What makes a community a great place to live? A lot goes into it, but it’s no secret that often depends on community engagement. Community engagement is the process of moving towards change through the collaborative efforts of residents, local organizations and governments on behalf of their communities (Tamarack Institute, n.d.). The emphasis of community engagement is the use of relationships building for the benefit of the community while realizing the potential of citizen leadership.

Here are some tips for generating community engagement in your HOA:

Ask residents to assist in understanding the issues, obtaining feedback, and developing possible ideas. Utilize the communication channels available to your association: signs in common areas, direct mail, social media, or through your community’s online communication platform.

Plan an engagement strategy for those who are already involved, and those who are not supportive. Community stakeholders can participate in a variety of ways, so it’s best to develop a plan to use your influencers effectively and at the right time.

Collaborate with residents, local organizations and governments to identify solutions and develop best practices. Reaching out to the community-at-large can generate different perspectives and amplify the scope and value of your plan.

Enable residents to make decisions for their neighborhood. Ensuring everyone is part of the solution is empowering. Enabling members of the community to take ownership of neighborhood successes creates a sense of pride for everyone involved.

The best communities work towards shared action by strengthening relationships and trust, and sharing their unique skills, knowledge and perspectives. Your partners in property management can be a big support too. They can help plan community initiatives and events, and develop outreach and communication strategies to connect with residents and staff. Over time, as you build and maintain relationships with engaged stakeholders, you will generate an army of advocates for your community, which can yield some pretty awesome results.

Have you considered the benefits of building community engagement in your HOA? Read more on fostering a sense of community in your association here. 

 
 

Tamarack Institute. (n.d.). Community Engagement. Retrieved from http://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/communityengagement
 
Wednesday December 30, 2020