Montgomery County Civic Federation, Inc.

COMMUNICATION BASICS

 

Developing avenues of communication is your number one priority!  If your neighbors don’t know what you’re doing, how can they participate?  Each of the examples on this page are a start for your outreach efforts.  If they don’t seem to be working, drop them and try something else.

Meetings are necessary to discuss issues, plan strategies, and follow up on efforts.  But, in order to draw people to attend, outreach must be conducted to reach everyone in your community. Reaching your audience will be a challenge for the entire organization.  Therefore, it is important to try a variety of strategies to contact people.  On this webpage are a few ideas to help you accomplish this.

First up, set up a private listserv just for your Board members so you can discuss issues in the neighborhood, suggest speakers, assign tasks, and share planned agendas for your meetings.

REACHING PEOPLE

 

There may be many people in your association’s territory who are not even aware that your civic association exists.  Time to spread the word!

Nothing spreads the news better than personal contact.  Techniques for getting the word out include:

• Distributing flyers and putting up posters
• Talking to neighbors one-on-one and, if possible, informally survey them about wants, needs, and concerns
• Posting signs at key exits to the neighborhood and at activity centers
• Identifying other prospective leaders and getting them involved
• Ads in school, religious congregation, and club newsletters
• Note: As much as possible, translate materials to common languages spoken in the community

SETTING UP A WEBSITE

You must have a web presence.  Anyone looking to find a community association for their neighborhood will start online.  It needn’t be elaborate, but it must be both functional and regularly updated.  An out-of-date website will tank participation.

Having a website requires both a domain (i.e., your URL, such as ourgreatcivicassociation.org) and a host (where your website will be housed).

You can choose a no-cost service for these, but that usually means ads will appear on your website.  If you can afford it, go to a low-cost web service that will do both.  There will be an up-front, one-time fee of (usually) less than $100 to register your new domain name and setting up a hosting address; annual fees for both (which can be taken care of via the one service) are usually less than $100 annually.  Search online for low-cost hosting sites.

Note:  It’s preferable to have a “responsive” website, one that will reflow to fill either a large computer screen or a mobile phone (like this one).

Make sure that at least two trusted individuals in your organization have the passwords, etc., for these services.

Choose one of these services to begin designing your own website:

OSWD* W3SCHOOLS GOOGLE SITES WEEBLY WORDPRESS Inexpensive web hosting sites (or search for same online): LOWESTHOSTING.COM

*Designs generally not responsive

WEBSITE CONTENT

Your website doesn’t need to be extensive.  Don’t overwhelm your online visitors with everything your civic association has done for the past decades on your home page!  It’s good to have a record, but place older items (if really needed) under archive pages.

Potential members visiting your site will want to know what your association does and has done for residents in the past, who you represent, how much it costs to join, what your neighborhood is like, and how to join.  Don’t make it hard to find this information!

Do your best to keep your content updated.  Anyone visiting who only sees content that’s years old won’t bother to keep looking.  Would you?

A decent website hosting service will give you a free SSL certificate.  This is when your website address begins with “https://” instead of just “http://.”  This lets visitors know that your website is safe to visit.  Many web browsers now label sites as “unsafe” if they don’t begin with HTTPS.  It shouldn’t cost you anything to have your web hosting service provide this.

Consider including translation pages, especially in Spanish, on your website.

Here are samples of civic/citizens association websites in Montgomery County:

KENSINGTON HEIGHTS CA SOUTH FOUR CORNERS CA NORTHWOOD-FOUR CORNERS CA NORTH WOODSIDE CA SUGARLOAF CITIZENS ASSOCIATION KEMP MILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION

LISTSERV

It is highly recommended you set up a listserv for email communications among the residents of your entire neighborhood.  This is the best way to get word out to your members — and responses back — quickly.  You might also encourage street-centered listservs, where members of one street participate.  Any street-only participants will hear about association events from others on the street and may be encouraged to participate themselves.

Some CAs tie participation in the listserv to paid membership.  Only you can determine if this exclusivity will increase or hinder participation.

