The document discusses how communities are changing through gentrification, urban decline, and shifts in population characteristics. It raises questions for organizations about whether their services and donors will still be relevant to the evolving community. The organization needs to ensure its board represents the community, including new residents. The board should get out into the community, listen to residents, and identify common ground and new areas for services or collaborations to maintain engagement as the community transforms.

1. Is our community changing? Community - Organizational What do we need to
Gentrification - the process of renewal Fit change?
and rebuilding accompanying the influx of
 Is my organization still relevant to  Does what we do now work?
middle class or affluent people into
the community?
deteriorating areas that often displaces  How do we replicate those
earlier usually poorer residents*  Do/will we have clients in need of successes?
our services?
Urban decline - Area falls into disrepair,  What percent of the current
involving deindustrialization,  Do/will we have donors that will population is involved in the
depopulation or changing population, support us? organization?
economic restructuring, abandoned
 Do/will we have enough  Is that a change?
buildings, high local unemployment,
disenfranchisement, and higher crime volunteers to keep our programs
 What percent do we need
rates. running?
involved?
Population loss/gain - Significant changes  Is the community still relevant to
 How do we find more successful
in an areas population numbers. the organization?
methods?
Generational changes – Significant  Will the organization be able to
 Is there new peer experts or
changes in the average age of an area’s operate within the community’s
potential collaborations we can
residents. For example an aging written laws? turn too?
population
 Will the organization be able to
 Community sleuthing
Population diversity changes - Significant operate within the community’s
changes in the make up of residents. For culture?  Finding similar communities for
example increased immigrant population comparison
or decreased traditional families.
 Flexibility throughout
* en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gentrification organizational events

2. http://www.slideshare.net/kgb2156/c
ommunity-engagement-through-
community-transformation
Board Actions
 Articulate organizational mission and
vision
 Know your audience
o Get out into the community For More Information
o Be an ambassador
• Chait, R., Ryan, W., & Taylor, B.
 Ensure the board is representative of (2005). Governance as leadership:
the community Reframing the work of nonprofit
o Recommend board recruits
boards. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
from new and old residents
Sons, Inc.
 Anticipate issues
• Axelrod, N. (2007). Culture of inquiry:
 Build relationships Healthy debate in the boardroom.
Washington, DC: BoardSource.
 Listen
• Gottlieb, H. (2006). FriendRaising:
 Be honest Community engagement strategies Maintaining Community
for boards who hate fundraising but
 Frame discussions about the Engagement through a
love making friends. Tucson, AZ:
organization to the audience
o Stories, honest success and
Renaissance Press. Community Transformation
challenges
• Duquesne University SL-MSCL-513-55
o How will it affect new
community 201030 board resources:
http://governforcommleadership2010.p
 Identify common ground/identity bworks.com/
 Identify new areas for new services • Debra Beck’s identified web board
resources :
 Identify areas for new collaborations http://delicious.com/debbeck/sharing
• Maintaining community engagement
through community transformation
slideshow: