Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis’ Post

How can someone develop practical skills as a community specialist? ✏️ Developing practical skills as a community specialist involves a combination of education, experience, and personal development. Here are some steps to help you in this process: 1. Education: Pursue relevant academic courses or certifications in fields such as community development, social work, public administration, or non-profit management. These programs can provide you with foundational knowledge and theoretical frameworks for understanding community dynamics and best practices. 2. Gain experience: Seek opportunities to gain hands-on experience in community-related roles, such as volunteering with local organizations, interning at non-profits, or working in community outreach programs. This practical experience will help you apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and develop essential skills. 3. Networking: Connect with experienced community specialists, professionals, and leaders in your field through networking events, conferences, and online platforms like LinkedIn. Building relationships with others in the field can provide valuable insights, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration. 4. Develop communication skills: Effective communication is crucial for community specialists to engage with diverse stakeholders, facilitate discussions, and convey information clearly. Practice active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, and public speaking to effectively communicate with community members and foster positive relationships. 5. Cultural competency: Cultivate cultural competency by educating yourself about the cultural backgrounds, traditions, and values of the communities you serve. This awareness will help you build trust, respect diversity, and tailor your approaches to better meet the needs of different groups within the community. 6. Problem-solving skills: Community specialists often encounter complex challenges and issues that require creative problem-solving and critical thinking. Develop your ability to analyze situations, identify root causes, and develop strategic solutions that address community needs effectively. 7. Adaptability and resilience: Communities are dynamic and constantly evolving, so it’s essential to be adaptable and resilient in the face of change and uncertainty. Embrace learning opportunities, be open to feedback, and continuously refine your skills and approaches based on experience and feedback. By focusing on education, gaining experience, building relationships, and honing essential skills, you can develop practical expertise as a community specialist and make meaningful contributions to the communities you serve.

Are you maximizing the power of community engagement in your grant-funded initiatives? Engaging with the community not only increases transparency, but also improves the efficacy and impact of your efforts. Here's why active community engagement is a game changer: The Power of Community Engagement: 🎯 Tailored Impact: Direct community involvement ensures that your projects are not just theoretical solutions but practical responses to real community needs. This alignment increases the effectiveness and acceptance of your efforts. 🔄 Valuable Feedback: Continuous feedback from the community allows for dynamic adjustments, ensuring your project remains relevant and effective against evolving challenges. Strategic Engagement for Better Outcomes: 📢 Foster Open Dialogue: Regular town hall meetings and surveys can help gather insights and expectations, making community members feel heard and valued. 💡 Leverage Local Insights: Utilize local knowledge and experiences to refine project strategies, which can lead to more innovative and culturally sensitive solutions. Why It Matters: Engaging the community not only strengthens the outcomes of current projects but also paves the way for successful future initiatives. Demonstrating real impact and community support can significantly enhance your credibility and attractiveness to funders. 🚀 Enhance your grant projects with GetGrant.ai! Our platform helps you find and apply for grants that prioritize community impact, and we provide tools to effectively showcase your engagement and success. 🔗 Discover more about our services and how we can help amplify your impact at GetGrant.ai. #CommunityEngagement #GrantSuccess #SocialImpact #NonprofitSupport #GetGrantAI

Building Social Connections: Through Service Coordination Strong communities are built on social connections and a sense of belonging. Follow along as we discuss how Resident Service Coordinators facilitate community building activities, volunteer opportunities, and support groups that ensure our residents build powerful connections. #SocialConnections #SupportGroups

📢 Exciting Times Ahead for SHCF: Strengthening Our Future As we continue to grow and adapt, SHCF is committed to enhancing our governance, financial sustainability, programs, and operations to better serve our community. Here’s a glimpse into our strategic focus areas: 🔑 Governance and Management • Succession Planning: We’re focusing on attracting and retaining younger talent for key roles, including our Board of Trustees. This includes enhanced training, balanced skill sets, and clear timelines for development. • Role Clarity: Clearly defined roles and responsibilities across SHCF will ensure accountability and effective operations. 💰 Financial Sustainability • Diversifying Income: We’re developing a robust strategy to diversify our income. This includes detailed marketing plans for room rentals, exploring new funding streams like corporate partnerships, and individual donations. • Financial Planning: We’re preparing for the unexpected with contingency strategies and cost-saving measures to safeguard our financial health. 🤝 Programmes and Services • Community Engagement: Strengthening our community consultation and outreach efforts will ensure our services remain relevant and impactful. • Program Enhancements: We’re outlining specific actions to address child and fuel poverty, expand health and well-being initiatives, and enhance projects like Forward Carers and Community Skills. 🌐 Marketing and Communications • Brand Awareness: A comprehensive marketing strategy is in the works to elevate SHCF’s profile. This includes upgrading our website, improving media relations, and expanding our social media presence. 🔧 Operational Efficiency • Volunteer Management: Strategies for recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers are essential to our continued success. • Technology Integration: We’re exploring new management information systems and future technologies to improve efficiency and reporting. • Monitoring and Evaluation: A robust framework will be established to demonstrate our commitment to continuous improvement. 💡 Additional Recommendations • Business Support Steering Group: We’re considering the creation of a steering group to strengthen ties with local businesses and support community growth. • Youth Work: Partnering with Digby Youths and local educational providers will enhance our youth work initiatives, including T-level programs. By implementing these strategies, SHCF is poised for long-term success, ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our community. Together, we’re building a brighter future! 🌟 #Governance #Sustainability #CommunityEngagement

