CO Training & Technical Assistance
| Training Programs |
- Alliance For Justice, provides the Resources for Evaluating Community Organizing (RECO) compendium, which contains tools, methodologies, case studies, and theory to help organizers evaluate their work.
- The Center for Third World Organizing
- Community Mobilization Intensive Workshop, by Village Earth.
- Community Organizers Multiversity, in the Philippines provides training modules to help marginalized communities address the impact of poverty due to the globalization process.
- Community Weaving, attempts to foster a community of responsible citizens who create Family Support Networks where they share their time, gifts, talents and resources with others.
- The Dart Center, a research, organizing and training center for congregation-based community organizing.
- Gather The People Downloadable Content, focus on faith-based, including Jewish community organizing.
- Grassroots Leadership College, a training program to help Madison Wisconsin area residents improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods and communities.
- Organize! Training Center strengthens democracy by supporting strong, participatory, democratic organizations whose principal constituency is people of low- to middle-income.
- The Change Agency, provides access to resources, research, case studies and training for effective community action, focusing on the processes of action, organising and the learning required to effect positive social and environmental change.
- The International Institute at Colorado State University offers online courses in Community-Based Development.
- Leadership, Organizing and Action: Leading Change, an online program at the Harvard University Kennedy School.
- The Midwest Academy, one of the nation's oldest and best known schools for community organizations, citizen organizations and individuals committed to progressive social change.
- Training for Change, offers a wide range of direct action trainings and training resources on their web site.
| Online Training Manuals |
- Special: "How to get started in community organizing", the results of a COMM-ORG Query.
- Special: "Block organizing", the results of a COMM-ORG Query.
- ..anyone can: A guide to starting an environmental group and running an environmental campaign, by Robin K. Villiers Brown, published by the Queensland Conservation Council.
- ACT UP Civil Disobedience Index, with on-line training materials (adapted from the War Resisters League), including an on-line training film.
- Dave Beckwith, with Cristina Lopez, Community Organizing: People Power from the Grassroots, a COMM-ORG Working Paper/Training Manual in English or Slovak..
- Community Collaboration and Public Participation, by C.R. Pete Petersen.
- Compass: A Manual on Human Rights Education with Young People
- The Citizens' Handbook, by Charles Dobson of the Vancouver Citizens Committee, may be the most complete organizing guide on the Internet.
- The Civic Practices Network, containing tools and stories for a variety of forms of community organizing.
- Community Management and Development, has an extensive collection of training materials for community organizing and community development, many with an international perspective.
- Congregational (Faith-based) & Community Organizing Resources, a collection of materials from Gather the People.
- The Great Game of Power, by Chris Cavanagh adapted from Augusto Boal's work.
- Growing Sense of Place, an Australian Catchment and Bioregional Organisers Handbook, by Michael Petter.
- Instigate!, an online toolkit for community mobilization designed especially for organizing around domestic violence.
- LOVELY ACRES--A Community Empowerment Simulation, by John C. Ruoff.
- NOI Toolbox by the New Organizing Institute.
- Organizing, a superb collection of training materials on organizing provided by TenantNet.
- powercube.net – a resource for understanding power relations in efforts to bring about social change.
- Road Raging: Top Tips for Wrecking Roadbuilding, a British organization with a highly developed organizing manual.
- Ruckus Society Training Manuals, with everything from how to use a video camera to how to hang yourself from a billboard.
- Starhawk's Resources for Activism Trainers
- Strategic Questioning: an approach to creating personal and social change, by Fran Peavey and edited by Vivian Hutchinson.
- Tools For Organizing, by Citizen Works.
- Understanding Activism, by Cameron Shorter.
- Virginia Organizing -- Toolbox, full of training articles.
| Technical Assistance |
- Alliance for Justice maintains a catalogue of Resources for Evaluating Community Organizing and links to the resources on its RECO website.
- The Association for the Study and Development of Community, a research and development organization for community capacity building and social problem solving.
- The Center for Community Change, helps low income people build their own organizations, developing the power and capacity to change their communities and influence vital policies.
- The Center for Labor Research and Education, at the University of California at Berkeley Institute of Industrial Relations, produces educational programs, publications, research and materials on issues that are relevant to organized labor and the workforce.
- The Cetner for Neighborhood Technology, publishes Neighborhood Works and works to promote public policies, new resources and accountable authority which supports sustainable, just and vital urban communities.
- Chardon Press: Resources for Social Change, a nice book collection and a fundraising IQ test.
- The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, trains and assists local people to fight for Justice, become empowered and protect their communities from environmental threats and build strong locally controlled communities.
- The Civic Practices Network, containing tools and stories for a variety of forms of community organizing and development.
- Community Connections, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Office of Planning and Development.
- Community Trust Institute, exists to help communities cope with change more effectively. Their newsletter covers issues of community, politics and spirituality and serves activists and those in public life.
- The DataCenter, an independent non-profit research center providing information to activists working for progressive social change.
- EarthDreams, where environmental organizations come to grow.
- Environmental Community Action, Inc., provides organizing assistance and training to Georgia communities confronting environmental health threats.
- Gather The People, a nonprofit training and education resource for Jewish congregational community organizing with on-line and Adobe training materials.
- Gavin Perryman and Associates, free materials on organizational development.
- Grassroots Leadership, helps build the infrastructure for a progressive Southern movement, including the leaders, organizers, organizations, networks and coalitions that will make long-term positive change inevitable.
- Help Filling Out Your 501(c)(3) Application, with over 50 pages of information for prospective nonprofit organizations on how to complete form 1023.
- Highlander, there may be no institution more important to community organizing than the famous Highlander Center. Their site contains information and on-line resources.
- Human Rights Tools, links to 300+ carefully selected resources.
- idealist.org, searchable lists of services, resources, organizations, jobs, events, and much more.
- Illinois Coalition for Community Services, assists communities in creating indigenous grassroots organizations to identify needs, assess strengths and organize volunteers.
- InnoNet, a free guided on-line workspace to do everything from a strategic plan to an evaluation, and will help you along the way.
- Milwaukee Associates in Urban Development, provide a large set of links, perhaps most helpful are those pointing to ways for nonprofits to use the Internet.
- NABUUR, a global aid organization that matches Online volunteers with local communities in need of information and help.
- National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a large number of resources for fighting discriminatory banking practices.
- National Training and Information Center, conducts training programs, provides technical assistance, and conducts research to build grassroots leadership and strengthen neighborhoods through issue-based community organizing.
- Neighborhoods Online, provides resources for neighborhood communities dealing with a wide range of issues.
- NetAction, an attempt to show how the Internet can support grass-roots activism, with a great deal of information resources.
- Nonviolence Web, a site with extensive resources for peace and nonviolence groups.
- OMB Watch, a nonprofit research, educational, and advocacy organization that focuses on budget issues, regulatory policy, nonprofit advocacy, access to government information, and activities at the Office of Management and Budget.
- Pesticide Watch and Pesticide Watch Education Fund, providing California communities with the tools they need to protect themselves and the environment from the hazards of pesticides.
- Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development, oldest university-based advocacy planning organization in the United States. Includes programs of Technical Assistance (including planning & architectural services), Training and Education, and Public Policy Analysis and Advocacy.
- Resources for Evaluating Community Organizing by the Alliance for Justice.
- TenentNet, mix of advocacy and technical/historical information on housing and rent regulation in New York and elsewhere.
