Organizing Rural & Reservation Communities for Dialogue and Change

Organizing Rural & Reservation Communitiesfor Dialogue and Change

A QuiCk GuiDe

Organizing rural & reservatiOn COmmunities fOr DialOgue anD Change | 2 | www.everyDay DemOCraCy.Org

many guided and contributed to this work:

NorthwestAreaFoundation(NWAF)

ThePaulJ.AicherFoundation(EverydayDemocracy)

QED–QualityEvaluation&Developmenthttp://qedeval.com/index.htm

AlltheHorizonsIandHorizonsIIDeliveryOrganizations,communityorganizers,andparticipants

everyday Democracy thanks:

Project lead: SarahvL.Campbell,SeniorProgramDirectorPatrickL.Scully,DeputyDirector

writers: GloriaFrancescaMengual,ProgramDirectorBarbaraYasui,SeniorAssociate

editor: MollyHolmeBarrett,ProgramLiaisonandEditor

Design assistance: CarrieBoron,DeputyCommunicationDirectorandOperationsManager

research and editorial assistance: J.NicholasConnell,CommunityAssistanceAssociateWillEhrenfeld,ResearchAssistant

Project Coordinator: RonaRoberts,Roberts&Kay,Inc.

©2008ThePaulJ.AicherFoundation

aCknOwleDgments

hOrizOns Partners

State-Level Partners

IowaStateUniversityExtensionwww.extension.iastate.edu/horizons/

MontanaStateUniversityExtensionServicewww.horizonsmt.org

NorthDakotaStateUniversityExtensionServicewww.ag.ndsu.edu/horizons/vision.htm

SouthDakotaStateUniversityCooperativeExtensionServicehttp://sdces.sdstate.edu/cil

UniversityofIdahoExtensionhttp://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/horizons

UniversityofMinnesotaExtensionwww.extension.umn.edu/community/horizons

WashingtonStateUniversityExtensionhttp://horizons.wsu.edu

National Partners

EverydayDemocracywww.everyday-democracy.org, supportsthestudycirclescomponent.

PewPartnershipforCivicChangewww.pew-partnership.org/lpinstitute.html, supportstheLeadershipPlenty®programofcommunityleadershipdevelopment.


introduction........................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

the horizons Program....................................................................................................................................................................... 4

how to use this Booklet................................................................................................................................................................... 4

learn more.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

launching effective study Circles................................................................................................................................................. 6

1. Laythefoundationcarefully................................................................................................................................................. 7

2. Considerculturalfactors........................................................................................................................................................ 8

3. Createadiversegrouptosteertheproject..................................................................................................................... 9

4. Communicateclearly............................................................................................................................................................... 9

5. Recruit,train,andsupportdialoguefacilitators............................................................................................................ 11

6. Recruitparticipantsfromallpartsofthecommunity................................................................................................. 12

7. Arrangelogisticstosuitparticipants’needs................................................................................................................... 13

8. Linkdialoguetoaction,andsustainmomentum......................................................................................................... 14

frequently asked questions............................................................................................................................................................ 16

COntents


CongratulationsonbecomingaHorizonscommunity!Theworkyouareabouttobeginoffersthepromiseofincreasedcommunityvitality,greaterinvolvementoflocalpeople,andrealchange.TheHorizonsprogram,designedcollaborativelybytheNorthwestAreaFoundation(NWAF)and11organizations,linksfourcommunityactivitiesaimedatreducingpovertyandboostingprosperity.

Thisguideprovidesadviceonhowtocarryoutsuccessfulstudycircles—thefirststepinthe18-monthHorizonsprogram.ThedocumentisasummaryofthelessonsthatEverydayDemocracystafflearnedintheirworkwithHorizonscommunitiesandisdesignedtohelpyouworkeffectively.

the hOrizOns PrOgram

Horizonsofferscommunitiesspecificbenefitsandlearningopportunities,aswellastoolstheycanuseforcommunity-changeprojectsinthefuture.Throughoutthe18-monthprocess,communitiesreceivefrequentcoachingandassistancefromtheir“DeliveryOrganization.”

Throughplanningandcompletingstudy circles,communitieslearnhowtogatherpeoplefromallpartsofthecommunitytothink,talk,andworktogethertoreducepoverty.Then,actiongroupsstarttoworkonactivitieswheretheycanmakeanimmediatedifference.ThislaysafoundationfortherestoftheHorizonswork.

Through LeadershipPlenty®,communitiesexpandtheirbaseofleadersandmakeacommitmenttousingsharedleadershiptotacklereducingpovertyandotherimportant,long-termcommunitychangeefforts.