Community Engagement in Safety and Sustainability Initiatives •Conduct Community Surveys •Host Informational Workshops •Establish a Community Advisory Board •Create a Social Media Campaign •Implement Volunteer Days •Develop Educational Materials •Collaborate with Local Schools •Hold Regular Community Meetings •Utilize Local Media •Create a Community Resource Guide •Launch a Safety and Sustainability Challenge •Recognize Community Leaders #FNRCO #saudiarabia #jobs #jobsearch #hiring #jobvacancy #recruitment #hrmanagement #Tips

Community outreach programs are outlets for establishing progress in society. This may include raising social awareness on sensitive issues and proffering new solutions to the health and socioeconomic challenges that plague our world today. Basically, the goal of most NGOs is to raise awareness about a specific cause or discover how they can best aid a community. Firstly, it is important to know that all participants benefit from community outreach. However, regardless of the eventual goal, a good community outreach program is rarely easy. It entails understanding the exact needs of the community and how to effectively come up with a solution. This blog article outlines the primary purposes of community outreach. Read more via https://lnkd.in/dinxDgXZ

It's not community empowerment if you aren't putting power in the hands of community members. What can empowerment look like (non-exhaustive list)? - Leadership roles - Resources ($$$, grants, meeting locations, etc.) - Decision making capacity - Skills and knowledge Community engagement is not empowerment. Community engagement looks at bringing together stakeholders for a given community wether geographic or special interest (residents, organizations, governmental offices, etc.) to collaboratively explore ways to address a shared concern/issue to grow collective wellbeing. What can community engagement look like (non-exhaustive list)? - Community listening sessions - Community need and asset mapping - Practices for collective brainstorming A lot of times I hear groups and governments saying they're practicing community empowerment or community engagement and what I see is them doing surveys (usually online) or a few listening sessions. And those tactics usually result in low responses/participation due to poor outreach. They didn't go door to door. They didn't go to churches, to sports clubs, to schools, to assisted living centers, to civic groups, to local non-profits/NGO's. And they most certainly didn't engage in collaborative listening and brainstorming processes with all impacted/relevant stakeholders or put power in the hands of community members. Community empowerment and engagement takes time (especially if you're just starting). They take trust. They take relationships. They take getting out there and doing the work. They take recognizing that those closest to the issues should be leading the solutions and resourcing them to do so. #CommunityEmpowerment #CommunityEngagement

Community Management is much more than collecting monies, paying bills, and fulfilling workorders... it is also creating and enhancing community culture! Click here to learn more https://lnkd.in/e4MtYxM6 #TMC #communitymanagement #beingthebestbyservingtogether

The Missing Piece: The Continuing Absence of Volunteering from the new National Performance Framework Outcomes? Yet again, volunteering seems to be overlooked in the NPF. While national performance frameworks meticulously map out economic growth, social welfare, and environmental sustainability, they seem to fail to recognize the invaluable contributions of volunteers. This absence not only skews our understanding of societal progress but also undermines the very essence of community resilience and cohesion. Volunteering is the lifeblood of our society, acting as a catalyst for positive change across diverse sectors. Volunteers play an indispensable role in providing aid during crises, supporting people during times of vulnerability, conserving natural resources, or fostering cultural exchange. Yet, despite their tireless efforts and significant impact, the absence of volunteering from the new NPF framework sends a disheartening message to volunteers. One reason for this gap may stem from the challenge of quantifying the value of volunteering in conventional metrics. Unlike GDP or employment rates, volunteers' contributions often defy easy measurement but are invaluable. Moreover, overlooking volunteering neglects its profound socio-economic benefits. Volunteering fosters social inclusion, builds social capital, and strengthens community ties. It enhances mental well-being, boosts employability, and reduces healthcare costs. By excluding volunteering from the NPF outcomes, we fail to acknowledge these benefits and miss opportunities for strategic investment and policy development for our sector. It's time for a paradigm shift. NPF must evolve to reflect the holistic nature of societal progress, one that embraces the contributions of volunteers. This includes investing in volunteer infrastructure, promoting volunteerism across all sectors, and ensuring equitable access to volunteering opportunities. Furthermore, raising awareness about the importance of volunteering and celebrating volunteers' achievements is essential to further fostering a culture of civic engagement and social responsibility. In conclusion, the absence of volunteering from national performance frameworks is not just a statistical oversight; it's a reflection of our value of volunteers. To build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable societies, we must recognize and value the contributions of volunteers as integral to our collective well-being. Only then can we truly measure what matters and strive for a brighter future for all, a starring role, not a few lines in the margins. Sarah Latto Kirsten Hogg Ash Kuloo Allana Mullen Richard Jennings Paul Okroj. OBE Jane O'Donnell JP Marks CB https://lnkd.in/d7mh8Ped

Community engagement can lead to powerful community-led programs that meet resident needs. But there are good ways and not-so-good ways to engage: https://bit.ly/3TDRV69