BEST PRACTICES

Montgomery County Civic Federation, Inc.

WHAT ARE ‘BEST PRACTICES’?


We all want that connection, to feel “at home” where we live.  But that requires that we know one another (or are acquainted, at least!) and feel safe.  To get to know one another means we need to meet, to gather together and talk.  Why do some civic associations seem so much more active, their neighborhoods friendly and cohesive in spirit?  It takes people who are committed to making their neighborhood that way, by volunteering their time and skills to make events happen.

Below are links to a presentation made at the November 2022 MCCF meeting by members of the McKenney Hills-Carroll Knolls Civic Association in Silver Spring, which increased its membership by 475%.  One is the PowerPoint the presenters used; the other is a recording of the meeting.  There’s also a link to a toolkit on civic associations put together by the Montgomery County government.

MH-CK PowerPoint Recorded MH-CK Presentation Montgomery County Community Toolkit

COMMUNICATIONS


Developing avenues of communication is your number one priority!  If your neighbors don’t know what you’re doing, how can they participate?

Your association can use a website, listserv, newsletter (printed or online), online blog, texts, podcast, messaging, nextdoor, flyers, signs, and livestreaming your meetings to reach your neighbors.

All of these outreach avenues help to reach as many people in your territory as possible — of every age, ethnicity, and interest.  This is the most vital component of your outreach.

BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNICATIONS

HOLD SOCIAL EVENTS


Neighbors getting together really fosters a sense of community.  You want to build relationships and promote a feeling of identity, both of which help improve neighborhoods.

One feature of more successful community associations is to offer a range of activities.  They do so by staying in touch with neighbors’ individual needs.  Not everyone is an activist.  Some of your residents may be motivated by an opportunity to socialize, such as an event on a national holiday.  Hold a dog show or have a botanist or certified weed warrior lead a nature walk.  Consider combining social events with social responsibility by including food drives, or raffles that benefit local charities.

Make your meetings fun, even if the speaker turns out to be dry.  Hand out tickets at the door and hold a raffle with gourmet food items.  Have beverages and homemade treats on hand, if possible.

Consider meeting at different venues.  If you have a local pool, pizza or ice cream shop, community center, veterans meeting hall, etc., in your territory, see about holding your meetings at those places.

IDEAS FOR SOCIAL EVENTS

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX


Have you always had your association meetings on the same dates and times and at the same venue?  There’s reliability in continuity, but you may be limiting who can attend.  If you have good avenues of communication established, then maybe you can switch things around a little.  Here are a few ideas.

  • If there’s an eating establishment in your territory, arrange to hold a meeting there.  Spring for a bit of food if you can afford it (beverages, perhaps), but you may not need to.  By guaranting a crowd of attendees, a restaurant will welcome you, especially if your meeting is during an otherwise quiet night.
  • Sponsor a fair where local artists can sell their work, especially before the holidays
  • Hold your meeting in someone’s spacious yard
  • A local park can be a perfect venue if the weather is nice and there is seating (BYOC?)
  • Invite a local knife-sharpener to hone any implements brought to your meeting
  • Combine any of your meetings with a social event (see link below)
  • Have a masseur/masseuse give shoulder massages
  • Hold a masquerade with everyone in masks and/or costumes for your October meeting
  • How about a mid-morning weekend meeting with coffee and pastries?
  • Use nametags so neighbors learn each other’s names
COMMUNICATION BEST PRACTICES IDEAS FOR SOCIAL EVENTS

FINDING MEMBERS


If potential members aren’t attending your meetings, you’ll need to meet them where they are or find out why they aren’t.

  • Conduct neighborhood surveys
  • Staff booths at local events
  • Join efforts with adjoining neighborhoods
  • Send speakers to business groups, service clubs, schools, or churches
  • Ask Board members to recommend joining to anyone they meet in the neighborhood

Find out what is important to your members and get them involved in committees or projects involving their interest.

Whatever event you hold, always invite people to join your association.  Have your Treasurer or another officer ready to collect names and dues and make sure all attendees know who’ll be doing this so they can direct folks to them.

WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS


Make sure to welcome new neighbors.  Establish a welcoming committee that visits each new resident.

Provide materials (a “Welcome Kit” or at least a single sheet) that provides details on:

  • local schools
  • grocery stores and pharmacies
  • amenities like parks and playgrounds
  • urgent care locales
  • government officials and how to reach them
  • upcoming neighborhood events
Always include how to join your association, when you meet, and contact information for more information.

COMMUNITY EVENTS


Working side by side brings people together.  Projects offer residents opportunities to start a conversation with others they may have seen at meetings or walking down the street.  It allows people to come together around a shared interest, which is important to work through perceived and real barriers.