Throughcommunity visioning,eachcommunitybuildsasharedpictureofitsfuturethatincludesincreasedcommunitywealthandwell-being,andagreesonpracticalwaysforitsresidentstoworktogethertomakethepositivedreamscometrue.

Duringcommunity action to reduce poverty,communitiesreceiveguidanceastheycompleteinitialgoals.Inaddition,communitiesreceivegrantstohelpthemcarryoutplansforactionthatrequireexternalfinancialsupport.

OncecommunitiescompleteallpartsoftheHorizonsprograms,theyusetheirnewtoolsandconnectionstocontinueworkingtowardpositivecommunitychange.

hOw tO use this BOOklet

StudycircleorganizersandHorizonscoachescanrefertotheorganizingadviceonpages6-15.Althoughtheorganizingstepsarelistedinnumericalorder,theyoftenhappensimultaneously,orinadifferentorder.Dowhatworksbestinyourlocation.Usethelisttodouble-checkyourworkandtomakesureyou’vethoughtthroughthemostimportantpoints.

Forfurtherinformation,visitwww.everydaydemocracy.org.

intrODuCtiOn

ThisguideisbasedonthelessonstakenawayfromEverydayDemocracy’sworkwiththeHorizonsproram.WhilethisguidewaswrittenforcommunitiestakingpartinHorizons,theadviceandtipscanbeusedbyanydialogue-to-changeeffort.

aDviCe & tiPs

ThequotationsinthisbookletarethevoicesofformerHorizonsorganizersandparticipants.SourcesforthequotationsaretheQEDStudyCirclesEvaluationReportandinterviewsconductedbyEverydayDemocracystaffandassociates.

quOtes


See“FrequentlyAskedQuestions”onpage16.

Visitwww.nwaf.orgtoreadmoreaboutHorizonsandtheNorthwestAreaFoundation.Visitcommunityblogs.ustoseeprofilesofHorizonscommunities.

Visitwww.everyday-democracy.orgtoreadarticlesaboutsomeoftheHorizonscommunities’dialogue-to-actionefforts.

Visitwww.pew-partnership.org/lpinstitute.htmltolearnmoreaboutLeadershipPlenty®andsuccessstoriesfromcommunitiesthathavecompletedthiscommunityleadershipdevelopmentcourse.

learn mOre

Inthisguide,thetermstudycirclesisusedintwoways.Sometimes,thetermdescribestheoverallstructureofapublicengagementprocess,andinotherinstances,itdescribesone,oraseriesofsmall-groupmeetingsonapublicissuethatformthecenterpieceofthepublicengagementprocess.In2008,theStudyCirclesResourceCenter(SCRC)changeditsnametoEverydayDemocracytobettercommunicatethenatureofitsmission--andalsotosignalitsgrowingunderstandingthatthetermstudycircles,byconnotingindividualsmall-groupmeetings,paintsanincompletepictureoftheorganization’sworkandthatofitscommunitypartners.ThisguideusestheoldstudycircleslanguagebecausetheHorizonsprogramwascompletedbeforetheSCRCchangeditsnameanditssenseofhowtodescribethiswork.

stuDy CirCles

a horizons action forum in hot springs, s.D., led to a new Boys and girls Club in the community. the Club’s staff poses for a photo with some members on opening day. Courtesy: Brett Nachtigall/Hot Springs Star


Behindmostsuccessfulstudycircleprogramsisastronggroupofcommunitymemberswhocometogethertodrivetheeffort.Whatdrawsthemtogetherisasharedcommitmenttohelppeoplefromeverypartofthecommunityworktogethertoaddressaparticularissue.

Thissteeringgroup’sjobistoplan,implement,andsustainaprogramwheredialogueleadstoactionandchangeinthecommunity.MostHorizonscommunitiescallthisgroupthe“localsteeringgroup.”

Successfulorganizinggroupsmirrortheircommunity’sdemographicsandincludeallkindsofpeople.Adiversesteeringgroupsendsthemessagethateveryvoiceisneeded—andwelcomed—intheconversation.

launChing effeCtive stuDy CirCles

Communitymemberscometogethertosetgoals,launchcommunityconversations,andsupportactionideasthatfollow.

Manysmallgroupsmeettodiscussacommonconcern.

ThetalkleadstoconcreteideassharedatanActionForum.

Everydaypeopleandleadersformteamstocarrytheworkforward.

COmPrehensive COmmunity Organizing DialOgue aCtiOn

aCtiOn fOrum

set gOals

train DialOgue faCilitatOrs

kiCk Off

reCruit PartiCiPants

Plan fOr aCtiOn

hOw DO stuDy CirCles wOrk?


