Community outreach is an essential part of any nonprofit movement’s activity. Through it, an organization can establish trustful relationships with its beneficiaries' communities, learn about their needs and problems, and involve them in its work.
Previously, we discussed why community outreach is an essential element in any grassroots movement’s toolbox and how to do it the right way: …
However, finding the right methods of implementing community outreach strategies can take time and effort. In Qela, we help nonprofit organization leaders engage their communities and establish relationships with their supporters through community outreach efforts. In this article, we review examples of good community outreach tactics and explain how to implement them in your nonprofit.
Community Outreach Ideas for Nonprofits
1. Workshops & Training Sessions
One of the main tasks of community outreach efforts is to increase community members’ awareness of certain matters or empower them by providing access to resources, skills, and opportunities. One potential outcome of this activity might be ensuring the sustainable development of the community without the nonprofit’s involvement after the community outreach efforts are finished.
Example:
Problem: High levels of plastic waste pollution in the area.
Solution: Organize a series of lectures and workshops on the problem of plastic waste, plastic-free alternatives, tips for sorting waste, etc.
How we can help: Qela offers a range of gamified education tools for community managers and nonprofit organizations. With our volunteer management tool, you can organize offline workshops, online lectures, invite supporters to participate in quizzes to check the level of their understanding of an issue, and invite members of the community to become speakers at your events. Learn more here: https://www.qela.app/
2. Clean-Up or Other Collective Work
A community is created by people coming together for a common cause. However, what creates lasting relationships within the community is collective action. Organizing community get-togethers that are targeted at solving a mutual problem is a great way of deepening the bonds within the community and allowing leaders to emerge naturally from within it, promoting the sustainability of its development.
Example:
Problem: High levels of plastic waste pollution in the area.
Solution: Organize regular community clean-ups in green zones of the area
How we can help: At Qela, we focus on helping our clients increase volunteer retention. With our technology, community members who regularly participate in the movement’s activities are rewarded with extra vote points that allow them more influence over the organization’s decisions. Because supporters feel more responsibility over the movement’s developments, they engage with it on a deeper level and stay active within it for a longer time.
3. Vigils & Testimony Events
An event focused on providing a platform for your community members to tell their stories and advocate for their issues is a great way to deepen the bonds within the community and increase awareness about its struggles among the people outside of it.
Example:
Problem: High amount of plastic waste pollution in the area.
Solution: Organize a rally to raise awareness about this problem among broader society and decision-makers
How we can help: Organizing a big event like a rally, assembly, or festival can be especially tricky because so many small tasks need to be delegated to the volunteers. Qela makes this process easy by combining task assignments, communication with volunteers, verification of task completion, and feedback tools inside one app. Our quest templates for technical support during events, delivery, performance, giving a public speech, etc, allow community members with different skills and abilities to participate equally in an event. A quest template for attending an assembly/rally also allows one to take in the contribution of those who could only come and witness the event. Learn more about our product here: https://www.qela.app/register
Community outreach efforts allow organizations to know their beneficiaries on a deeper level, build trusting relationships with them, and amplify their voices. However, it can be quite difficult to devise effective ways of engaging the community in a movement’s life. At Qela, we help grassroots movements around the world build sustainable outreach campaigns that lead to lasting impact and profound connections with their supporters. Sign up for a free 14-day trial here: https://www.qela.app/