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Community Mapping Worksheet

The document provides guidance on conducting a community mapping activity to better understand a community and issue in order to effectively organize within that community. It explains that a community map will provide insight into organizing opportunities, potential partners and threats, as well as information needed to develop outreach, recruitment, and messaging strategies. The mapping should involve both internet research and face-to-face discussions within the community to fully understand the demographics, organizations, decision-makers, issues, and events in the area. The mapping process is ongoing, with continued learning over time. A list of questions is provided to guide the initial mapping work.

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Vipendra Singh Thakur
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98 views

Community Mapping Worksheet

The document provides guidance on conducting a community mapping activity to better understand a community and issue in order to effectively organize within that community. It explains that a community map will provide insight into organizing opportunities, potential partners and threats, as well as information needed to develop outreach, recruitment, and messaging strategies. The mapping should involve both internet research and face-to-face discussions within the community to fully understand the demographics, organizations, decision-makers, issues, and events in the area. The mapping process is ongoing, with continued learning over time. A list of questions is provided to guide the initial mapping work.

Uploaded by

Vipendra Singh Thakur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Handout | Guiding questions to map your community and issue

A community mapping activity will allow you to have a better ‘feel’ for the community you're
looking to organise in. A map of your community and issue will give you a good understanding of
your issue within a particular community. This includes potential organising opportunities,
potential campaign partners, potential threats and the political climate. This information can be
useful when you're developing outreach and recruitment plans, building a coalition or alliance,
developing a power map and deciding on your messaging. A map can provide an overall sense of
direction.

Use the Internet for data, but a community mapping exercise should always be done in the
community you're mapping. Likewise, an Issue map should be done in the community, city or
region you will be working in and talking (face to face) with stakeholders, activists and others.

You should allow a good amount of time for an initial mapping process, keeping in mind that the
process is on-going and you will continue to learn more about the community and issue you're
organising in as time goes by.

1. What do you know?


 Our organisation or movement’s history in this community and/or this issue
 What are we currently doing locally?
 Current and potential allies and partners

2. Who's in the area? Who cares about this issue and why?
 Demographics (Race, class, socio economic, nationality, languages spoken, faiths,
religions, etc.)
 Organisations/groups that advocate on behalf of these communities

3. What's in the area?


 Resources or organisations
 Institutions (churches, schools, hospitals, universities, city hall, etc.)
 Unique or problematic features (amusement parks, factories, etc.)
 Landmarks

4. What are issues and/or tensions? What are issues that relate to your campaign issue?
 Race, immigration, law enforcement
 Hot button issues
 Organisations/groups prioritising these issues (same or similar to the issue you're
organising around)

5. What are issues people care about?


 Jobs, recreation, health, etc.
 Organisations/groups that prioritise these issues

6. Who are the local decision makers?


 Mayors, city councils, utilities, etc.

7. Who influences decision makers?


 Community leaders/activists
 Community groups/organisations
 Local businesses and/or business groups

8. Environmental and/or environmental justice groups and issues they prioritise


9. "Low hanging fruit"

10. Potential roadblocks and/or threats


 Leaders with a bad environmental track record
 Decision makers
 Business, etc.

11. Public places of congregation


 Parks, community centres, etc.

12. What is happening in the community?


 Calendar of cultural events and activities

Source
Dave Muhly, Sierra Club. This resource is included, with Dave’s permission, in the Community
Organising training guide published by the Change Agency and Pasifika. The 296 page training
guide can be purchased in hard copy or downloaded as a pdf from
https://www.thechangeagency.org
Handout | Getting started on your community mapping work

1. Define the community: (Remember: not always by geography)

2. Identify the key things you need to learn.

3. Identify the initial time-frame for this work.

4. List the people you think that could help you.

5. Identify how you will track your findings.

6. Identify how you will start (Reminder: Begin with what you know and is easy to answer).

Source
Dave Muhly, Sierra Club. This resource is included, with Dave’s permission, in the Community
Organising training guide published by the Change Agency and Pasifika. The 296 page training
guide can be purchased in hard copy or downloaded as a pdf from
https://www.thechangeagency.org

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