1 lay the fOunDatiOn Carefully

Beforeanypublicdialoguetakesplace,organizers—especiallyiftheyarefromoutsidethecommunity—needtobuildrelationships,findoutwhatresidentsthinkabouttheircommunityanditsneeds,andunderstandmoreaboutwhatisalreadyinplace.

Herearesomekeyareastoaddressintheearlyplanning:

ask PeOPle in yOur COmmunity what they neeD, rather than teLLing them.Whenyoubeginyourwork,invitepeopletosaywhattheywanttoseedone.Thisisawaytodemonstratethateveryonehasavoiceanditwillhelppeopletakeownershipoftheprogram.

assess COmmunity reaDiness tO taCkle POverty.Findoutifresidentsareconcernedabouttheissueandwillingtoworktogethertosolveproblems.It’salsoimportanttoknowifpeopleinelectedpositionsareinterested.

exPlain PrOgram gOals frequently.ThegoalsofHorizonsareestablishedbythedeliveryorganizationsandNorthwestAreaFoundation.Sometimes,thesegoalsmaynotbecleartoorganizersandparticipants.Itisimportanttoexplainthesegoalsclearly,duringtheearlystagesoforganizing.Looktothedeliveryorganizationformoreinformation.

“One project in town has been sitting there and nothing has happened for I

don’t know how long. … We started the study circles and it’s like all of a sudden it was back on the table … it was in the

newspaper … it was the main topic of the City Council meeting.”

COnneCt with existing COmmunity initiatives.Theremaybeothersinthecommunitywhoareworkingonthesameissue,andtheymaybelookingforwaystogainsupportandcreatemorepublicinterest.Invitethemtoteamupwithyouontheproject.

[In this community,] “they have to be people whose parents were here

and grandparents were here and great-grandparents.Those are the people who are listened to and respected.The people

who aren’t from here will be seen as people from the outside trying to

change our town.”

link yOur tOPiC—POverty—tO relateD issues.Thinkaboutwaystodemonstratehowpovertyaffectsthingslikeeducation,transportation,healthcare,andsocialorculturalisolation.

assess the COmmunity DynamiCs.Talkingtogetheraboutallthesequestionswillhelpyoufindwaystoorganizeinyourowncommunity:

Whohaspowerandinfluence?

Howdodecisionsgetmadeinthecommunity?

Arecertainpeopleorfamiliesincontrol?

Howcanwemakesurethatrace,culture,andlanguageareconsidered?

Arethererivalgroupsorfactions?Forexample:Howdonewcomersandlong-timeresidentsgetalong?Arethereracialtensions?

Ifthisisaone-companytown,whatistherelationshipbetweenemployeesandemployers?

Howmuchinfluencedoolderpeoplehave?

Whatroledoyoungpeopleplay?

Doesthefaithcommunityhaveastrongpresencehere?

Isthereahistoryofconflictorcooperation?

Shouldweconsidertheviewsofpeoplewhoworkinthecommunityorsendtheirchildrentoourschools,eveniftheydon’tlivehere?


Planahead.Fromthestart,addressanybarrierstoparticipation.Findwaysforpeoplefromallcultures,faiths,professions,andincomelevelstofeelwelcomeatthetable.Thisshouldhappenduringeveryphaseofthework—theplanningandorganizing,launchingthedialogues,andworkingonaction.

Duringtheorganizingprocess,takethefollowingculturalfactorsintoconsideration:

when yOu name anD Design the PrOgram, hOnOr the Cultures anD traDitiOns rePresenteD in the COmmunity.

“We, the Latinos, are a young community that is starting to feel that we have to

contribute to our communities.”

POint tO the similarities Between DialOgue anD the COmmunity’s Cultural values. fOr examPle:

NativeAmericanpeoplehavealongtraditionofusingdialogue—oftencalled‘talkingcircles’—andworkingtogetherasacommunity.

Anumberofculturesrelyongroundrulesorotherprotocolsforpublicmeetings.

“The Talking Circles model is really the way that we did things for centuries and

that’s why I really believe in Talking Circles … and getting people to realize

they have important gifts.”

COnsiDer Cultural faCtOrs when Planning the DialOgues. fOr examPle:

Differentculturesobservelong-heldtraditionsinpublicmeetings.Forexample,insomecultures,peoplemustbegiventherighttospeak;othersmayrelyon“Robert’sRules”tomaintainorder.

Thetraditionalroleofelders,or“leaders,”isveryimportant.It’swisetogettheirblessingbeforeyouproceed.

Silencemaybeasignofrespect,notanabsenceof“voice,”oropinion.

