Maximizing the Maximizing the Assets of a Diverse Assets of a Diverse

CommunityCommunityDallas L. Holmes, USU Dallas L. Holmes, USU

ExtensionExtensionAdapted from an article by Lisa A. Adapted from an article by Lisa A.

Guion and Janet Harper Golden, Florida Guion and Janet Harper Golden, Florida State University Cooperative Extension, State University Cooperative Extension,

2005.2005.

Needs verses AssetsNeeds verses Assets Needs:Needs:

A gap or difference between a current A gap or difference between a current situation and the ideal or desired situation and the ideal or desired situation.situation.

In Extension, the needs assessment tool In Extension, the needs assessment tool is used to identify what the gaps are, is used to identify what the gaps are, prioritize them, and make decisions prioritize them, and make decisions about what Extension can do to help.about what Extension can do to help.

Needs verses AssetsNeeds verses Assets Assets:Assets:

The strength, skills, talents, and The strength, skills, talents, and capabilities within a community that can capabilities within a community that can be used to enhance that community’s be used to enhance that community’s quality of life.quality of life.

In Extension, the asset model should be In Extension, the asset model should be used to recognize that even in the most used to recognize that even in the most disadvantaged community, there are disadvantaged community, there are individuals and organizations with individuals and organizations with talents and abilities.talents and abilities.

Needs verses AssetsNeeds verses AssetsNeedsNeeds AssetsAssets

Focus on deficienciesFocus on deficiencies Focus on strengthsFocus on strengthsResult in Result in fragmentation of fragmentation of responses to local responses to local deficienciesdeficiencies

Build relationships Build relationships among people, groups, among people, groups, and organizations.and organizations.

Make people Make people consumers of services; consumers of services; builds dependence on builds dependence on services.services.

Identify ways that Identify ways that people can give of their people can give of their talents.talents.

Give residents little Give residents little voice in deciding how voice in deciding how to address local to address local concernsconcerns

Empower people to be Empower people to be an integral part of the an integral part of the solution to community solution to community problems and issuesproblems and issues

Types of Community Types of Community AssetsAssets

1.1. Individual AssetsIndividual Assets2.2. Community OrganizationsCommunity Organizations3.3. Formal InstitutionsFormal Institutions

Individual AssetsIndividual Assets Everyone has talents, skills, and gifts Everyone has talents, skills, and gifts

relevant to community activities.relevant to community activities. Each time a person uses his/her Each time a person uses his/her

talents, the community is stronger talents, the community is stronger and the person is more empowered.and the person is more empowered.

Strong communities value and use Strong communities value and use the skills that members possess.the skills that members possess.

Such an approach contributes to the Such an approach contributes to the development of the community.development of the community.

Individual AssetsIndividual Assets1.1. Ask people for a list of their Ask people for a list of their

knowledge and abilities.knowledge and abilities.• Surveys, direct questions.Surveys, direct questions.• Work with the person to identify Work with the person to identify

which of those assets are most which of those assets are most valuable or needed in the community.valuable or needed in the community.

Individual AssetsIndividual Assets2.2. Look at community skillsLook at community skills. .

• Identify the types of community Identify the types of community activities that an individual has activities that an individual has participated inparticipated in

• Identify the types of community Identify the types of community activities that the person would be activities that the person would be willing to participate in.willing to participate in.

Individual AssetsIndividual Assets Look at the individual’s enterprising Look at the individual’s enterprising

interests and experiences.interests and experiences. Identify skills that could be used to launch Identify skills that could be used to launch

a small business, or that could be used in a small business, or that could be used in trade or vocation.trade or vocation.

Community Organization Community Organization AssetsAssets

When used with community associations, When used with community associations, groups, and organizations, the asset groups, and organizations, the asset assessment is based on the idea that every assessment is based on the idea that every community has people who work together to community has people who work together to pursue common goals.pursue common goals.

These groups may be formal or informal, and These groups may be formal or informal, and usually function by carrying out three key roles:usually function by carrying out three key roles: Deciding to address an issue of common interest.Deciding to address an issue of common interest. Developing a plan (formal or informal) to address the Developing a plan (formal or informal) to address the

issue.issue. Carrying out the plan to resolve the problemCarrying out the plan to resolve the problem

Formal Institution AssetsFormal Institution Assets The assets assessment process The assets assessment process

promotes the basic premise that promotes the basic premise that every community has a variety of every community has a variety of public, private, and not-for-profit public, private, and not-for-profit formal institutions that carry out formal institutions that carry out ongoing community functions so that ongoing community functions so that the social needs of a community are the social needs of a community are met.met.

Formal Institution AssetsFormal Institution Assets There are five steps involved in There are five steps involved in

assessing the assets of formal assessing the assets of formal institutions:institutions: Recognize that the local institutions Recognize that the local institutions

represent important assets to the represent important assets to the community.community.

Do an inventory of the institutions existing Do an inventory of the institutions existing in the community.in the community.

Identify the type of activities in which Identify the type of activities in which these institutions are involved.these institutions are involved.

Formal Institution AssetsFormal Institution Assets continued.continued.

