Neighborhood Association Tool Kit

Table of Contents | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 8 | Section 9 | Section 10

Section 7 – Building an Asset-based Neighborhood Association

 Basic Premise of the Asset-based Initiative:

• A neighborhood cannot be built with problems. Assets are the basis of building strong neighborhoods.
• If an association is organized around a problem—human, physical, or political—it is much harder to keep together once the “problem” is resolved.
• An asset-based approach is one which builds on a solid foundation which will not erode.
• It is based on the assets of the neighborhood, including the skills, talents, and interests of the members, institutions, and natural assets.
• When confronting a problem, an asset-based neighborhood looks first within and then outside itself for an answer.
• In order to base the neighborhood association on its assets, the members must know the neighborhood and its businesses, strengths, weaknesses, and parameters.

Stressing Assets in Dealing with Government

When seeking government funding, emphasize how government money could be directed toward local initiatives. Provide data on local assets and their development. Have government expenditures go directly to local residents, their enterprises and businesses—ensuring that government is not just investing in services for the community, but rather, investing in the neighborhood economy.

Be clear about the limits of government. Government should not replace the work of citizens and their associations. Government should only support and assist secure and healthy communities which residents have created together. Remember to give credits to local citizens and their associations and enterprises.

Neighborhood Asset Mapping

Asset mapping is a process whereby a community’s individual, association, and organizational assets are identified and documented for community-building uses. The goal is to obtain a complete profile of the assets and various components of the neighborhood.

 This approach is based upon the work of John Kretzmann and John McKnight of the Assets Based Community Development Institute of Northwestern University.

Possible Community Assets

A. Individuals’ Assets

• Residents with special expertise

a. Realtors d. Social Workers g. Lawyers

b. Carpenters e. Plumbers h. Educators

c. Contractors f. Doctors/Nurses

• Residents and Landlords who care about their neighborhoods
• Residents’ income

B. Citizens’ Associations

• Churches
• Block Clubs
• Cultural Groups

C. Local Institutions

1. Businesses / Retail Stores / Industries

• Schools / Day Care Centers / Colleges / Universities
• Health Care Clinics / Hospitals
• Parks
• Libraries / Museums

D. Others

1. City Services / Public Transportation

• Police Department / Fire Station
• Historic Homes or Buildings

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Gathering the Assets of Individual Residents

• Design or customize a survey tool for your neighborhood. It should be short, clear, non-intrusive in tone, interesting, light, and practical. See the following samples for ideas.
• Initiate the process with more predictable subjects—neighborhood officers, long-time residents, well-known locals, etc.
• Use knowledge and experience from those first surveyed to modify or redesign the survey tool, approach, and general procedure.
• Catalogue and group all assets and capacities of the residents.
• Use the information to gather people of with similar ideas and/or talents. Explore ways to channel these talents and interests.
 

Sample

A SURVEY: for the CHAIN Neighborhood Association

(Your cooperation is appreciated)

  Are you familiar with the CHAIN Neighborhood Association? Yes___ No___

1. Are you an active member? Yes___ No___
2. What size is your household? 1-2___ 3-5___ 6-9___ 10+___
3. Do the children attend Cedar Hall? Yes___ No___
4. Which High School do they attend? ____________________
5. What do you like most about our neighborhood? ____________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

1. If you could change one thing about our neighborhood, what would it be? _______

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

1. What is your occupation? ___________________________
2. Do you have a hobby? What do you like to do? ____________________________
3. What are some of your talents? Cooking___ Carpentry___ Sewing___ Engine repair___

Singing___ Computers___ Cards___ Carving__ Painting___ Music___ Electrical repair___ Crafts___ Typing___ Organizing___ Barbequeing___ Coaching___ Dancing___ Sports___ Storytelling___ Games___ Working with children___ With pets___ With the elderly___ Qulting___ Decorating___ Selling___ Soldering___ Cleaning___ Listening___ Writing___ Photography___ Reading___ Babysitting___ Camping___ Visiting the ill___ Gardening___ Home repair___ Landscaping___ Fishing___ Coins___ Other_________________________

1. Would you be willing to teach others? Yes___ No___ Maybe___
2. Would you like to learn a skill? Yes___ No___ Which one? ______________________
3. Would you be willing to volunteer your skill for a neighborhood project?