Culturalattitudesabouttimevarygreatly(promptness,lengthofmeetings,etc.)

Womeninsomeculturesareexpectedtodefertomen.

Thewayleadershipispracticedvariesindifferentcultures.

BeCause the wOrD “POverty” Can Carry a stigma, Be sensitive aBOut reCruiting anD the language yOu use.

Thephrase“strugglingtogetby”hasworkedwellinsomecommunities.

Takecarenottocreatean“us-vs.-them”dynamic.Avoidcategorieslike,“poorpeople,”or“wealthypeople,or“haves”and“have-nots.”

“We have a recruiter who runs the Food Shelf in town…She needed to make

sure that they understood that if they participate, people aren’t going to single

them out as poor, stupid people.”

2 COnsiDer Cultural faCtOrs

Racismisrootedinourcountry’shistoryandisembeddedinourculture.

Inmanycommunities,racismcanbeasignificantbarriertosolvingallkindsofpublicproblemsandtofulfillingthepromiseofourdemocracy.

Addressingracialbarriersispartofanyeffectivecommunitychangeprocess.

the imPaCt Of raCe On COmmunity issues


Thebestwaytomakeprogressonacommunityissueistobringtogetherasteeringgroupwithdifferentperspectives,backgrounds,andlifeexperiences.Theirjobistoorganizetheeffort.Themostsuccessfulsteeringgroupsincludepeoplewhomirrorallgroupsinthecommunity.

invite rePresentatives Of COmmunity OrganizatiOns tO get invOlveD.Havingofficialandunofficialcommunityleadersonyourteamlendscredibilitytotheprogram.

inCluDe a mix Of PeOPle.Aimforagoodmixofexperiencedleadersandpeoplewithleadershippotentialwhowanttoplayabiggerroleincommunitylife.

“Obviously, there’s the typical people that you go to when you want to look for leadership, but I think this program is

going to help us reach out and find new leaders and get more people involved.”

inCluDe PeOPle whO have never Been inviteD tO PartiCiPate.

Lookforpeoplewhoaretrustedandrespectedbytheirpeers,butmaynothold“official”leadershippositions.

Includeyoungpeople;thisisawaytohelpthemdevelopandpracticeleadershipskillsandhaveavoiceincommunitydecisions.

“Everybody says the same thing … That this is the first time that we’re

being involved with this stuff and this is the first time that anybody has

come to us and asked us our opinions and our issues.”

3 Create a Diverse grOuP tO steer the PrOjeCt

gloria francesca mengual, everyday Democracy program director, trains washington state university extension staff for their work in the horizons program.


Communicationcutsacrossallofyourwork.Itwillhelpbuildmomentuminthecommunity,increaseparticipation,andspreadthesuccessstories.

BuilD COmmunity awareness.Personal,one-to-onecommunicationisagreatwaytocreateawarenessandinterest.

Tostarta“buzz”inthecommunity,spreadthewordincasualconversations.

Mentiontheprogramtoeveryoneyoumeet—friends,neighbors,family,yourhairdresser,teachers,etc.

wOrk Out a strategy fOr COmmuniCatiOns. Todevelopsimplecoremessages,answerthese

questions:Whatareourgoals?Whoisouraudience?Whatdowewantthemtodo?What’sinitforthem?

Developtalkingpoints.

Useexamplesandwrittenmaterialstodescribeprogramgoals.

Useavarietyofwaystoreachouttopeople:thelocalcablechannel;postcards;flyers;writtenandface-to-faceinvitations.

Developatemplatefornewsreleases.

“I did a Public Service Announcement [on a Hispanic radio station] to invite community people to be a part of the

program. I got about 10 people. This was all done in Spanish.”

a COmmuniCatiOns Challenge: POverty is a lOaDeD wOrD.Theword,“poverty”canbeanobstacle;thechallengeistohelppeopleunderstandthatthesediscussionsareaboutfindingsolutionstopoverty.So,chooseyourlanguagecarefully.Acknowledgetheproblemand,atthesametime,emphasizethepositive—you’reworkingtogethertobuilda“thrivingcommunity.”

“Let’s quit saying ‘the poor people’. I think there’s so much division with

income or material things.”

exPlain hOw Different Parts Of the hOrizOns PrOgram link tOgether.(PleaseseetheIntroduction,onpage4)

talk aBOut hOw this aPPrOaCh has wOrkeD in Other PlaCes.

Whenyou’remakingapitchforstudycircles,useexamplesfromotherHorizonscommunities.

Tellstoriesabouthowpeoplehaveusedthisapproachtoaddressarangeofissues.