As mentioned above, set up a private listserv for your Board first, then a public one that you’ll share with the neighborhood.  You will need someone on your Board to be the administrator to moderate your listserv, admitting people and, when necessary, kicking people off.

You can google “set up a listserv” to find more information.

PRINTED NEWSLETTER

Determine whether your association can afford a printed newsletter.  If you have a large number of homes in your territory, printing is usually cheaper than copying; it also gives a more professional product.  Your challenges will be (1) interesting content and (2) getting it distributed throughout the neighborhood.  You want stories about your neighborhood and local area, but nothing partisan.  Don’t get bogged down in political discourse.

Your first newsletter will probably need to be hand delivered house-to-house.  But you can use that issue to request distributors for each street and build your distribution network from there.  You will have frequent turnover of these volunteers (highly transient area, remember), so keep good track.

Content is important, so ask anyone in the neighborhood if they’d like to contribute an article.  Your Board can write on topics of interest to the area, but you will need an editor who can be your point person to determine if a contributed article merits inclusion, collect ad revenue, layout the newsletter, and get it printed.  It will be your entire Board’s job to solicit for ads; don’t leave it only to the editor.  Links to samples of printed newsletters in Montgomery County are below.

NORTHWOOD-FOUR CORNERS CA SOUTH FOUR CORNERS CA RANDOLPH CA NORBECK HILLS HOA

ONLINE NEWSLETTER

Even if your association prints a newsletter, it needs to appear online as well.  There are many advantages of a strictly online newsletter (like ours):

• No printing expense at all
• No need for house-to-house distribution
• No need to solicit advertising
• No constraints on page size or number of pages
• Easy to include web-ready photographs
• Internal links can jump from page to page
• Links to pertinent websites mentioned
• Full color without the expense

MONTGOMERY COUNTY CIVIC FEDERATION NORTHWOOD-FOUR CORNERS CA KENSINGTON HIGHTS CA RANDOLPH CA ECHO

ONLINE MEETINGS

During the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone moved their meetings online.  Even if you’ve moved back to in-person meetings, you should continue an online component for those folks unable to attend in person due to illness, small children, etc.  A hybrid meeting may take some time to work out glitches, such as:

• Online participants unable to hear or see speakers
• Online participants unable to hear questions from in-person audience
• Questions from online participants (whether spoken or entered into chat) being relayed to speaker

You can also livestream your meetings or record the meeting or just the speaker portion of the Zoom session to be posted on your website. 

NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTORY

Some civic associations, especially for smaller neighborhoods, opt to provide a directory for the homes in their territories.  This can be a printed directory, but that involves the cost and hassle of distribution for something which might be out-of-date more quickly than imagined.

An online neighborhood directory can be set up on your website in a “members only” section which requires a password to access, making it available to residents only.  The password can be updated periodically to keep it at least fairly private.  An online directory can be updated quickly, too, keeping the information current.

You can also encourage neighbors on each street to generate their own contact list for the homes just on their block.  This not only helps them know each other, you never known when you need to suddenly reach someone across the street from you!

SIGNAGE

Signs are handy for reminding neighborhood residents of your impending events.  If your meeting date and location never change, you can purchase static signs with your association’s name (and logo, if you have one) with wording like “Meeting Wednesday 7:30 p.m.” with the location.  These can be put up facing the entrances, exits, and main intersections in your territory six days before the meeting.  (Just remember to remove them as soon as possible after your meeting!)

If the meeting data is in the center of the sign, you can attach paper announcing different events over that to hide it.  Don’t use inkjet printers, though, as the print will run when it gets wet.  Covering them with plastic or placing the pages inside a plastic sleeve and taping them to the sign helps them remain legible.

Inexpensive signs like those used for political elections are available everywhere and can be used again and again.  Order more than you need for economies of scale; each sign will cost less and you’ll have them on hand when the older ones wear out.  Assign Board members sections of your territory where they’ll post them — and take them down — at the right times.

ONLINE BLOG

Does your civic association need a blog?  Probably not.  But if you decide your CA wants one, you need someone willing to take on the responsibility of posting regularly, bimonthly or monthly at a minimum.  Remember, blogs are very personal opinion postings, so you need someone with a passion for your neighborhood who also (1) expresses himself or herself well but informally or conversationally, and (2) can write about topics that will be of interest to your members.  You probably don’t want inflammatory remarks or content that will embarrass your Board or your neighborhood residents.

