12 Tips for Authentic Community Engagement

Below are a few lessons I've learned about how institutions can effectively engage with community residents in community-based initiatives:

Involve all community residents and stakeholders from the beginning of any planning process.
Communicate with residents through as many means as possible: person-to-person, phone calls, text messages, flyers, etc. Person-to-person and phone calls are best.
Provide transportation or transportation stipends.
Attend standing community meetings in the community instead of holding meetings at the institution.
Be open to meeting with individuals, coalitions, community associations, and other formal and informal groups.
Be humble and understand that often "you" are a guest in "their" community and should not assume that your "help" is needed or wanted.
If you want community residents to engage in an ongoing process, pay them for their time.
Recognize that community residents are expert consultants on their communities and should be treated accordingly.
Do not assume that community-based organizations are a proxy for community residents. If you want broad community support for an initiative you must do the hard work of reaching out to as many residents and stakeholders as possible.
Hold general meetings and subcommittee meetings at times that community residents can attend.
Co-plan and co-facilitate meetings with community residents. If 90% of the people at the table are from the institution, then you have a community engagement challenge.
Always be open to new ideas about how to engage community residents more effectively.