Visit www.everyday-democracy.organdcommunityblogs.us,whereyoucanfindarticlesaboutcommunitiesthathaveusedstudycirclestoaddressallkindsofissues,includingeducation,youthissues,immigration,racialequity,community-policerelations,andothers.

talk aBOut the PrOmise Of imPrOvement anD Change.EvidencefromHorizonsprogramsdemonstratesthat:

Peoplearewillingtoworkonadifficultissuelikepoverty.

Thepossibilityofchangeisgreaterwhenmanypeoplegetinvolved.

Smallinvestmentsbyfoundationsinruralandreservationcommunitiesyieldlargereturns.

Leadershipcanbefoundwithineachofus.

Changecanbeaslowprocess;successesenergizecommunitiesforlongertermwork.

“I think that was the most positive thing that came out of the study circle is that we actually got to see … what kinds of

talents … [people] can contribute.”

keeP eleCteD leaDers anD PuBliC OffiCials infOrmeD.

Assurethemthatthepurposeofthedialoguesistobringmanyvoicesintotheconversationtosolveproblems,nottoattackcommunityleaders.

Relayinformationaboutthepublic’sconcernsthatmaybe“news”topublicofficials.

4 COmmuniCate Clearly


Effectivepublicdialoguedependsonwell-trainedfacilitators.Goodfacilitatorscomefromallagegroups,ethnicities,andwalksoflife.Somehaveprevioustraining;manydonot.Whattheyshareisadesiretodeveloptheirownskillstoguideconversationssotheycanhelpgroupshaveproductiveexperiencesandimprovecommunities.

faCilitatOrs shOulD refleCt the COmmunity’s Diversity.

Recruitsomebi-lingualfacilitators.

Aimforamixofbackgrounds—forexample,small-businessownersandemployees,andgovernmentworkers.

Peopleofallagesandbothgendersshouldbeincludedonthefacilitatorteam.

“Someone who is good at speaking both languages: Spanish and English…This

would be a good way to include the Anglos and Hispanics to work together.”

CO-faCilitatOrs fOr eaCh stuDy CirCle wOrk Best.Pairingfacilitatorsisawaytoassurebalanced,neutralfacilitation.

Pairsshouldreflectthediversityinthecommunity.

Askpeoplewhoaredifferentfromoneanothertoworktogether(ayoungpersonandaseniorcitizen;afarmerandamerchant;awomanandaman).

Askanexperiencedfacilitatorandabeginnertoworktogether.

Encourageteamworkandmentoring.

Askpairstosupportoneanotherandmaketimetoofferfeedbackaftereachmeeting.

One-On-One reCruitment wOrks Best. Askpeoplewhoarepassionateabouttheissueto

recruitfacilitators.

Apersonalinvitationisoftenthekeytosuccessfulrecruiting.

train yOung PeOPle as faCilitatOrs. Withguidanceandsupport,youngpeoplecanbe

outstandingfacilitators.Theyworkwellwithpeopletheirage,orwithpeopleofallages.

Facilitatingstudycirclesgivesyouthalegitimateroletoplayinthecommunityandhelpsdevelopconfidenceandleadershipskills.

Youngpeopleaddenergy,newideas,andadifferent“flavor”tostudycircles.

PrOviDe high quality faCilitatOr training—DOn’t skimP!Allowplentyoftimeforthetraining—eighthours,ifpossible(twelvewouldbeevenbetter).

“I felt confident enough to be in front of all those people and to lead a

discussion. That was pretty neat. So I think that the training is just a really big

thing…giving people the confidence to feel like they can do it.”

extenD suPPOrt tO faCilitatOrs BeyOnD the training.

Setupmeetingsforfacilitatorstodebrief,supportoneanother,andshareideasandexamplesaboutwhatworks,andwhatdoesn’t.

Iffacilitatorsneedachancetoairtheirownopinions,encouragethemtoparticipateinanothercircle.

Keepinmindthatlow-incomevolunteershavelimitedresources.Offertocoverexpensesfortravel,food,childcare,andsupplies.

Somepeoplehaveheldconferencecallstosupporteachother.

5 reCruit, train, anD suPPOrt DialOgue faCilitatOrs


Thegoalinrecruitingparticipantsistoinvolveasmanydifferentkindsofpeopleaspossible.Whenpeoplefromdifferentbackgroundsandwalksoflifeworktogethertofindsolutionstocommonproblems,theyformnewrelationshipsandnetworks,andcomeupwithinnovativeideas.

invite PeOPle, in PersOn. Face-to-faceinvitationsarethemosteffectivewayto

recruitparticipants.Thisworksbestwhenrecruitersinvitepeopletheyknow.

