The ABC’s of ABCD Presenter: Cindy Hallman, Executive Director, Desert Mission & Vice President, John C. Lincoln Health Network 1

What We’ll Discuss Today: Assets vs. Needs Where to Find Assets What Is ABCD? Asset-Based Community Development Putting It Into Practice 2

Assets vs. Needs The ABCD point of view encourages people to recognize that their community is a glass half full of assets, not a glass half empty with needs. 3

Two Paths; Two Solutions 4 What Is NOT There. (Needs) Services to Meet Needs (Programs Are the Answer) Client: anyone under the patronage of another; a dependent. What IS There. (Assets) Connections & Contributions (People Are the Answer) Citizen: an inhabitant of a city or town, esp. one entitled to its privileges or franchises

Two Paths; Two Solutions 5 Problems Assets

Strength Comes From: Discovering local assets Connecting these assets to work together, and then Creating opportunities for these assets to be productive and powerful together. 6

ABCD is rooted in the belief that… When people discover what they have, they find power. When people join together in new connections and relationships, they build power. When people become more productive together, they exercise their power to address problems and realize dreams. 7

The Challenge How does a community develop a wider circle of people working together to address important problems and realize ambitious goals? 8

5 Building Blocks of Community Individuals Local Voluntary Associations Institutions Local Economy Physical World 9

Individuals 10 People’s gifts are the most fundamental building block of community. Every person has many gifts to contribute if given the invitation and opportunity.

Voluntary Associations 11 Allow groups of individuals to act together out of care. Effective in action Amplifier of gifts Creative Reach large numbers

Jacksonville Sailing Club Primarily a men’s club Professional women became the majority Club still sails Today’s members have an interest in connecting young women to local professions through mentoring and networking 12

Voluntary Associations 13 Allow groups of individuals to act together out of care. –Effective in action –Amplifier of gifts –Creative –Reach large numbers

The Marketplace on Central: Before 14 Below - Panoramic View – Before Construction

The Marketplace on Central: After 15

Institutions 16 Every institution can support local individuals and their associations Organized for efficiency, consistency & reliability

Local Economy 17 Economic exchange circulates money, goods, and services through a community as people buy, sell, hire and invest.

The Physical World 18 Both natural and constructed: Landscapes Buildings Preserves Streets Transportation infrastructure

Qualities of Effective Community Development Asset based: focus is on discovering what can be productive in a community Internally focused: recognize that the people who live in a community are the key contributors to community development that works Relationship driven: reminds that relationship building is the fundamental action of community building 19

People In Every Community Care About Something Care remains invisible without intentional conversations about what people care about. People may not care about what those with a particular agenda want them to care about. Care must be discovered through relationships that are built on purpose. Learning conversations are the way to make care visible. 20

If It’s the Rats, It’s the Rats! 21

If It’s the Rats, It’s the Rats! 22

People In Every Community Care About Something What are we doing to make care visible? Are we surrounded by people who care about the same thing we care about? How are we building our team? Whose perspective is missing? 23

Never Do Anything Nobody Wants 24 More Successful Start with learning conversations Discover what people care about, how they see the situation & what they want to offer Mobilize assets Less Successful Start with the answer Recruit people to implement the answer Look for answers to the additional problem of “lack of motivation.”

Putting It Into Practice Where is the opportunity for us to practice Asset-Based Community Development more? 25

How can we use ABCD to assist the Arizona Association of Food Banks? 26