The Social Responsibility of Community Building
Much of the conversation around community building that we discuss has largely been around what associations can do to think more holistically about what community contributes to the success and mission of these organizations.
However, there’s a component of community building that strongly touches nonprofits as it relates to social responsibility and impact. These organizations that touch local communities and the challenges associated with strengthening and supporting them have also had to think about how to continue to further these efforts in the wake of a global pandemic. Especially as their efforts on the ground have been limited in neighborhoods and communities where a physical presence is the bedrock upon which the people who receive the benefits of those efforts is limited.
Social responsibility and impact and its connection to building community rarely gets the attention it deserves. The most interesting part of this is that, at the heart of the nonprofits doing this work, is the heart of community. These organizations are dedicated to creating local spaces that help the people in them feel a sense of belonging and responsibility for the community’s holistic well-being. They help them take pride in their neighborhoods, understand that it takes effort on all parts to make the world a better place, and delivers resources to ensure that these communities have a chance at success.
An organization who does this well is Purpose Built Communities. Purpose Built Communities was established in 2009 after the successful revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood in Atlanta. Their efforts with this community helped them expand to other vulnerable areas across the United States working with local leaders to make a positive impact in their neighborhoods. Their mission is “to achieve racial equity, improved health outcomes, and greater economic mobility in neighborhoods that have suffered from decades of disinvestment.” Their research and approach to putting the power of strong communities in the hands of the people in these areas has been integral to the success of efforts associated with building up and revitalizing, not only neighborhoods, but the people in them.
What can online community builders learn from the approaches of these types of organizations?
It’s all in the stories these efforts tell through enablement. We spend a lot of time trying to prove the value of online community based on metrics that map back to organizational goals. And that’s important for securing budgets, staff, and other resources that will help us continue this important work. But one approach that we seldom think about is letting community members speak for themselves. Danielle Maveal has done this in her community work. I remember hearing her once state that when she has had to prove the value of community building efforts, she has let the community speak for themselves - literally. Bringing community members into stakeholder meetings is an unconventional way of illustrating the impact of community building efforts. It’s also as real as it gets. At the end of the day, your leadership team is human. They have hopes, fears, and goals in life and I can guarantee that, at some level, they are leaning on their own communities to help them move forward. Humans speaking to humans about their experiences is not only impactful, it’s real.
I also believe that, at the end of the day, we must remember that we are building communities with people to make their lives better. Yes, even when we’re talking about professional communities. Yes, even when we’re talking about hobbyist communities. And yes, even when we’re talking about gaming communities. The purpose of these spaces is to bring people together to enable them to help one another. To enrich their lives in some way. And even though they may find these spaces in a quest to find information or solutions, they continue to participate in these spaces because of the connections they make and the autonomy they have (to some extent) to enrich the lives of others.
That is the social responsibility of building community at its core. Community builders – you may be hyper focused on proving out business value but learn from nonprofits connected to social impact and responsibility to see how you can incorporate some of their unique approaches and practices in your work. It’s not all about gamification and leaderboards to keep people coming back. Help them make a difference in their slice of the world – no matter how big or small.
What nonprofits are building community with an eye on social impact do you admire? If you are doing this work in the nonprofit space, what would you tell other community builders? Tell us in the comments below!