Goodpublicitymayinspirepeopleinthecommunitytospreadthewordandasktheirfriendstogetinvolved.

Recruitingpeoplefromlow-incomegroupsisachallengebecauseyoudon’twantthemtofeel“labeled.”Asksocialworkersandschoolguidancecounselorstohelpyourecruit,orgotoHeadStart,orthechurches.Theyknowwhoisstrugglingtogetby,andhavebuiltrelationshipswiththem.

“The school secretary and Para-educator were able to identify

low-income people, because they really knew the families and invited them to participate. Low-income people don’t

want to be singled out.”

reCruit PeOPle frOm every walk Of life. Reachouttopeopleofallages,especially

youngpeople.

Recruitpeoplefromallincomelevels.

Includeoldtimersandnewcomers.

Invitepeoplewhodon’tspeakEnglish.(Ifpossible,issuetheinvitationintheirlanguage!DiscussionguidesareavailableinSpanish.)

Makesuretoincludepeopleofdifferentracesandcultures.

Recruitunemployedpeople.

Recruitpeoplewhoearntheirlivingindifferentways:laborers,teachers,doctors,farmers,nurses,merchants,etc.

use existing grOuPs Or netwOrks tO reCruit PartiCiPants.Makealistofthegroupsintown,andmeetwiththemtoexplainaboutstudycircles.

gO tO natural gathering PlaCes tO reCruit.Visittheplacesinyourtownwherepeoplego—thegrocerystoreanddrugstore,theunemploymentoffice,thePostOffice,theLaundromat,diners,andplaygrounds.

iDentify reCruiters whO Can reaCh Different grOuPs.

Buildagroupofrecruiterswhoselivestouchdifferentpartsofthecommunity.

Recruitersaremostsuccessfulwhentheypromotestudycirclesingroupswheretheyareknownandtrusted.

if yOu DOn’t have a link tO a PartiCular grOuP, reaCh OutsiDe yOur COmfOrt zOne.

Ifnecessary,godoor-to-door!

Make“coldcalls”—invitepeopleyoudon’tknow.

“… You have to bust your butt, bend over backwards, just really bust it, if you are going to get ANY low income people to

take part. They are enough accustomed to not being included that they won’t bite on a casual invite. Organizers must not think that just handing out leaflets to

Head Start parents will do it.”

6 reCruit PartiCiPants frOm all Parts Of the COmmunity


Thekeyistoplanaheadandthinkthroughthepotentialneedsofdifferentgroupswithinthecommunity.Often,it’sthelittledetails—thethingsthatseemtobeinsignificant—thatmakethedifferencebetweenawell-runprogramandonemarredbymisstepsandmistakes.

hOlD stuDy CirCles at times that meet Different sCheDuling neeDs.Thinkaboutwhatwillworkinyourcommunity.

[In our community,] “study circles were conducted in various ways, including five two-hour segments, two or three segments, full-day sessions, and in

various other combinations.”

make it easy anD fun fOr PeOPle tO PartiCiPate.Thinkaboutthingsthatwillmakeitpossibleforpeopletotakepart:

Transportation—Insomecommunities“gascards”helpparticipantswithtransportationcosts.Carpoolshelp,too.Insomecases,volunteersgivepeopleridestothecircles.

Providechildcare.

Provideincentives.Letpeopleknowthatthisexperiencewillcombineworkandfun.Socializingisagoodwaytohelpparticipantsfeelateasewithoneanother.

Providefood/refreshments—Pizza,pizza,pizza!

Offerdoorprizes.

hOlD DialOgues where PeOPle alreaDy gO.Choosemeetingsitesthatareeasyforpeopletogetto;theyshouldbeplaceswherepeoplecanfeelatease:

Thecommunityroomofalow-incomeproject.

Aroomatalocalsocialserviceagency.

HeadStartlocation.

SeniorCitizenfacility.

Churches.

Movethemeetingaroundtovariouslocationsinmixedcommunities—fromwhiteresidentialareastoNativeorLatinocommunities.

Schoolsaresometimesagoodplacetomeet.Findoutifpeopleinyourcommunitywouldbecomfortablemeetingthere.

“I go to school to learn English. They offered the Horizons circles groups right

there at my school. It worked well for us this way because we had a good size

group . . . I enjoyed it.”

7 arrange lOgistiCs tO suit PartiCiPants’ neeDs

youth members of the standing rock sioux tribe participate in a fall 2005 study circles action forum on poverty.


Actioniscritical.Peoplewanttoseeresults!It’sawayforpeopleandcommunitiestoprovethattheycanmakeadifference.

