BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE PARENT
COALITION
The Art and Science of Engaging
Your Constituency for Impact
Pennie G. Foster-Fishman, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, 48824
February 4, 2010
At all of the meetings in this
community it seems that
I keep seeing the same few
family members.
How can we get some new
faces involved?
We can get families to
come to our meetings,
but no one will
volunteer for anything.
Our community is
pretty diverse, but in our
coalition everyone
looks the same. How do we
make our coalition more
representative of our
community?
We used to have
families that we could
mobilize for action –
But now they are
involved in other
things.
A Shared Reality

Most – if not ALL – groups that need
volunteers struggle to recruit and sustain
active participation.

Yet –groups like the Great
Start Parent Coalition
need an active member
base to be effective
Guidelines for Making your Toy
You and your table mates are employees
of a new toy company, hoping to land a
big contract at the upcoming toy fair in
Chicago.
 The toy fair starts in 10 minutes.You have
7 minutes to design your toy and to give a
name. Put its name on one of the index
cards on your table.
 You can only use the supplies that are on
your table.

In what ways was this toy making process
like the process of recruiting families for
your coalition?
 What does this exercise tell us we should
pay attention to when we try to recruit,
engage, and sustain families as active
participants?

Three Constituencies of the Great
Start Parent Coalition
Parent Coalition
Members
Broader
Constituency
Active
Volunteers
Overview of Today’s Presentation

Understanding the Context of Participation

Building the Participation Mindset

Creating an Engaging, Empowering Coalition

Other Strategies for Success
The Context of Participation
A Participation
Mindset
Empowering
Coalition
ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION
What is a Participation Mindset?

Attitudes and beliefs an individual has that
determines if they:
◦ Want to get involved
◦ Believe they should get involved
◦ Believe they can be involved

In most studies of participation, this
“mindset” is one of the strongest
predictors of involvement.
As you think about your community, what attitudes and
beliefs do families hold that influence whether or
not they get involved?
The Participation Mindset
Contributions
Benefits
• Individuals believe
there are benefits to
participating and
their desires will be
met
• Individuals want
to make a
contribution and
believe they have
something to
offer
Costs
• Individuals believe that
barriers and costs to
participation can and will be
addressed.
Understanding the Participation Mindset:
CONTRIBUTIONS
“I have something to
contribute”
Often called self-efficacy,
skills, empowerment
Individuals more likely to
join and become active
when they
believe they have the skills
to do it,
they know how to do it,
and they believe they will
make a difference.
Possible Contribution Attitudes
NO
Thanks
I have nothing to offer.
People like me don’t get involved.
I can’t make a difference.
I don’t know how to do this.
I have skills to offer.
I can make a difference.
I know how to do this.
They need me.
Yes I
WILL
Understanding the Participation Mindset:
“
BENEFITS
“I will get what I need
from this experience.”
Individuals are more likely to
join or be active when they
believe their needs and desires
will get met.
Benefits include:
Personal Benefits
Skills building, leadership
opportunities, job opps
Social Benefits
Connecting to others, developing
friends/support network
Purposive Benefits
Addressing issues that concern them
Possible Benefit Attitudes
NO
Thanks
This group is focused on something I care
about.
I can develop skills and gain opportunities
through this group.
This group will help me meet my needs.
This group will not meet my needs.
This could be a waste of my time.
They won’t be able to achieve their goals.
Yes I
WILL
Understanding the Participation Mindset:
COSTS
“I have few obstacles
to participation”
Individuals are more likely
to join or be active when
they face fewer obstacles to
participation.
Common obstacles include:
Work demands
Meeting time conflicts with
other obligations
Lack of child
care/transportation
Lack of family/peer support
Cost of participation
Possible Cost Attitudes
NO
Thanks
I have the supports I need to attend this
meeting.
They are meeting at a place and time
that is convenient for me.
I can fit this into my schedule
I have too many things that will get in the way
of me participating.
They are not able to accommodate people like
me.
I definitely don’t have time for this.
Yes I
WILL
Understanding the Participation
Mindset in Your Community
Contribution
Benefits
Costs
BUILDING THE PARTICIPATION
MINDSET
Acknowledging
Creating
Solutions/
Opportunities
Understanding/
Assessing
Building the Participation Mindset:
“I have something to contribute”
Acknowledging
• Help families see what
skills and knowledge they
have
• Highlight importance of
their knowledge/skills
base
• Highlight how it is
common to feel like you
have nothing to contribute
• Explain opportunities for
skill building
• Communicate and
celebrate
accomplishments and
successes
Understanding & Assessing
• Continually assess how
individuals would like to
contribute
• Inventory members’ skills
and assets
• Assess members
satisfaction with
contribution
opportunities. Adjust if
necessary
Opportunities and Solutions
• Provide skill building,
mentoring, and leadership
opportunities
• Identify & tap into unique
skills of members
• Provide diversity of roles
and responsibilities for
individuals to choose from
Building the Participation Mindset:
“I will get something out of this”
Acknowledging
Understanding &
Assessing
Opportunities
and Solutions
Building the Participation Mindset:
“I will get something out of this”
Acknowledging
Understanding &
Assessing
Opportunities and
Solutions
• Acknowledge that
participation should be
“value added” for
families members too
• Regularly assess
desired benefits
families would like to
experience
• Provide numerous and
diverse role
opportunities. Design
these with families
• Listen to families needs
and wants
• Assess to see if
members are having
their needs met and
adjust if needed
• Intentionally create
structures and
supports to help
families meet their
needs and desires
• Describe possible
benefits to
participation &
opportunities to meet
needs and desires
• Ensure that the
coalition is successful
at achieving its goals
Building the Participation Mindset:
“I have few obstacles to participation”
Acknowledging
Understanding &
Assessing
Opportunities
and Solutions
Building the Participation Mindset:
“I have few obstacles to participation”
Acknowledging
• Connect with families
over challenges to
participation
• Listen to their
participation concerns and
obstacles
• Describe how supports
and strategies will be
designed to meet their
needs and desires
• Maintain open
communication about
barriers and keep it
“normal” to have them,
talk about them, address
them
Understanding & Assessing
• Regularly assess barriers
families are experiencing
• Assess success and fit of
strategies and supports
and redesign if needed
Opportunities and Solutions
• Engage families in
identifying supports and
strategies that could be
useful
• Develop natural support
systems and linkages
across participants and
members
• Meet families in their
space, on their time, in
their ways
Recruiting
Sustaining
Engaging
Transferring this Learning
Pick one idea you will take home and try
to help your coalition build a participation
mindset during its recruiting process.
 Pick one idea you will take home and try
to help build a participation mindset
among your current coalition members.

