2.0 Things To Do

2.1 Neighbourhood Events

Events are a great way to build community in your neighbourhood. Effective neighbourhood associations usually organize two to four events per year. Click here for an Event Planning Checklist and here for a Sample Work Plan Template.

Types of Neighbourhood Events:

Back Yard BBQ (ideal for smaller neighbourhoods)
Block Party
Car Free Day / Open Streets
Art in the Park
Sports Tournament
Talent Show
Pot Luck Dinner
Garden Tours
Local Heritage Tour or Event
Movie Night
London Clean and Green
Group Yard Sale
Canada Day Celebration
Easter Egg Hunt
Halloween Party
Harvest Celebration
Pumpkin Retirement
Holiday Caroling
Cruise Night
Neighbourhood Pub Night
General Meetings

2.2 Environmental Projects

Cleaning, protecting and enhancing the environment in and around your area is a great way to build community and beautify your neighbourhood.

Types of Environmental Projects:

Park clean up (see sample project plan)
River clean up
Graffiti clean up
Tree planting
Management of Invasive Plant Species
London Clean and Green (See Appendix xiv for Contact)
AdoptAPark (Click here for Contact info)
AdoptAStreet

2.3 Safety Initiatives

There are lots of ways you can make your neighbourhood safer both in perception and practice.

Types of Neighbourhood Safety Initiatives:

2.4 Welcome Package For New Neighbours

A welcome package is a great way to meet new neighbours and build membership.

They can include:

Coupons or gifts from local businesses
Garbage and Recycling info
Info about your neighbourhood association
Info about neighbourhood services and parks
Bus route info

2.5 Raising Funds

Fundraising Events

There are countless possibilities for neighbourhood fundraising activities. Although the traditional Car Wash, Bake Sale or Bbq usually work well, the three listed below are popular among neighbourhood associations in London. Try one of these or be creative and think of your own!

Neighbourhood Yard Sale

Pick a good location (visible house, library, school)
Ask neighbours to donate unwanted items and volunteer their time
Promote to the neighbourhood and rest of city
Hope for good weather

Plant Sale or Swap

Seek donations of plants from neighbours or a local nursery
Invite neighbours to come and purchase items for their gardens

Chili Cook-off

Find a good location/partner to host the event (church, banquet hall, library, school)
Invite Neighbours to prepare their very own chili in croc pots
Buy buns or bread to serve with the chili
Sell tickets to the event
You may also consider getting a Special Occasion Permit for the sale of alcoholic beverages

Grant Writing

Grants are a great way to fund specific projects your neighbourhood association wants to do. The most important thing to remember when applying for a grant is having a clear, well thought out idea and finding a grant that aligns with it. See Appendix x for grant writing tips.

Neighbourhood Decision Making (City of London)

A program that provides funds to improve and enhance neighbourhoods.
Simple idea submission process
Up to $50,000 of funding
Funding decision is made by public vote
See the NeighbourGood London page on Neighbourhood Decision Making

Neighbourhood Small Events Fund (City of London)

Up to $500 for small neighbourhood events
Simple online application form, requires list of expenses See the Neighbourhood Small Events Fund page

Td Friends Of the Environment Foundation

A national charity that funds environmental projects across Canada.
Applications reviewed throughout the year
Charitable partner required
More info available online

London Community Foundation

A London based funder of various types of charitable projects and organizations. Visit their website for more info.

Sponsorships

Getting sponsors requires a lot of effort, planning, time and persistence. Although it can be tricky, it is one of the best ways to find success and sustainability for your neighbourhood’s events.

Six Tips for Getting Sponsors:

Create a strong Sponsorship Proposal (Click here for a Simple Sponsorship Proposal and click here for a more advanced Sponsorship Proposal).
Customize you Sponsorship Proposal to the business you are talking with.
Research the businesses you are talking with, know who their customers are, be clear about how you will help connect with them and use their language where possible.
Start with your network – the easiest way to find a sponsor is to ask someone you know personally.
Approach perspective sponsors with phone calls or face to face rather than emails.
Maintain the relationship after the event and be sure to meaningfully thank sponsors for their contribution.

2.6 Communication

Effective communication is an important part of a strong neighbourhood association. It is essential that members of the association are able to connect with and share relevant information in a timely fashion. It’s also a great way to keep people engaged in neighbourhood news.