“Thriving Communities is about tilling the soil, getting more things going.”

aCt quiCkly. Startwitheasy,energizingprojects.

Takeonsmallprojectssopeoplecanseeresults.

link aCtiOns tO POverty reDuCtiOn.It’simportanttokeepremindingpeopleofthelargergoal,toreducepoverty.

Keepasking,“Howwillthisactivityreducepoverty?”

Chooseactivitiesthatgivepeoplenewwaystoworktogetherandbuildnewnetworks.

ThinkabouthowtolinkstudycircleactionideastoLeadershipPlenty.®

“In one community, they formed a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a

small farmers market.”

use PuBliC DialOgue tO COnsiDer a range Of issues.

Oncepeopleunderstandhowthedialogue-to-actionprocessworks,theycanuseittoaddressawiderangeofcommunityissues.

Offerstudycirclesthroughadulteducationprograms,ortheschools.Someschoolshaveaddedstudycirclestotheircurriculum.

Usethisapproachtotackleissueslikeracism,immigration,education,townbudgets,andemploymentandjobs.

Be sure aCtivities inCluDe PeOPle whO are “struggling tO get By.”

“… Maybe I’m looking at it more broadly. I used to think of economic development. Now I include things like housing, child care slots, and after-school programs.”

fOrm COmmunity PartnershiPs tO inCrease reaCh anD imPaCt.

Invitenewpartnerstosupportandexpandtheworkofthesteeringgroup.

Toavoidduplication,combineyoureffortswithorganizationsthataredoingrelatedwork.

OPen the aCtiOn fOrum tO the whOle COmmunity.InviteeveryonetotheActionForum.It’sagreatwaytogetmoreorganizationsinvolvedandtoattractvolunteersforactionprojects.

8 link DialOgue tO aCtiOn, anD sustain mOmentum


PrOviDe suPPOrt anD leaDershiP fOr lOng-range results.

Findtherightleader(s)foractiongroups.Youneedstrongleaderswhoknowhowtorunmeetingsandhelpthegroupdoitswork.

Lookforlocalresourcestosupportyourwork.AchurchorGrangeHallmightprovideofficespaceoraplacetomeet.

Keeptellingthestory.Doyourbesttoletpeopleknowwhat’shappening.

“In many towns, people are uncertain, unconnected, and hopeless. They had

lost schools or good paying jobs. … At the end [of the study circles] there was some can-do attitude. You just can’t go out and buy that for towns

that are struggling.”

netwOrk with Other hOrizOns COmmunities. Getadvice.Learnwhathasworkedforthem,andwhat

hasn’t.

InvitepeoplefromothercommunitiestocomeandtelltheirHorizonsstories,andsharetheirideas,inspiration,andencouragement.

“We invited them to come to our very first meeting … and they came and told us all the things that they were

doing through Horizons … it was really inspiring for our people to hear what can be done and this probably … promoted

more people to get started here.”

8 link DialOgue tO aCtiOn, anD sustain mOmentum continued


what is the nOrthwest area fOunDatiOn?

TheNorthwestAreaFoundationisaprivate,charitableorganizationdedicatedtoreducingpovertyandbuildinglastingprosperity.ItserveseightstateswheretheGreatNorthernRailwaywaslocated:Idaho,Iowa,Minnesota,Montana,NorthDakota,Oregon,SouthDakota,andWashington.TheFoundationinvestsinprovenorpromisingorganizationsthathelpachievethepovertyreductionmission.

what is hOrizOns?

Horizonsisan18-monthcommunityleadershipprogramaimedatreducingpovertyinruralandreservationcommunitieswithpopulationsof5,000orfewerandwithhistoriesofeconomicdeclineandsignificantpopulationchange.Morethan200communitieshavealreadyparticipated;another100willbeaddedfrom2008to2010.

Horizonswaslaunchedin2003.Thecommunitiesrangedinpopulationfrom100to4,800,withpovertyratesfrom10percentto96percent.HorizonsIIstartedin2006andranthroughmostof2008.

what has the nOrthwest area fOunDatiOn investeD in hOrizOns?

From2002to2008,NWAFinvested$20millionin200communities,andanother$10millionwillbeinvestedfrom2008to2010.

what are sOme early results in hOrizOns COmmunities?

Throughthiscollaborativeeffort,acriticalmassofresidentsdeliberatedaboutlocalpovertyandbecameinvolvedinmakingdecisionsandtakingactionstoimprovetheircommunities.Someneverbeforeinvolvedincivicliferanforpublicofficeandwon;othersjoinedorganizationboards,whileotherssigneduptocompletecommunityprojects.Smalltownresidentshavemadeasignificantimpactacrosstheeight-stateregionstretchingfromMinnesotatoWashington.

what are hOrizOns COmmunities learning?

