Holding Your First Community Meeting

Okay, you've done the groundwork to start your campaign and identified the community members, leaders and organizations who want to help your campaign address the problems in your community. Now, it's time to call a face-to-face meeting with your fellow activists to really get things done. The thought of holding a meeting can be overwhelming, but with a little forethought and organizing, it will be a valuable and effective way to reach your goals. Here are some items to consider:

Who: Review your one-on-ones and identify key people to recruit who are motivated by the issue. Recruit people who are interested in working on the issue and motivated to make something happen. Be strategic about who you invite, and keep first meetings to a small manageable number so you can make decisions and get things done.

When: Ask people when they can meet so you pick a time when your important leaders can attend. Use your own common sense about this. Lots of folks are going to have similar time constraints as you do. Think about evenings at a reasonable hour after people are likely to have eaten. Weekends can be freer as far as work commitments, but are more likely to be busy family times.

Where: If you want people to come, make it easy for them. Where are people in the community comfortable meeting? Think of available space. Ask the people you've met with for their suggestions about meeting places. Consider public spaces such as parks or libraries. If an agency offers space, consider whether everyone will feel welcome there.

How: Call everyone you plan to invite and invite them personally, and tell them why it is important that they be part of the team. For example, "It is really important that we have a parent on our team— we would love to have your perspective on our work."

Set an Agenda: Remember, "having a meeting" isn't your goal, but a step toward creating a plan of action to make your campaign a success. Before the meeting, set an agenda detailing the subjects you will cover, and approximately how much time you will spend on each item. This will help keep the meeting from wandering. Pass out a written agenda or write one large enough for all meeting attendee to see, so that everyone is aware of the direction of the meeting. Many organizers like to use a flip chart to post the agenda so it is easily visible for all attendees.

TIPS: How to Conduct the Meeting

As the meeting convener, you should start by thanking everyone for coming, introducing yourself and giving a brief background on why you are interested in this issue, then have the others do the same. Ask the group to select the issue(s) they want to discuss, then get the team members to prioritize the problem(s)/issue(s) to work on. You don't want to overwhelm folks, but share your knowledge with them. It is also helpful to pass out materials/brochures you found useful. Other suggestions:

• Sign-In. Make sure all attendees sign in, giving phone number, address and email. Not all folks who attend the first meeting are going to come back, but they can be called on to write letters, make phone calls or do other smaller tasks.

• Select a Facilitator. The facilitator is the person who runs the meeting, and also works to ensure that all people feel comfortable participating. This can be you, but doesn't have to be. Work with the facilitator to train and support them so they are comfortable with this role and have the skills to run the meeting effectively.

• Note Taker. Make sure that someone (other than the facilitator) takes notes of the key points at the meeting— particularly any "to do" items assigned to attendees— then emails the meeting notes to all folks in the group a few days after the meeting. This will keep the people who were not able to attend up to date, and remind attendees of the tasks they agreed to take on. "To do" tasks or main points can also be written on a flip chart at the end of the meeting, so everyone has a reminder of their volunteer responsibilities.

• Timekeeper. Find a volunteer to ensure that the agenda is followed in a timely manner. This job is important; you risk losing people if meetings go on too long.

• Supplies. Have pens and paper available for attendees, and something large enough for notes for the whole group — a blackboard, a flip chart, etc.

• Snacks. Have some light snacks — chips, soda, etc., particularly if it's at a time when people may be hungry (like after work, but before dinner). Don't spend your time making fancy foods; store-bought snacks will do the trick.

TIPS: Concluding the Meeting

• Follow-up. The work doesn't end when the meeting ends, it really just begins. Before the next meeting, work should be started on accomplishing your developed plan of action. Most participants should be given tasks to accomplish before the next meeting. Don't take on all the tasks yourself, but make sure that attendees are comfortable with their assignments - you don't want to scare anyone away.

• Set the next meeting. Pick a date, time and place while you are all together so that everyone knows when and where you'll be meeting next.