Digital community engagement can complement offline engagement, but it doesn’t replace it. Offline participation methods are still widespread, as they’ve proven their value for many communities by allowing for deliberation and debate. Aligning online and offline participation We recently launched our online workshop feature to ensure cities can host town...
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Trust is a two-way street. To convince your community that your engagement efforts and digital community engagement platform are trustworthy, they need to feel heard and included. In our experience, it takes time to build trust, but there are several good practices to help you get started. To build trust,...
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If community members are taking the time to visit your community engagement platform and share their ideas, you should take the time to follow up on their input. By communicating actively, you can help build trust with your community. What does follow-up mean in community engagement? For the record: following...
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We hear it often: you want to reach more of your community, and go beyond the same 10 loudest voices in the room. You want your process to be more inclusive so that everyone has the tools necessary to fully participate. However, some groups are harder to reach than others....
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A lot of leaders start their community engagement journey with the best of intentions but get caught up in the details of when to consult their community. Should you do it on the front end, while setting your agenda? Or when you’re drafting a policy? We’re here to tell you...
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The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a $350 billion funding plan aiming at supporting post-COVID-19 recovery, is often dubbed a once-in-a-generation opportunity for state and local governments. While the main premise may be to solve current issues, there is also hope that this ambitious plan can make communities more resilient...
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Participatory budgeting can be a powerful tool for cities to educate, engage, and empower communities. As one of the methods ranking highest on the participation ladder, this kind of engagement project transfers considerable decision-making power to residents and stakeholders and thus maximizes the many benefits of community engagement. But what...
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