Yes___ No___ Maybe___

1. Do you own___ or rent___ your home?
2. Who is your landlord? ___________________________________
3. How long have you lived there? _____________________
4. To what extent do you know your neighbors? A lot___ Some___ Not at all___
5. To what extent do you interact with them? A lot___ Some___ Not at all___
6. To what extent do you help one another? A lot___ Some___ Not at all___
7. Do you watch their place when they’re gone? Always___ Seldom___ Never___
8. Are there any particular improvement projects needed in the neighborhood?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

1. How many of the following live in your household?

Male___ Female___ Age 13-19___ 20-29___ 30-44___ 45-59___ 60-74___ 75-90+___

COMMENTS: ___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Optional:

Name:___________________ Address:___________________________Phone:_______________

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Association Mapping - Gathering a Community’s Association Assets

Local associations are the basic American tool for empowering individuals, building strong communities, creating effective citizens, and making democracy work. Use the following steps to identify the associations available in your neighborhood.

1. Conduct an inventory of Associations in the neighborhood.
1. Review public sources

• Newspapers—check “Community Events” sections, find out who sponsors events
• Organization directories—check mailing lists of businesses and churches and citywide telephone directories
• Community newsletters and bulletins—look for these in public places, find out who the sponsors are
• Self-help directories—find information on support groups (e. g. Alcoholics Anonymous) at public health departments and hospitals

 

2. Interview leaders of not-for-profit organizations and businesses

3. Interview leaders of local churches and identify subgroups (e. g. choirs, sports groups, etc.)

4. Interview residents and community activists

1. Construct an association database
1. Use 3x5 inch index cards
2. Make a computerized database
3. Group by functions (e. g. community support, hobby, charitable, political, recreational, youth, etc.)
2. Consider Surveying Associations to determine the following:
1. Developments and accomplishments
2. Prior and existing collaborations with other associations
3. Activity in economic development projects and neighborhood projects
4. Willingness to collaborate with other associations
 

GIS Mapping

A lot of information about your neighborhood can be gained through access to Evansville GIS. Through GIS, you can learn about local streets and facilities, rivers and streams, transportation, land ownership and use, resident demographics and much more. You can even view the local tree inventory, which includes the location and canopy size of public and street trees in Evansville. For more information, access the Evansville GIS Department’s website, http://evansvillegis.com.

 Giving Your Neighborhood Association a “Check-up”

In order to occasionally reevaluate the feelings of association members, you could pass out a small questionnaire, similar to the following. This could be done once or twice annually.

Sample “Check-Up”

OUR NEIGHBORHOOD:

Instructions: 1. Check the statements that apply to our neighborhood.

• X the statements not yet true.
• Think about what it would take to make the X-ed statements reality.

1. ____Is safe: near zero crime.
2. ____Has friendly, cooperative, aware neighbors.
3. ____Has reliable basic services (utilities, police, public transportation, etc.).
4. ____Is child- and family-friendly.
5. ____Welcomes cultural diversity.
6. ____Consists of people that respect and care for each other.
7. ____Promotes good relationship between renters and home owners.
8. ____Supports local and locally-owned businesses.
9. ____Encompasses an equipped park or other green space.
10. ____Has bicycle paths.
11. ____Has grocery, pharmacy, school, laundry, bank, restaurant, and daycare nearby.
12. ____Harbors at least one socially aware church.
13. ____Keeps good relationship with local government.
14. ____Organized teen activities.
15. ____Promotes block parties and other broader scope social events.
16. ____Endorses beautification and responsible property maintenance.
17. ____Is aware of and promotes historic character.

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Cooperation and Strategic Partnership

As a neighborhood association it may seem at first as if you have few resources.  However, as you have seen, by partnering with schools, churches, businesses, and government in your neighborhood, you can increase the strength of your efforts and the strength of your neighborhood.

 Advantages of Partnering with Churches and Schools

• Provides a regular meeting place.
• Helps get the word out.
• Provides access to kitchen facilities.
• Allows for joint projects of mutual benefit.
• Gives church or school a potential connection to local families.
• Allows for youth involvement.
• Gives everyone a better read on the overall health of residents.
• Gives then neighborhood more cohesion.
• Makes better use of large and expensive facilities—better use of the tax dollar.
• Provides the neighborhood with easy access to a local source of information.
• Helps families with children become more internally integrated.

Advantages of Recruiting Businesses

• Businesses play and important role in the life of a neighborhood.
• Residents and businesses have a lot to gain from cooperation.
• Residents support businesses by doing business there (if possible).
• A business may become a member and pay annual dues and/or pay for newsletter.
• The neighborhood association can promote/recognize the business in all printed materials.
• The neighborhood association can partner with the business for events, especially events for children.
• A business, once a member, displays the neighborhood membership certificate in their front office.
• The neighborhood association publicly acknowledges the business’ contribution, support, and role.

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