Asset Based Community DevelopmentTodd Wellman

2006The Leadership PracticePublic Allies, Inc.633 West Wisconsin AvenueSuite 610Milwaukee, WI 53203Phone 414.273.0533Fax 414.273.0543Email michelled@publicallies.org

Public Allieswww.publicallies.orgABCD Institutewww.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.htmlCorporation for National & Community Servicewww.nationalservice.org

A Special PowerPoint Reproduction for Attendees of Our Charlotte, NC event on October 3, 2006

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The Leadership Practice

Who We Are The Leadership Practice is a collaboration between Public Allies and the

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute at Northwestern University.

We are a national consulting network that works to strengthen communities by discovering and mobilizing the full range of local community assets. As the official training and technical assistance provider of Community Strengthening for the Corporation for National and Community Service, we are convinced that the active involvement of local citizens in the life of a community is a powerful force for the common good.

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What is this ABCD?

Asset Based Community Development Needs to Assets Assets & Use

Gifts & Talents Associations & Social Capital Transforming Institutions

How We Serve

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Personal Assets

Make a list of all those things you are good at with your brain

Make a list of all those things you can do with your hands

Make a list of all those things you are passionate about

Make a list of important relationships in your neighborhood, community, and beyond – people you can ask to get things done

HUMANHEART

HAND HEAD

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Needs Map :: Community

Unemployment Housing Projects

Poverty

Uninsured

Illiteracy

Child Abuse

Truancy

Crime

Teen Mothers Gang Members

Mentally Ill School Dropouts

Homeless

Delinquency

Addiction

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Needs Map Functions

Internalized labels Destroyed relationships Foundation funding decisions Foundation funding categories Power gained by pointing out needs Failure rewarded therefore dependency Hopelessness created

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The Two Approaches

Needs Services Consumers Programs

Assets Connect & Contribute Citizens People

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ABCD Principles & Goals

Everyone has gifts For ABCD to work, everyone must give gifts

Identifies and mobilizes the assets of individuals, especially those who are marginalized

Builds relationships among community members, especially those that are mutually supportive

Gives community members more roles and power in local institutions; citizens lead efforts

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Asset Map :: Community

Churches Block Clubs

Income Artists

Labeled PeopleElderly

Culture Groups

Youth

Local Institutions

Citizens’ Associations

Gifts of Individuals

Businesses School

LibrariesParks

Community CollegesHospitals

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Community Wheel

Individuals

Physical Institutions

Associations

EconomyStories

Community

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Wheel :: Associations

Associations

• Animal Care Groups

• Veterans’ Groups

• Block Clubs

• Business Organizations

• Charitable Groups

• Environmental Groups

• Health Advocacy Groups

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Wheel :: Institutions

Institutions

• Schools

• Police Departments

• Hospitals

• Libraries

• Social Service Groups

• Nonprofits

• Museums

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Wheel :: Economy

Economy

• For Profits

• Chamber of Commerce

• Banks

• Foundations

• Corporations

• Merchants

• Development Corporations

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Wheel :: Stories

Stories

• Background & Personal History

• Like to Do

• Realizing & Engaging Skills

• Community Development

• Economic Growth

• Addressing Racism

• Including Those Who Are Marginalized

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Wheel :: Physical

Physical

• Gardens

• Parks

• Playgrounds

• Bike Paths

• Forests

• Housing

• Vacant Land & Buildings

• Streets

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Wheel :: Individuals

Individual Capacities

•Youth

•Older Adults

•Artists

•Welfare Recipients

•People with Disabilities

•Activists

•Ex-Offenders

•Parents

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Social Capital Belief

The more relationships someone has in their community, more likely to: Be Employed Volunteer Participate in Political and Civic Activities Join Clubs Participate in Child’s School Life Be Honest & Trusting

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Social Capital Questions

How does your work foster communication and relationship-building among the people you serve and residents in your community?

What are the associations in your communities? What might they be able or willing to do to improve the community?

How could you increase the associational life of your community and the people you serve?

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Engaging Institutions

Their Nature – legal / fiscal / political Who controls the Institutions? Institutional assets in your community How can community gain more influence with these institutions? How can these institutions’ resources be put to use to

strengthen the community?

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Engaging Institutions (con’t)

What is your organization’s relationship to community residents? How accountable is your organization to the people and community it serves?

How does your service define and engage constituents? What power do they have?

How does your service strengthen community relationships and social capital?

What can you do to make your service more asset-based?

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Engaging Institutions (con’t 2)

Who do you hire from the neighborhood? Who do you do business with from the neighborhood? What neighborhood groups do you belong to or meet with

regularly? How do you relate to schools, churches, and CBOs in your

neighborhood? What do you feel you contribute to the neighborhood and what

else might you contribute? Are neighborhood people on your board of directors, advisory

groups, or committees?

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The Transformation

Assets• Focus on assets

• Opportunity identification

• Collective responses

• Focus: community

• Develop potential

• See people as “citizens”

• People are the answer

Needs

• Focus on deficits

• Problem response

• Individual responses

• Focus: Individual

• Fix people

• See people as “clients”

• Programs are the answer

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Steps to Transformation

Rediscover and mobilize the capacities of individuals and associations

Put decision making power in the hands of those affected Practice ABCD internally and encourage, evaluate, and reward

learning inside your organization Develop leadership inside and outside your organization

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Steps to Transformation (con’t)

Be a team player inside and outside your organization Learn about and build relationships with other community

stakeholders Think systemically about issues and with whom you can

collaborate to impact that issue Put the community first

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Organization Capacity Window

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Organization Capacity Window (con’t)

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ABCD & Your Work

How will you utilize ABCD in your work? In your life?

Asset Based Community DevelopmentTodd Wellman

2006The Leadership PracticePublic Allies, Inc.633 West Wisconsin AvenueSuite 610Milwaukee, WI 53203Phone 414.273.0533Fax 414.273.0543Email michelled@publicallies.org

Public Allieswww.publicallies.orgABCD Institutewww.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.htmlCorporation for National & Community Servicewww.nationalservice.org