Coalition Mission, Values, Organizational History & Accomplishments The Regional Coalition of Community Builders,
consistent with Community Builders nationwide, strives to build communities in the region by developing:
human capital;
economic infrastructure;
physical / environmental infrastructure;
social fabric;
institutional infrastructure;
political infrastructure.The Regional Coalition of Community Builders is a group of individuals throughout the Southwestern Pennsylvania region committed to developing regional capacities by:
serving as a broad-based information sharing, support and resource network;
representing both urban and rural interests and all of their diverse constituents, with special emphasis on representation by traditionally marginalized and excluded communities and groups;
supporting community building efforts developed by stakeholders at the grassroots level;
working towards economic, racial and social justice in the region.
- The Regional Coalition of Community Builders adheres to the following values in all of its actions:
- Community Participation / Leadership
- Efforts to revitalize our region must be driven from the grassroots level by a broad array of stakeholders from the community, supported in their efforts by the human service, public, and private sectors. The Coalition is a mechanism for providing this support for community-determined initiatives.
- Regional Diversity
- Interests and issues from the eleven county Southwestern PA region and from various neighborhoods within Allegheny County are represented and articulated as Coalition activities are shaped.
- Inclusion
- The Coalition will be representative and inclusive of all groups living in Southwestern PA with special emphasis on representation of groups traditionally excluded from regional decision making because of race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, income level, or disabilities.
- Diversity of Experience
- Community builders of all ages and from all different educational and socio-economic backgrounds have expertise built from experience, insight, and acquired knowledge. This expertise needs to be acknowledged, shared and celebrated and should form the basis for community decision-making and problem solving.
- Economic and Social Justice
- The Coalition is committed to achieving economic and social justice through equality of economic and educational opportunity, equality of access to resources, decision-making, and power, and equal treatment under the law for all individuals in Southwestern PA.
Organizational History.
In November 1994, 150 of the region's community builders came together for a 2 day conference sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work. The group which gathered was exceptional in its diversity; representatives from the grassroots, public, private, and philanthropic sectors participated in this "Community Building through Community Organizing" conference. Attendees came away from the event with a better understanding of their commonalities and of the issues of the region and a recognition of the need to work together to improve area conditions. Participants expressed their desire to build on the connections that emerged during the gathering and to create a comprehensive regional network of community builders.
Following the conference, a diverse mix of 40 participants met and conceived such a broad-based network--the Regional Coalition of Community Builders (RCCB). This group developed a mission statement for the new Coalition and committed to a two year program to develop the Coalition, including a second conference to be held in November 1996. An informal Steering Committee was formed to provide continuity, planning, and coordination of efforts. This Committee has met monthly since March 1995, guiding the Coalition in its mission.
Since the Coalition's creation in 1995, it has been a unique resource to the region's community builders. Quarterly regional meetings have provided a forum for networking, shared learning, skill enhancement, and peer support. Through a series of topical and skill-building seminars, co-sponsored by RCCB and the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, community builders have gained new insights and abilities. These seminars have included nationally-known speakers on community organizing such as Si Kahn, John McKnight, Michael Eichler, and Terry Mizrahi. The Coalition's newsletter, "Community Voices", distributed to approximately 500 regional community builders, has expanded and strengthened connections and communication throughout the area. In November 1996, a second conference, "Sharing Our Resources...Building Our Communities," further reinforced ties and reconfirmed regional community builders' dedication to developing a strong and purposeful Coalition. Following the conference, groups were convened around specific topics, such as housing and racism, to further connect individuals working on similar issues. Coalition activities have always included a social aspect, such as a potluck dinner or even square dancing, in order to develop cohesiveness within the group.
Since 1997, the Coalition has specifically focused its efforts to build up the infrastructure of the group. A small task force met regularly over a three month period to develop a proposal for ongoing Coalition and Steering Committee structure. The same task force revisited the mission and values of the organization, with extensive opportunity for input from Coalition members. Currently, a committee of approximately 20 people is well underway with planning the third Linden Hall Conference, scheduled for November 1998. Planning has included outreach to community builders in outlying counties through meetings in various counties and through the use of surveys. The planning committee is also gathering "Community Practice Profiles" to highlight best community-building practices throughout the region. These profiles will be presented at the conference and will be collected in a Community Practice Profiles Handbook.
More than three years after the Coalition's creation, it continues to serve as a vehicle for supporting the important work of community builders throughout an eleven-county region. While many other groups in the area, including business leaders and human service providers, have recognized the need to collaborate and formed various structures to do so, the Regional Coalition of Community Builders is the only entity bringing together such a diverse group of community builders from throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Grassroots and professionally-trained organizers find that exchanging insights and ideas expands their reserve of tools to effect positive change in various arenas. The network which has developed among these many parties is vital to region-wide revitalization.
For over three years, the Coalition's endeavors have been coordinated and executed by members of the informal Steering Committee, who have contributed hundreds of volunteer hours, and by the limited staff of the School of Social Work's Continuing Education Office. The extensive program and expanded membership of the Coalition now demand logistical support beyond what this administrative arrangement affords. This need is particularly timely with the upcoming election of the Coalition's first formal Steering Committee at the November 1998 conference.
- Accomplishments.
- 1994: "Community Building Through Community Organizing" conference held at Linden Hall in Dawson, PA. Attended by over 150 community builders from throughout Southwestern PA.
- 1995-1998: Quarterly regional meetings were held to bring together various groupings of community builders for issue discussion, case presentations, and information sharing--a continuation of networking and dialogue. The meeting place rotated throughout the region giving the opportunity for more local people to be involved at host locations.
- 1995-1997: Community Voices--the Coalition Newsletter--was distributed to over 500 regional community builders and organizations.
- 1996: "Sharing Our Resources...Building Our Communities" conference held at Linden Hall in Dawson, PA. Attended by over 150 community builders from throughout Southwestern PA.
- 1997-1998: Coalition task force created to refine mission and values of the Coalition. Developed proposal for ongoing Coalition and Steering Committee structure.
- 1998: Currently collecting nominations for "Community Practices Profiles Handbook"--a collection of best practices in community building from around the Southwestern PA region.
- 1998: Planning "Sharing Our Stories...Shaping Our Future," the third conference at Linden Hall November 12-14, 1998.
Ongoing with the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, the Coalition has co-sponsored a series of topical and skill building seminars including:
- January 1995: John McKnight: "Building Community from the Inside Out"
- September 1995: Arthur Himmelman: "Collaboration"
- March 1996: Si Kahn: "Bridging Barriers and Divisions in Society"
- June 1996: Michael Eichler: "Consensus Organizing--Building Community Capacity by Building Relationships"
- March 1997: ACORN: Grassroots Organizing Workshop
- April 1997: Si Kahn: "Culture and Community: The Roots of Power"
- November 1997: Terry Mizrahi: "Strategic Partnerships--How to Create and Maintain Interorganizational Coalitions"
- May 1998: Paul Carling: "Return to Community"