ParticipantsinHorizonscommunities,aswellasexternalevaluators,haveidentifiedsignificantcommunitylearning,includingthesepoints:

Residentsarewillingtoworkonadifficultissuelikepoverty.

Changebecomesmorepossiblewhenmanynewpeoplegetinvolved.

Smallinvestmentsinruralandreservationcommunitiesbyfoundationsyieldedlargereturns.

Leadershipisnotlimitedtothefew,butinsteadcanbefoundwithineachofus.

Changecanbeaslowprocess;initialsuccessesintakingactionenergizecommunitiesforlongertermwork.

Supportandcoachinghelpcommunitiessucceed.

Ongoingevaluationisuseful;communitiesareeagerforinformationontheirprogress.

Forcommunitiestothrive,everyonemusthavetheopportunitytoprosper.

whO is evaluating hOrizOns as a COmmunity Change aPPrOaCh?

QualityEvaluation&Development(QED)evaluatestheHorizonsprojectusingmultiplemethods,includingpre-andpost-studycirclesurveys,amulti-yearpanelstudy,contentanalysisofcommunityplanningdocuments,andinterviewswithprojectpartnerstaff,organizersincommunities,stafffromdeliveryorganizationsanddialogueparticipants.

frequently askeD questiOns

10,000studycircleparticipants

5,000LeadershipPlenty®participants

40,000communityvisioningparticipants

15%ofeachof200communitiesinvolvedinsomeway

20%ofcommunitieshavenewleadership

hOrizOn statistiCs


ManyofthekeypointsinthisbookletaredrawnfromQED’sfindingsfromevaluationsofthepilotroundandthefirstfullimplementationroundofHorizons,knownas“HorizonsII.”TheNorthwestAreaFoundationfundsQED’sevaluationofHorizons.

what is everyDay DemOCraCy?

EverydayDemocracy(formerlytheStudyCirclesResourceCenter)isanationalorganizationthathelpslocalcommunitiesfindwaysforallkindsofpeopletothink,talkandworktogethertosolveproblems.Weworkwithneighborhoods,citiesandtowns,regions,andstates,helpingthempayparticularattentiontohowracismandethnicdifferencesaffecttheproblemstheyaddress.

EverydayDemocracywascreatedastheStudyCirclesResourceCenterin1989byThePaulJ.AicherFoundation,anational,nonpartisan,nonprofitorganization.Since1989,wehaveworkedwithmorethan550communitiesacrosstheUnitedStatesonmanydifferentpublicissues.

hOw DiD everyDay DemOCraCy BeCOme Part Of hOrizOns?

FollowingthefirstphaseofHorizons,in2003,theNorthwestAreaFoundationdecidedthatcommunitychangeeffortswouldbemorelikelytosucceediftheybeganwithpublicdialogue.Tothatend,EverydayDemocracywasinvitedtodevelopadiscussionguide.

Workingtogether,thetwoorganizationsconductedfocusgroupsonpoverty,andsolicitedinputfromcommunities,extensionservices,NativeAmericanleaders,andexpertsonpoverty.TheresultwasThriving Communities: Working Together to Move from Poverty to Prosperity for All.Horizonscommunitiesnowbegintheirfour-stepprocesswithdialoguebasedon Thriving Communities.

what is DistinCtive aBOut everyDay DemOCraCy’s aPPrOaCh tO COmmunity Change?

EverydayDemocracy’seffectiveprocessesarebasedontheseprinciples:

Involveeveryone.Demonstratethatthewholecommunityiswelcomeandneeded.

Embracediversity.Reachouttoallkindsofpeople.

Shareknowledge,resources,power,anddecisionmaking.

Combinedialogueanddeliberation.Createpublictalkthatbuildsunderstandingandexploresarangeofsolutions.

Connectdeliberativedialoguetosocial,political,andpolicychange.

frequently askeD questiOns continued

“Cavalier Corner,” a youth center in tyndall, s.D., was established with local funds as well as a usDa grant after such a facility was cited as a major need through the community’s horizon’s effort. Courtesy: Tara Schumacher/Yankton Daily Press

111 founders Plazasuite 1403

east hartford, Ct 06108telephone: 860-928-2616

e-mail: [email protected] site: www.everyday-democracy.org

60 Plato Boulevard e suite 400st. Paul, mn 55107

telephone: 651-224-9635e-mail: [email protected]

web site: www.nwaf.org

Government & Nonprofit

Organizing Rural & Reservation Communities for Dialogue and Change