BACKGROUND
Build Trust Through Collaboration with Community-Based Organizations
Community engagement is essential for effective governance. It helps governments make better decisions, build trust, and ensure that every resident's voice is heard. Active engagement allows issues to be addressed early, leading to more positive outcomes for everyone involved.
Our research shows that residents strongly prefer interacting through familiar groups. Partnering with community-based organizations or CBOs can make engagement for residents more meaningful and effective.
73% of residents are affiliated with a community-based organization.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS UNLOCK
RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT
How can governments reach more people? Leverage the networks residents trust.
Data shows that 73% of residents are connected to a community-based organization or group, highlighting the potential of these partnerships to improve resident engagement and participation.
Church or faith-based organizations are among the most common affiliations (32% of English speakers, 33% of Spanish speakers), followed by volunteer groups and neighborhood associations. Notably, Spanish-speaking residents also show a higher affiliation with "other" groups, suggesting an opportunity to tailor engagement through culturally relevant CBOs.
GROUP MEMBERSHIP: Are you a member of any of the following groups?
ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS
Government agencies can significantly increase engagement by actively partnering with CBOs.
Leveraging these established networks is a powerful way to reach diverse communities and encourage meaningful participation. Engaging through trusted community channels is a best practice for governments that helps build lasting relationships with residents.
The PublicInput CBO Network provides government agencies with access to a comprehensive database of over 500,000 organizations, making it easier to connect with the right groups quickly and effectively.
By integrating the CBO database with our existing CRM and Equity Mapping tools, agencies can easily narrow their outreach efforts by service area and organization type. This targeted strategy allows agencies to tap into established networks, fostering deeper connections with the community.
USE CASE SPOTLIGHT
How Government Agencies Are Making Connections with Residents Through Trusted Community Organizations
Engaging diverse community voices in planning processes is a significant challenge for state and local governments. Outreach often fails to reach underrepresented groups, resulting in feedback that does not reflect the entire community's needs.
PublicInput's CBO Network addresses this issue by fostering collaboration between government agencies and community organizations. By utilizing the local knowledge of CBOs, state and local governments are increasing outreach and achieving more representative engagement. In the video highlighted, the equity mapping tool we showcased visualized community needs and identified gaps, allowing for adjustments in outreach strategies. This integration of CBOs resulted in effective feedback and a planning dialogue that reflects the diverse needs of residents.
Watch the video below to see PublicInput's CBO Network in action.
Take action on the 2024 resident engagement trends.
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