Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide to Creating Groups that Can Solve Problems and Change the World

I used the book for an advocacy project including community building.The book was published 16 years ago but still has good knowledge and is easy to use.

I found Michael Jacoby Brown's Building Powerful Community Organizations to be a terrific guide for anyone who wants to do just what the title says. Early on, he lays out the12 steps that it will take to build such an organization -- and then, in detail, and with really helpful illustrative stories, he spells out what to do, and provides helpful checklists and exercises. The book is 360 pages long, and packed with useful information and guidance. Anyone deciding to follow this as a guide will soon learn that building a community organization takes a lot of work and time, and some specific skills. But that's one of the things I so liked about the book-- the author is honest about the amount of effort it will take, lays out the journey clearly, and emphasizes the importance of sequence.Our organization, TimeBanks USA, gives provides material, guidance, and software for start-up and ongoing timebanks. We are looking to improve those materials, and were so impressed by this book that (with permission from the author) we shall draw on the book and its tools.

This is a practical resource idea book for those interested in starting or strengthening a community organization or nonprofit. Brown defined community organizing as "building the power of a group to change the world. . . it requires understanding of your self interest. . . building relationships with others, and a desire to change the world" (p. 3). The book is organized into 4 sections:Section 1 The Inside Story - definitions, step by step considerations for building a community organization including mission, goals, and objectives, and considerations for lasting organizationsSection 2 Resources - recruiting, how to's and leadership development, meeting facilitation, raising moneySection 3 Change - strategy, taking action, solving problems, results, building communitySection 4 Future - where do we go from hereEach section is accompanied by exercises, case studies, quick tips, and stories.

I have given away at least a dozen copies of this book since I first discovered it, and helped organize an online reading group based on it - it's easily the most useful, practical guide around to figuring out who actually makes decisions, how to get their attention, how to recruit and retain volunteers, how to decide what kind of organization you want to build, and the hundred and one other things that go into getting people to work together to make a better world.

Different than I expected but informative never the less.

I ususally don't read books a second time but Brown's book was well worth a second look. I would recomend his work to anyone involved in community organizing except maybe Republicans and conservatives. The method of community organizing is as old as Alynsky but Brown offers a fresh , humane take on hitting the doors, developing leaders and building organization. You get much more than your fair share from the investment in this valuable work.

I already have on my kindle but I need to refer back and forth and highlight passages. I don't know how to maneuver in my kindle. Sometimes it is necessary to hold a "real" book.

Incredible book! I'm "working" through it now... everything I need to know, so well laid out, so well written. What a find!!

step by step guide to actually build a community group.