Community Development Toolkit

Edmonds LF¹*, Anglin RV¹*

1. Consultant, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
2. New Jersey Public Policy Research Institute at Rutgers University (NJPPRI), New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

“Community Development” is, first and foremost, neighbors helping neighbors. It is an endeavor that relies on groundswells; a process to be initiated by individuals or groups facing issues in their community and seeking to address those issues. Community development focuses on asset building to improve the quality of life among residents of low-to-moderate income communities. In 1966, Robert F. Kennedy referred to “three critical threads” in the fabric of community development programs: cooperation with private business in self-sustaining, economically viable enterprises; integration of education, employment and development programs under a coordinated overall plan; and momentum and direction from the community, in partnership with private foundations, labor unions and universities. Today, these critical threads remain unchanged. There are several steps and paths that an individual or group can take to solve the problems facing their community, however, for an effective, sustainable and equitable solution, the situation must be understood comprehensively and the plan created and carried out strategically.

This toolkit seeks to point the individual or group in the right direction and to showcase the resources that may be available. In partnership with residents, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) of New Jersey undertook to transform the South Ward of Newark through community development. Successful implementation of that model convinced PSE&G of the importance of sharing with the communities it services the opportunities of community development, and, to that end, PSE&G, in partnership with NJPPRI, funded the production of this toolkit. This series provides a roadmap to such a model, and the starting point on the journey is facing the issues and discovering the assets of the community. The topics covered include: first steps to community development; starting and formalizing your organization; building organizational leadership; mobilizing communities; and keeping the momentum.

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