Flyers

Flyers and posters should be simple, direct and pleasing to the eye
Don’t try to put too much information as the message will be lost
See Appendix iii for a flyer template

Emails

Start collecting emails at the first meeting
Keep the emails organized in an electronic spreadsheet
Avoid “spamming” your members by only sending emails when necessary
Use the Bcc option to keep emails addresses private
If you have a large database of emails you can use a free online service such as MailChimp to help manage the process

Newsletters

Can be digital, paper or both
Most word processing software have templates for newsletters to make the design process easier
Ask neighbours to contribute stories and picture
You can create them monthly, every 3 months, twice a year or just once a year
You can email them out to your membership or,
You can deliver them door to door with volunteers and block captains
For digital design and distribution, you could also use the free online service Mail Chimp

Websites

Websites or blogs are a good way to collect and share all neighbourhood news in one place
There are many free or inexpensive services for your group to use
The easiest way to set up a blog is to find someone in your neighbourhood with the technical skills to do it.
However, make sure he or she trains other people on how to use the service and shares all the necessary login info and passwords with the group. You don’t want to loose access to your website if something happens to the person in charge of it

Talking With The Media

Address media releases to a particular person
Follow up with a phone call to ensure it was received
See Appendix vi for a sample media release

Facebook and twitter can be used to share news or alerts with your members in a timely and easy way
A Facebook Group is used to communicate with members and can be private or public
A Facebook Page is used to communicate with the broader public
Twitter is used to communicate quick news items and links with the broader public
The easiest way to manage social media accounts is to have someone with experience in your group take it on

Phone Tree

If some of your members are not online, a phone tree may be a necessary communication tool.

How to organize a phone tree:

Start by collecting phone numbers (this could be done at the same time as emails)
Create a core team of 4 to 6 people who are willing to commit to the job
Give each member of the core team a list of names and phone numbers they are responsible for calling (should be no more than 10 each)
Test the phone tree occasionally to ensure it works

2.7 Membership

Structured membership is not necessary in the beginning but is good to consider once your group starts to formalize its structure. Membership can be nominal (no charge) or based on payment.

How Much To Charge?

Annual fees can range from $5 to $50 per household
Work with members to determine an appropriate fee for your neighbourhood, keeping in mind that no residents should be excluded based on ability to pay
Some groups also offer an option to make a larger one-time payment for a lifetime membership ($100-$200)
Some groups only collect payment every other year to reduce workload
Make clear what residents get out of membership (ie. a vote at the AGM, the opportunity to be on the board, a gift, etc.)

At the Annual General Meeting
Online
Door to Door
Set up a station at a central location and invite residents to join
Through the mail

2.8 Volunteer Recruitment And Retention

Retaining existing and engaging new volunteers on an ongoing basis in an important part of sustaining your association. Relying on a small group for too long may lead to fatigue and even burnout. Good volunteer engagement also helps develop replacement board members when the need arises.

Ways To Recruit Volunteers

A personal invitation to a friend or acquaintance
Post volunteer opportunities on your group’s website and share on social media accounts
Put up posters at local faith based organizations, schools, businesses, shops
Include a request in newsletters and emails
Be sure to make it easy to sign up

Volunteer Retention

Always respond promptly to emails or calls
Be clear about expectation and communicate well
Use their name often
Send a reminder the day before the commitment
Be organized, thankful and supportive
Feed and hydrate volunteers well
Introduce volunteers to one another and use name tags
Send thank you emails or postcards to all volunteers
Educate them about their work and the impact it has
Take group pictures and post on website/social media
Send reminders of upcoming projects

2.9 General Meetings

Annual General Meetings (AGM) are held by community organizations to update their membership on the past year’s accomplishments and plans for the year ahead. They should happen at the same time every year and align with the organization’s financial year-end (if you have one). It is important to inform all of your members of the AGM and give them plenty of warning (one month at least).

What Is Done At An AGM?

Financial Report of the previous year
Election of new Board of Directors
Review activities of previous year
Review of plan for next year
Changes to bylaws (if required)
Celebration (food and drink)

Neighbourhood groups may choose to hold Special General Meetings when issues arise that require input from the entire membership. These can happen at any time throughout the year, depending on when the issue occurs.

Tips When Organizing A General Meeting

Find a large venue to hold entire membership (School, Place of Worship, Banquet Hall)
Promote in newsletters and with door to door flyers
Include food, either purchased or pot luck
Make it fun! It should be a celebration!

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