Coalition Building: Starting a Coalition

Develop your plan using realistic strategies and specific action steps.

• Determine what you will be able to do with the money you have. Continually be on the look out for more grants and other moneys you might be eligible for to aid your organization.
• Don't underestimate the importance of competent, communicative leadership. Also, make sure that the leadership is dispersed throughout the organization, so that a coalition doesn't fall apart if someone chooses to move on.
• Hire, train, and support a staff of paid workers and/or volunteers. ("If only it were that easy!" you sigh!)
• Set up meetings that are well structured and timely. Be sure to record all meetings, either with a tape recorder or ask a member to take notes.

Now that you have everything set up, put into effect all of your hard though out plans! Operating a coalition and making it thrive Communicate, communicate, and communicate! Effective communication is one of the most important things you can do to make your group successful. Make sure that the lines of communication are wide open, both with the media and those who are not part of your organization as well as with paid and unpaid members of your coalition. This will help to build a satisfied, dependable staff of paid workers and volunteers, who get the job done and make your organization successful.

Effective, personal communication can be insured by:

• Making sure you are an active listener, that is, that you focus all your attention on the speaker, making sure there are no distractions, and that you are concentrating on what message the speaker is trying to get across.
• Keeping those you are talking to from taking the defensive. A great way to do this is by using "I" instead of "you" to start sentences. For example, "I'm not sure I understand the approach you're taking on the media campaign. Could you explain it to me?" is sure to get a clearer, more open response than "You aren't getting anywhere on the media project, are you?"
• Making sure communication is complete; never assume that staff members or volunteers know what is supposed to be done or how you feel about a certain issue.
• Keeping coalition members up to date on what the coalition as a whole is doing, and on what groups who are members of the coalition are doing on their own.
• When you are developing the objectives of your coalition, make sure that your goals are discussed and shared by all the members of your coalition.
• Make your presence known in the community. A coalition that is not well known in a community is probably a coalition that is not very effective. Recruit and train teachers and students involved in drama clubs, journalism and other clubs to begin youth presentations and support group activities about teen sexuality.
• Ask local officials to endorse your plans. Endorsement from community leaders can give your coalition greater respect and prestige in the eyes of other community members.
• Delegate leadership and authority throughout the coalition. If a single person dominates a coalition, you run the risk of the group falling apart if she decides to leave. An organization with shared leadership is much less vulnerable than one that is not.
• Keep a constant look out for new members to add a fresh perspective and new enthusiasm to your group.
• As important as new members are, though, don't forget the long-term workers who have done so much for your coalition. Be sure to give them the recognition and support they deserve.
• Keep your promises. If you're not sure you can do it, don't say it.
• Set winnable goals; break problems down into smaller "sub-goals" that are achievable, and that you can celebrate along to way.
• Acknowledge diversity among your members, and among their ideas and beliefs. One way to handle sensitive issues (over which members of your group disagree) is to hold open forums discussing them, instead of coming out with a hard and fast policy. A second possibility is to add non-binding resolutions to your coalition's charter (or action plan, or other document), that recognize that not everyone is in agreement with these parts of the coalition's actions.
• Be persistent. You are most likely working to change conditions that have been a certain way for years; you can make a difference, but it probably won't happen overnight.
• Evaluate what you have done: what went well, and what you should change for next time.
• Celebrate your accomplishments, and take a little bit of a breather.

Resources Brown, C. R. (1984). The art of coalition building: A guide for community leaders. New York: The American Jewish Committee.

Cohen, L., Baer, N., and Satterwhite, P. Developing effective coalitions: An eight-step guide. Pleasant Hill, CA: Contra Costa County Health Services Department Prevention Program.

Community Information Exchange (1990). Building your community organization. Washington, D.C.: Community Information Exchange.

Community Information Exchange (1990). Founding your community organization. Washington, D.C.: Community Information Exchange,

Levin, E., and Denenberg (1984). Alliances and coalitions: How to gain influence and power by working with people. McGraw-Hill.

Ohio Center for Action on Coalition Development (1992). Building coalitions reference manual. The Ohio Center for Action on Coalition Development. Ohio State University.

Wolff, T., and Kaye, G., eds. (1994). From the ground up: A workbook on coalition building and community development. Amherst: AHEC/Community Partners. Supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.