Blogs can be added to your existing website or set up on a blog website

W3SCHOOLS HOW TO CREATE A BLOG

PODCAST

As with a blog, does your civic association need to produce a podcast?  Again, probably not.  But, if you have a resident of your neighborhood with a passion to produce one, it might be a lot of fun!  Your host could interview people who live in your territory, for example, or cover topics that are creating controversy in your neighborhood.  As with many of these communication avenues, you need someone dedicated to producing the podcast and getting it to your webmaster to be put onto your website.

Note: You must have the permission of the copyright holder for any piece of music you want to use in any form of content, including podcasts.  If you make false or misleading statements, you could be sued.

No one wants to just hear you talk about random topics.  A podcaster needs to stay on topic, not ramble on about anything that comes to mind.  This might be a good place to reach Spanish-speaking neighbors to let them know about your CA and county services they might be missing!

Finally, don’t expect to make any money from your podcast.  This is just a friendly way to engage the residents of your neighborhood.  Don’t get dollar signs in your eyes.

NEXTDOOR

Nextdoor is described as a “hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods.”  If your CA territory does not already have a Nextdoor account set up, anyone can do so.  You set it up by defining the boundaries of your neighborhood.  People within your stated territory can join and must provide a name.

The service is free but — warning! — it contains ads and lots of them.  Ads don’t appear at first, only after you’ve used it awhile.

It also then begins to include feeds from nearby neighborhoods, county agencies, and local police.  Early adopters or frequent users may be tapped to help manage the site, being asked to judge when a particuar post is deemed rude or reported by other users.  The number of ads and vitriol that may surface can make the site not worth the visit, but that’s up to you to determine.

NEXTDOOR

TEXT MESSAGING

Another option is using WhatsApp or other texting service for mobile phones that can be used among residents in your neighborhood.  These are cell phone text messages that are sent to a large group simultaneously.  It’s quicker than email, but may be unwieldy for a larger neighborhood.  You can create a WhatsApp group with up to 1,024 participants.

If you’re going to use WhatsApp, don’t abuse it.  Only send out emergency or other important notifications.

Listservs often work better as the resulting emails can be funneled into a file folder so users are not overwhelmed by the volume.

WHATSAPP

SOCIAL MEDIA

Your association can choose to have a social media presence or not.  This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, and more.

If you decide your group needs an account on one of these platforms, it is essential that you find volunteers dedicated to managing your site and posting regularly.  Don’t leave the site to languish, but don’t post nonsense just to put something up.

FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM YOUTUBE TIKTOK SNAPCHAT PINTEREST REDDIT LINKEDIN

WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS

It is imperative that you personally welcome new residents into your neighborhood.  This instantly connects newcomers with their chosen community and your association.

Create a Welcome Committee to stay on top of changes in residents.  Montgomery County is one of the most transient areas of the country, so they’ll stay busy.  A brief visit by at least two members of the committee or your Board, to drop off materials about your association, will make new residents feel welcome.  Here are some ideas of what to include in your “Welcome Kit.”

• A copy of your newsletter
• A welcome letter from your group
• List of your website and social media accounts
• Details on how to join your association
• How to join your listserv
• A map of your neighborhood
• Local parks and recreational spots
• List of local grocery stores and pharmacies, with addresses and hours
• List of local schools
• Location of local polling place
• List of nearest local libraries
• List of nearby emergency care centers and hospitals
• List of political representatives and how to contact them

NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS

If your neighborhood has a sizeable percentage of non-English speakers in your community, make an effort to provide translation at your meetings, in your newsletters, on your website, etc.  Here are a couple of strategies to assist with connecting:

• Wherever possible, make room in the budget for a professional interpreter.
• Don’t ask children to interpret.  It’s preferable to find someone else to translate, especially since children may not have the emotional or linguistic capacity to effectively communicate information.
• Do some research to find out where people in your neighborhood are from and their cultures.  For example, in some cultures, it is not customary to look at someone when speaking.  It is a sign of respect; yet, in our culture, it is a sign of disrespect.  These differences can improve an encounter with a neighbor and/or the opportunity to build a relationship.  Prospective members will appreciate the effort and will often feel that your community is welcoming to them and their family.