Develop community service projects that will be of interest to folks in your neighborhood.  Sponsor clean-up days, taking one street at a time so that the work seems manageable and can be accomplished in the morning.

For other ideas, see the “Social+Responsibility Events” section in the link below.

IDEAS FOR SOCIAL EVENTS

KEEP MEMBERS INTERESTED


It is easy to attract new members in times of crisis.  Hot button issues energize the neighborhood, particularly if residents feel their property values or quality of life is threatened.  However, after the publicity dies away and the problem is resolved, active members may disappear.  It is considerably more difficult to sustain interest during mundane times.

Keeping the interest and involvement of association members is an ongoing challenge in every neighborhood.  Here are some pointers and ideas that hopefully will stimulate your thinking.

  • Be realistic in your expectations of the members.  Many neighbors have other priorities that may limit participation.
  • Stay focused on a few well-defined goals or projects.
  • Regularly check that meeting times, locations, and meeting lengths are convenient for members.
  • Celebrate each success.
  • Ask individual neighbors for help or their involvement.  Sometimes a personal invitation to help is most effective.  A person may be willing if asked, but may not volunteer or speak up in a group setting.
  • Recognize volunteers by thanking each individual at a general meeting; acknowledging someone’s efforts in your newsletter; or ask neighbors to cook dinner or bake a cake/cookies for someone.
  • Follow up on issues brought to the association for resolution.

SPEAKERS


If your neighborhood is not experiencing any hot-button issues at the moment to discuss at a meeting, you need to make it worthwhile for your neighbors to attend.  Here are a few ideas for possible speakers:

  • Members of the Executive Committee of the Montgomery County Civic Federation have a wealth of expertise in many different areas.  Contact our president to discuss a topic of mutual interest.
  • Montgomery County is home to some of the most educated people in the United States.  Make use of the expertise in your neighborhood!
  • Has anyone in your neighborhood or the County published a book recently?  Ask them to speak about their book and their process.
  • Contact the Montgomery County Councilmember for your district and ask them to speak about the issues he or she is grappling with.
  • Contact the Montgomery County Executive and see if he or she would be free to speak.
  • You can request a speaker from many governmental departments in Montgomery County.  For instance, an employee at the Department of Environmental Protection can speak to your group about recycling, grasscycling, and composting.  The Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Office of Consumer Protection also will send speakers to your meetings.
  • There are literally hundreds of organizations in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., area dealing with every topic under the sun.  Especially look to County-based associations who would be delighted to talk about their efforts!
  • Montgomery County Master Gardeners will speak for free on topics such as small space gardening; native plants and pollinators; vegetable, fruit, and herb gardening, and more.
  • The Montgomery County Historical Society has a Speakers Bureau featuring community historians and professionals who will speak for a fee.  Your meeting could also feature a guided walk or tour at a local historical setting.  They also have Traveling Pop-Up Exhibits to bring to a meeting.
  • Any schools in your territory?  Ask any of the Principals or PTA Presidents to speak about issues at their school.
  • Ask your Board or members for speaker recommendations.

BRAINSTORMING TOOLS


  • Basic Technique.  Break into small groups (15 people or less).  Arrange chairs in a circle to allow everyone to see each other.  Set aside a specific amount of time.  Describe questions that the group will respond to and check for understanding.  Request that individuals not discuss the merits of each idea until all ideas have been recorded. Write down all ideas on a flip chart.  Print large, legibly and fast.  Repeat back key words and phrases and be sure to ask the speaker to clarify ideas you do not understand.  Build on and expand ideas.  Push the group to consider other ways of looking at the issue in order to stimulate more ideas.
  • Silent Thinking and Writing.  Present a question or statement and ask individuals to spend 5 to 15 minutes reflecting, and then writing down their responses.  Responses are handed in and a facilitator reads them to the group.
  • Round Robin.  Ask each individual in turn to share one idea at a time until either there are no more ideas or the time limit is reached.  Try reversing the direction of calling on people.
  • Popcorn.  Ideas are called out randomly and quickly.
  • Discussion Brainstorm.  Have a discussion about the question or issue for a specific amount of time, say 5 to 10 minutes.  Then run the brainstorm, describing key ideas that came up.
  • Sticky Notes.  Each individual is given 5 minutes to think about a response to the question or issue, or can pair up to generate ideas.  Ideas are recorded on as many sticky notes as necessary and posted on the wall or on a flip chart.  Similar ideas are then grouped.
  • Reverse Brainstorming.  The first half of this technique is identical to Basic Technique.  Once that exercise is over, re-state the question as its total opposite as a “worst case” question.  Begin brainstorming again using the mirror image question.  This time, after the answers are recorded, the facilitator “flips” each answer to its opposite.  The answers from both exercises are then combined.
BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES