Look For:
-
An agenda that is defined and governed by community residents. This is an essential ingredient, one that differentiates a grassroots group from a service provider.
-
Organization members and leaders who display a clear sense of the community and the people their organization represents.
-
Members who share a common vision.
-
Members and leaders who reflect the demographic characteristics of the community.
-
Clear, well-publicized opportunities for participation and leadership. Ideally, there should be a variety of opportunities for participation (though these may not be present at first).
-
Energetic and persistent leaders who are accountable to the membership and can draw people together and develop organizational capacity.
-
Basic rudiments of organizational structure (written records of meetings, elections, checking accounts) – although sometimes even these rudiments do not emerge for several months.
-
Realistic plans that address important community concerns, develop the capacity of the organization itself, and reflect internal consensus.
-
A record of accomplishments, however modest.
A few caveats to keep in mind when reviewing applications:
-
A group with only one leader has an extra burden of proving that it’s legitimate and able to get important things done. Broadening its leadership base could be a priority.
- A collaborative effort among adjoining neighborhoods can be an excellent idea, but it must be supported by the individual neighborhoods.
- Staffing, if any, should be fully accountable to the community through a Board or Steering Committee.
- Attend a community meeting to see who shows up, who is in charge, how decisions are made, how conflict is handled, and how power is shared. Imagine in what ways a grant can help.
From “Supporting Low-Income Neighborhood Organizations: A Guide for Community Foundations” by Rainbow Research.