BARRIERS

Ask your neighborhood if there is someone deaf who needs translation of your meeting speakers.  Perhaps there’s a Deaf or American Sign Language Interpreter who can interpret for them, too, or they can suggest someone.

Make sure that any venue you use for meetings or other events is handicapped accessible.

IN-PERSON MEETINGS

Basic tips on conducting a successful in-person meeting can be found on our “Start a Civic Association” webpage.

START A CIVIC ASSOCIATION

EFFECTIVE SPEAKING

When you find yourself chairing or facilitating a community meeting, the ability to express yourself in a clear and concise manner is important.  Listening, however, can be even more important.  Both speaking and listening are skills that everyone involved in the group should master, especially those in leadership positions.

The most respected members of a group are often the best speakers.  They are able to get an idea across to a group of people without dominating the meeting or rambling.  Here are tips to help improve your speaking ability:

• Know what you want to say.  Outline your main points on a piece of paper before you speak.  Use the outline as a guide to help you be more focused.
• Keep it short and to the point.
• Speak clearly and project your voice outward.
• Practice your speech.  Try practicing your presentation in front of a mirror at home.
• Be Concise.  Focus on one or two central ideas in your speech.
• Make eye contact with the audience.
• Avoid distractions.  Avoid words like “um,” “ah,” “kinda” and “you know”.  Also avoid playing with your hair or glasses or jingling your keys.

EFFECTIVE LISTENING

A successful community leader works at listening to other individual’s concerns.  They focus on not just the words being spoken, but what those words mean.  This skill takes practice and hard work.  The guidelines below may help you to improve your listening skills:

• Listen for the unfamiliar
• Rephrase important points in your own words, which will allow the speaker to clarify the statement if there has been a misunderstanding
• Pay attention to details, which are important in communication, especially if the membership differs significantly on the issue
• Be open minded about new ideas and opinions
• Allow speakers to complete their ideas or opinions without interruption
• If you are not clear on terms being used, ask the speaker to define them

ACTIVE LISTENING

Active listening is making a conscious effort to hear, analyze, assign meaning to, and respond to what another person is saying.  Successful active listening can be exhausting, but will help build confidence that you care about what’s important to your members.  Steps to becoming an effective active listener include:

• Focus on the Speaker.  Establish and keep eye and face contact with the speaker. Reinforce what is being said or understood through non-verbal facial expressions.
• Use Receptive Language.  Follow and encourage the speaker’s train of thought by using receptive language; e.g., "I see," "Hmmm," "Un huh," etc.
• Listen for Key Words.  It takes continuous action to focus on the essence of the information being shared.  The listener’s mind should be actively gathering, sorting, sifting, evaluating, synthesizing, and ordering the data.
• Respond.  Verify with the speaker about the essence of what was said, especially if the thought is being captured on a flipchart or electronically for future reference.  Ask questions for clarity but be cautious that the questions are not leading.  Never, unless expressly requested, give an opinion on the presented information.

PROVIDE A PERSONAL TOUCH

• Block Captains.  Many civic groups use block captains as an opportunity to breakdown neighborhoods into more feasible areas for outreach and/or distribution of information.  For example, often a printed newsletter is distributed by a block captain to his/her neighbors.  This helps create bridges with just one person on their block instead of a large group of people at a meeting.
• Provide opportunity for dialogue.  Meetings can be difficult forums for people to connect, especially if there is little opportunity for dialogue.  It is important to provide opportunity for attendees to be part of the meeting, starting with introductions, to asking them to weigh in on issues, or having comment cards for feedback.
• Share Stories.  Issues in a community often are a problem for one group but may mean little to another.  Numbers and statistics helps shed some light but may not gain backing or empathy that is sought.  Stories on the other hand, give meaning to numbers, to the problems posed by a group.  Stories create a point of empathy often leading to meaningful dialogues.  They help bring down barriers that allow for others to be vulnerable and ask questions.