats (like disease outbreaks) or to expand limited resources, expertise, and influence. Effective coalitions exhibit traits like trust, active member involvement, and productive decision-making that results in goals being met.

Coalitions offer benefits such as knowledge exchange, collective action, and improved communication between community sectors. Costs associated with coalition membership include loss of autonomy and potential conflicts, but successful coalitions provide ongoing benefits that outweigh the costs. Coalitions can create positive change within communities, making them safer and healthier places to live.

brainstorm

You are an expert on community health and are hired to address the rising incidence of vaping among high school students in a community. Consider what types of agencies and people you want to collaborate with in building a coalition to address this important local public health issue.

While coalitions are important to community-based health promotion, they still face several challenges. There may be poor links between the coalition and the community. Developing relationships among agencies and the broader community is essential to coalition building. Sometimes, these connections don’t exist or need improvement. Minimal organizational capacity means that some coalitions lack the necessary resources, skills, or infrastructure to function effectively. Funding is also a barrier. Securing sustainable funding can be difficult, hindering coalition activities. Another challenge is leadership. A coalition requires strong leadership to guide its efforts and maintain momentum and accountability. Finally, a cost–benefit balance is necessary. If the perceived costs of collaboration outweigh the benefits for members, cooperation becomes challenging (Community Tool Box, 2014).

Additionally, research shows that coalition characteristics, such as community context, resourcing, structure, and member engagement, significantly impact outcomes in community-based initiatives (Nagorcka-Smith et al., 2022). Collaborating across public health and community development organizations can also be complex due to differences in goals and collaboration levels. Efforts to address these challenges are crucial for effective coalition building in public and community health.

IN CONTEXT
Harmony on Main Street

Nestled in the picturesque town of Willowbrook, there existed a tight-knit community. Willowbrook was known for its charming Main Street, lined with quaint shops, cozy cafes, and friendly faces. However, beneath the idyllic facade, there were pressing issues that needed attention. Emma, a bookstore owner, Dr. Patel, a pediatrician, and Liam, a high school teacher, were together at Emma’s bookstore when the conversation turned to her concern about childhood obesity rates in Willowbrook. Dr. Patel explained how he knew firsthand the impact obesity has on children’s health. Liam chimed in, describing how a lack of nutritious options in school cafeterias contributed to the problem. Emma proposed forming a coalition to tackle childhood nutrition. They invited other partners, teachers, parents, farmers, and local leaders to a meeting at the community center. The group envisioned a healthier Willowbrook, where kids thrived. They named the coalition “Harmony on Main Street.” The coalition faced disagreements. Farmers wanted to promote local produce, while parents worried about affordability. Emma, with bookstore wisdom, facilitated a compromise. They decided on a “Farm-to-School” program. Liam’s high school students planted vegetable gardens behind the school. Parents volunteered to tend to them. Dr. Patel convinced cafes to offer healthier menu options. Emma’s bookstore hosted nutrition workshops. Childhood obesity rates dropped. Kids swapped chips for carrot sticks. Main Street buzzed with activity—farmers’ markets, cooking classes, and exercise groups.

Recall that there are specific reasons to start a coalition, including:

• Addressing urgent situations like violence in the community, childhood obesity, or tobacco use among teens
• Empowering a community to take control of its future and obtain or provide services to address specific needs
• Designing or obtaining funding for a needed intervention
• Pooling the resources of organizations that cannot address a specific issue alone
• Creating long-term, permanent social change

Disclaimer: The use of any CDC and United States government materials, including any links to the materials on the CDC or government websites, does not imply endorsement by the CDC or the United States government of us, our company, product, facility, service, or enterprise.

REFERENCES

Community Tool Box. (2014). Section 5. Coalition building I: Starting a coalition. ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/promotion-strategies/start-a-coaltion/powerpoint

Fisher, B. (n.d.). How local business owners can get involved in community leadership. Ending Poverty Together. endingpovertytogether.org/how-local-business-owners-can-get-involved-in-community-leadership/

Nagorcka-Smith, P., Bolton, K. A., Dam, J., Nichols, M., Alston, L., Johnstone, M., & Allender, S. (2022). The impact of coalition characteristics on outcomes in community-based initiatives targeting the social determinants of health: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 22, Article 1358. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13678-9

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (n.d.). Community-based organizations are important partners for health care systems. nap.nationalacademies.org/resource/25467/Social_Care_CBOs_FINAL_05192020.pdf

Net Impact. (2023, July 17). Top 10 leadership initiatives to generate impact in your community. netimpact.org/blog/top-10-leadership-initiatives-generate-impact-your-community

Singh, S., King, R., Mahendra, A., Campos, R., & Reddin, C. (2023). 7 ways faith organizations are making cities more sustainable and equitable. World Resources Institute. www.wri.org/insights/faith-organizations-cities-sustainability

Society for Public Health Education. (n.d.). Coalition guide resource. www.sophe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Full-Resource-Guide.pdf