Explore the types of links that can be Explore the types of links that can be built between these institutions, as well built between these institutions, as well as between the institutions, local as between the institutions, local individuals, and informal organizations.individuals, and informal organizations.

Seek the assistance of local institutions Seek the assistance of local institutions as conduits to resources outside the as conduits to resources outside the target community.target community.

Formal Institution AssetsFormal Institution Assets Formal Institutions can help the Formal Institutions can help the

community by:community by: purchasing locallypurchasing locally hiring locally hiring locally training local residentstraining local residents developing human resourcesdeveloping human resources sharing meeting space sharing meeting space initiating local investment strategiesinitiating local investment strategies mobilizing external resources mobilizing external resources sharing other resources.sharing other resources.

Recognizing Community Recognizing Community Assets in Cache ValleyAssets in Cache Valley

Clark Israelson, Dr. Allen Young, & Clark Israelson, Dr. Allen Young, & Dr. Ron Boman taught three Dr. Ron Boman taught three sessions of a Latino Milking School sessions of a Latino Milking School in 2004.in 2004.

Clark Israelson Dr. Allen Young

Dr. Ron Boman

Recognizing Community Recognizing Community Assets in Cache ValleyAssets in Cache Valley

They recognized both an asset and a need They recognized both an asset and a need in the Latino community in Cache valley: in the Latino community in Cache valley: Asset: Latino men can work in Asset: Latino men can work in agriculture without knowing much agriculture without knowing much English and excel at their jobs. English and excel at their jobs. Need: Many of them require more Need: Many of them require more training in order to get the jobs that they training in order to get the jobs that they need, but training is often offered only in need, but training is often offered only in English.English.

Recognizing Community Recognizing Community Assets in Cache ValleyAssets in Cache Valley

“The local Herald Journal newspaper did a story on the second quarter classes and did a feature on one of the participants. Gustavo Pena, grew up on a farm in Mexico and milked cows in Oregon for more than two years before coming to Utah. Pena reported that he had never learned the proper way to milk cows and care for dairy calves until he came to school at the USU Caine Dairy.”

Recognizing Community Recognizing Community Assets in Cache ValleyAssets in Cache Valley

The organizers also tapped into an asset The organizers also tapped into an asset of the Latino community when they of the Latino community when they hired Giselle Fernandez in 2003 to hired Giselle Fernandez in 2003 to translate the program.translate the program. “As a native Puerto Rican, Giselle was

already well acquainted with many member of the Latino community. She was able to immediately begin translating many of our handouts and fact sheets for upcoming finance and dairy classes that we offered to the Latino community in 2004.”

Recognizing Community Recognizing Community Assets in Cache ValleyAssets in Cache Valley

“In November, 2003, Giselle helped us to successfully form a Latino Advisory Council to assist us in identifying specific needs of the Latino community. The lessons we have learned from this group about the culture and the needs of the Cache County Latino community have been very instrumental in the success of this program. We were able to adapt our current programs that are very ‘Anglo-oriented’, and make them much more ‘Latino-friendly.’”

Maximizing the Assets of a Maximizing the Assets of a Diverse CommunityDiverse Community

““By utilizing the identified assets of the By utilizing the identified assets of the community itself, as well as the individuals community itself, as well as the individuals of that community and the community of that community and the community organizations, you will get the residents organizations, you will get the residents involved in building their community into a involved in building their community into a more cohesive group. The residents will more cohesive group. The residents will feel that they have a stake in what is taking feel that they have a stake in what is taking place. In other words, if you involve the place. In other words, if you involve the community in programming, you empower community in programming, you empower the members by making them part of the the members by making them part of the solution.” --Lisa Guionsolution.” --Lisa Guion

ReferencesReferences Beaulieu, B. (2002) Mapping the assets of your Beaulieu, B. (2002) Mapping the assets of your

community: A key component for building local capacity. community: A key component for building local capacity. Mississippi State, MS: Southern Rural Development Mississippi State, MS: Southern Rural Development Center.Center.

Guion, L.A., Goddard, H.W., Broadwater, G., Chattaraj, Guion, L.A., Goddard, H.W., Broadwater, G., Chattaraj, S., & Sullivan-Lytle, S. (2003). S., & Sullivan-Lytle, S. (2003). Strengthening programs Strengthening programs to reach diverse audiencesto reach diverse audiences. Gainesville, FL: Florida . Gainesville, FL: Florida Cooperative Extension, University of Florida.Cooperative Extension, University of Florida.

Kretzmann, J.P., McKnight, J.L., and Puntenney, D. Kretzmann, J.P., McKnight, J.L., and Puntenney, D. (1998). A guide to creating a neighborhood information (1998). A guide to creating a neighborhood information exchange: Building communities by connecting local exchange: Building communities by connecting local skills and knowledge. Chicago, IL: ACTA Publications.skills and knowledge. Chicago, IL: ACTA Publications.

Kretzmann, J.P., & McKnight, J.L. (1993). Building Kretzmann, J.P., & McKnight, J.L. (1993). Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding communities from the inside out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Chicago, IL: and mobilizing a community’s assets. Chicago, IL: Northwestern University for Urban Affairs and Policy Northwestern University for Urban Affairs and Policy Research.Research.