Whether a nonprofit organization has 30 employees or 3,000, there can be a urge to stay in the lane of its circle of supporters, staff and volunteers.
I've seen nonprofits squirrel information and resources away from other nonprofits as they try to meet the needs of the community. Sometimes it's because of a territorial squabble and sometimes it's because they fear having to share funders or other financial resources.
However, there is so much that organizations can learn from each other and they can share the load of all of the work that needs to be done.
I had the privilege of participating in a day-long community event that brought together dozens of nonprofits, churches and houses of worship, and businesses. It was a huge success because the leaders from all of the participating entities didn't mind sharing their ideas, resources or the spotlight.
As a result, about 8,000 people from the community were served in a holistic manner encompassing their spiritual, physical and emotional needs. The event called "Love Thy City" was held in Tyler, TX.
This event was planned in four and a half months. About 500 volunteers showed up to make each station run smoothly. Families received all kinds of free items including window air conditioning units, utility vouchers, groceries, backpacks, food truck vouchers, bicycles, a meal, medical and mental health services and much, much more. There was music and messages of love and hope throughout the day.
There was something for everyone, from jumping castles and a petting zoo for the children, to services to help adults find jobs, training, healthcare and other services.
This would not have happened without community engagement. Basically, community engagement occurs when various factors of the community come together for a common cause, Government, business, religious and social or nonprofit representatives desire to make long-term and sustainable changes. Their desire is followed with meetings and plans to design outcomes, processes, relationships, discourse, decision-making, and ultimately implementation of the agreed upon event or project.
To truly be successful the collective must strategize and develop processes that are sensitive to the needs of the community and their goal must be to serve.
That's exactly what I saw at the Love Thy City event. A strong desire to serve and the community is so much better for it.
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