Community Building

Asset-Based Community Development Institute
ABCD spreads its findings on capacity-building community development through interactions with community builders, and by producing practical resources and tools for community builders to identify, nurture, and mobilize neighborhood assets.
http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/abcd.html

The Association for the Study and Development of Community (ASDC)
A US-based research and development organization for community capacity building and social problem solving. They describe their methodologies, list recent clients, and provide research publications.
http://www.capablecommunity.com/

Berkana Institute
This US-based nonprofit promotes "leadership development" projects based on community conversations on issues of interest. They provide much high-level discussion of their methodology.
http://www.berkana.org

A Case Study of Electronic Community Building in a Freshman Dorm
Study of how Stanford college students living together use and perceive electronic communication as a tool for critical dialogue and community building.
http://www.stanford.edu/~holeton/wired-frosh/

The Citizen's Handbook
Community organizing handbook designed for use in urban settings. Created by Vancouver, B.C. group.
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/citizens-handbook/

Common Focus
A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources for community building and creative citizen dialogue and engagement.
http://www.commonfocus.org/

Community Building Institute (CBI)
Founded to help communities improve the way they conduct public business to be more inclusive, more collaborative, and more effective. Based in Annandale, Virginia.
http://www.communitytools.net/cbi/

Community Consultation: Best Practice
Annotated listing of best practice community consultation, consumer participation, community development and qualitative analysis tools, practices and theories.
http://www.angelfire.com/home/consultation/firstpage/consultationlinks.htm

Community Development Exchange (CDX)
The UK-wide community development membership organisation. Works to bring about social justice and equality by sharing information, experience and practice, and by representing the community development field in policy work.
http://www.cdx.org.uk/

The Community Organizing Toolbox
A guide to community organizing, with an explanation of the basics, issues, case studies, and resources.
http://www.nfg.org/cotb/

Conversation Cafe
Includes the background of this structured form of conversation, with a list of existing cafe groups, and information and resources about how to start a new one.
http://www.conversationcafe.org/

Global Citizens Circle
Sponsors town meeting-style discussions led by a diverse community of world dignitaries, which focus on current global issues, with a goal of constructive change. Describes organizations history, with details of past program topics and leaders.
http://www.globalcitizenscircle.org/

A Librarian At Every Table
A resource to demonstrate the value of librarianship in the community building movement.
http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/a-librarian-at-every-table/

National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation
Organizations and individuals committed to strengthening and uniting the growing dialogue and deliberation field.
http://www.thataway.org/

National Community Development Institute
Provides customized capacity-building services to promote community-building and social transformation in diverse low-income communities.
http://www.ncdinet.org/

National Park Service - Civic Engagement
US agency offers resources and case studies for using historic sites as venues for civic dialogue on sensitive topics, along with calendar of events.
http://www.nps.gov/civic/

Ontario Project for Inter-Clinic Community Organizing (OPICCO)
Provides community organizations and community legal clinics in Ontario with tools (information and guidance) for organizing.
http://www.opicco.org/

Shelterforce Online
Online version the nation's oldest continually-published housing and community development magazine. A primary forum for organizers, activists, and advocates in the affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization movements.
http://www.nhi.org/online/

Streets Alive
Bristol, England-based group that promotes car-free street events. They provide a detailed guide for a successful neighborhood street party, with photos, anecdotes, and discussion of community development.
http://www.streetsalive.net/

Tom Wolff and Associates
US-based consultant offers services in collaboration-building and community planning. Provides overview of experience and philosophy, with client list, resource links, and description of areas of work.
http://www.tomwolff.com/

What is Community?
Progressive speakers each give a view of community in America.
http://bsd.mojones.com/mother_jones/MJ94/krasny.html

The World Cafe
This process for leading collaborative dialogue and knowledge-sharing, particularly for larger groups, is described, with a bibliography and resources for implementation.
http://www.theworldcafe.com

Community Organizing as Practiced in the United States
This academic-style article characterizes community organizing in the US, describes the author's work in Jacksonville, Florida, and offers some general instruction for organizers. [English/German] <small>(October, 2004)</small>
http://www.fo-co.info/Cromwell.htm