The Context of Participation
A Participation
Mindset
Empowering
Coalition
ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION
What is an Empowering Coalition?
Provides members with opportunities to have
influence in the coalition and increased control in
their personal lives.
 When coalitions are empowering, members are
more satisfied with their involvement and are
more actively involved.
 Empowering coalitions are more likely to have
their desired impact and have an easier time
recruiting and sustaining members.

An Empowering Coalition
Inclusive Leadership
• Shared decision-making
• Motivational
• Respects Diversity
Support System
• Numerous supports
available; peer-based
support provided
• Sense of community
& trust is promoted
Positive Belief
System
• Focuses on strengths,
individuals achieving
goals, and connection
to broader community
Meaningful Roles
• Valuable, diverse roles
for all participants
• Opportunities for all to
develop skills, etc.
Adapted from Maton & Salem (1995)
As you think about your coalition, what makes it empowering for
its members? In what ways isn’t it empowering?
How Empowering is your Coalition?
Positive Belief
System
Meaningful Roles
Support System
Inclusive
Leadership
The Synergy Between The Participation Mindset
& an Empowering Coalition
P
a
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t
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a
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o
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M
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d
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Contributions
Benefits
Costs
L
e
a
d
e
r
s
h
i
p
Meaningful
Roles
Positive
Belief
System
Support
System
E
m
p
o
w
e
r
i
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g
C
o
a
l
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t
i
o
n
Creating an
Empowering
Coalition Builds a
Participation
Mindset
Building a
Participation
Mindset Creates
An Empowering
Coalition
Building “I have something to contribute” will
foster the Creation of Meaningful Roles
Acknowledging
• Help families see what
skills and knowledge they
have
• Highlight importance of
their knowledge/skills
base
• Highlight how it is
common to feel like you
have nothing to contribute
• Explain opportunities for
skill building
• Communicate and
celebrate
accomplishments and
successes
Understanding & Assessing
• Continually assess how
individuals would like to
contribute
• Inventory members’ skills
and assets
• Assess members
satisfaction with
contribution opportunities
and revise if needed.
Opportunities and Solutions
• Provide skill building,
mentorship, and leadership
opportunities
• Identify & tap into unique
skills of members
• Provide diversity of roles
and responsibilities for
individuals to choose from
Building an Empowering Coalition
Positive Belief
System
Meaningful Roles
Support System
Inclusive
Leadership
Importance of Communication

Share information often, in multiple ways,
at multiple times
Transferring this learning

Pick two ideas you will take home to help
your coalition become a more
empowering setting.
Moving to Impact
Active Membership alone is NOT
sufficient for impact
 What else do you need to do to make
sure you are effective?

Moving to Impact
Shared vision
 Strategic plan or Action Plan is aligned
with community needs
 Implementation of Action Plan is
monitored and adjusted
 Learning and continuous improvement is
central to your process
 Constituency base is constantly grown

Moving to Impact
•
Coalitions more successful when they
have “quick wins”.
• Quick wins promote buy-in
• Can generate resources
• Take first step towards change
•
Yet, quick wins alone won’t create
transformative change
• Create a Logic Model or Framework that
shows how these quick wins will build
towards bigger change
Example Logic Model
Short Term
Outcome
Your
coalition’s
activities
• Family
members
advocate for
early
childhood
services
Intermediate
Outcome
• Elected
officials
support an
early
childhood
agenda
Long Term
Outcome
• An expanded
array of
quality, early
childhood
services is
available
Impact
• All children
are ready and
able to learn
by age 5
Building your Constituency Base
One-on-one conversations
 Living-room conversations
 Community Conversations
 Photovoice
 Block Parties

Building Your Constituency Base
Link with stakeholders not represented
on coalition
 Engage community residents in planning &
implementation
 Connect with other coalitions targeting
similar issues
 Links with key leaders & policy makers
 Become voice of families in your
community

Building your Constituency Base:
Proactively Manage Each Meeting






Organize an accomplishable agenda
Actively lead meetings, including tracking
decision-making & discussion
Ensure that all participate in process
Address conflict when it surfaces
Seeks to build consensus
Arrange for and/or follow up as needed
Transferring this Learning

Pick one idea you will take home to have
more impact in your work in the
community.
Additional resources
The Community Toolbox
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/


CADCA
http://www.cadca.org/resources/series/Primers
For more information
Contact
Pennie Foster-Fishman, Ph.D.
125 D Psychology Buidling
Department of Psychology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
517.353.5015
fosterfi@msu.edu