Tips for sustaining a successful coalition
*From the Community Toolbox
Getting Started
- Define the problem and its impact on the community.
- Identify key stakeholders.
- Convene a meeting.
- Share perspectives.
- Discuss the current reality and the ideal.
- Create a vision for your community.
- Determine the next steps.
Running a Coalition Meeting: Ten Quick Tips
- Keep meeting length to one hour.
- Start and end on time.
- Have a written meeting agenda.
- Assign someone to take minutes.
- Send the minutes back to the coalition members.
- Keep discussions focused on group priorities. Take individual issues off-line or create committees to gather additional information and report back to the entire coalition.
- Encourage all to participate.
- At the end of the meeting, summarize and come to consensus; identify any areas not covered and schedule further discussion for a future meeting.
- Assign group and/or individual task.
- Conduct question and answer session, and plan next meeting.
Maintain Your Coalition
- Develop the awareness that maintenance is necessary.
- Make a decision to engage in it.
- Design a maintenance plan.
- Carry out your maintenance plan.
* The Community Tool Box is a free, online resource for those working to build healthier communities and bring about social change. The Community Tool Box is a service of the Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas.