Just 3.0 Program Manual

18. Community Connections

INTENT

The intent of the Community Connections Indicator is to facilitate restorative connections and empowering relationships between organizations and the communities they serve and in which they operate.

METRICS

Level 1

  1. Organization has a written policy that includes commitment to continually listening to, learning from, and maintaining intentional, ongoing relationships with the communities they serve and in which they operate.

Level 2

  1. Organization has a written policy that includes commitment to continually listening to, learning from, and maintaining intentional, ongoing relationships with the communities they serve and in which they operate.
  2. Organization has completed a community assessment to understand the community’s history, current context, characteristics, strengths, needs, and opportunities.
  3. Organization has a community engagement plan that specifies how it identifies and collaborates with community partners.

Level 3

  1. Organization has a written policy that includes commitment to continually listening to, learning from, and maintaining intentional, ongoing relationships with the communities they serve and in which they operate.
  2. Organization has completed a community assessment to understand the community’s history, current context, characteristics, strengths, needs, and opportunities.
  3. Organization has a community engagement plan that specifies how it identifies and collaborates with community partners.
  4. Organization has developed and begun implementing a partnership strategy with one or more groups (i.e., nonprofits, NGOs, community-based organizations, racial equity advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies) that serve and are led by members of underrecognized or underserved populations in its community.

Level 4

  1. Organization has a written policy that includes commitment to continually listening to, learning from, and maintaining intentional, ongoing relationships with the communities they serve and in which they operate.
  2. Organization has completed a community assessment to understand the community’s history, current context, characteristics, strengths, needs, and opportunities.
  3. Organization has a community engagement plan that specifies how it identifies and collaborates with community partners.
  4. Organization has developed and begun implementing a partnership strategy with one or more groups (i.e., nonprofits, NGOs, community-based organizations, racial equity advocacy organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies) that serve and are led by members of underrecognized and underserved populations in its community.
  5. Organization demonstrates active participation in advocacy efforts on issues that underrecognized or underserved community members have expressed as priorities.

SUMMARY TABLE

Table 17a – Community Connections Metrics