COMMUNITY ACTION RESOURCES

Looking for more resources and ideas on how to take action in your community? Here’s a list built for you! 

 

The Power of your Block 

Take a look at what groups around Chicago are doing to harness the power of their communities.  

6 Steps to Organizing Block Club Meetings

Block Wisdom: Getting the Block Working

Re-Imagining Block Clubs 

 

Get Inspired

You'll never doubt your power again after watching these stories from regular citizens who decided they, too, could make a difference where they live. 

Build a Better Block: Jason Roberts

Take a Street and Build a Community: Shani Graham

 

Plan for Action

These sites offer guides and advice on how to organize and take action.

  • Everyday Democracy: Everyday Democracy is a non-political organization whose website, full of articles, guides and case studies for engaging and participating in your community, is an excellent resource for groups interested in a wide variety of topics. 

  • Building Strong Communities: This collection of resource guides and articles from the Center for the Study of Social Policy gives groups step-by-step advice on how to take action in their community from formation to planning to execution.

  • My Block, My Hood, My City: This Chicago nonprofit provides training and consultations for block clubs in the city. They also help block clubs replace old signs or create new signs that are positive and welcoming, as well as offering resources like t-shirts, a Facebook graphic, and volunteer help for one project each year.

 

Your Options

What you choose to focus on is up to you, but here are some options for how to get started on expressing yourself.

 

 

 

Related

Neighbors work together to install seasonal decorations on their block

NEIGHBORHOOD GRANTS INITIATIVE OVERVIEW

We want you to be proud of the area you live in and our small grants may give you the chance to make improvements that your entire neighborhood can enjoy. You dream up the idea, recruit your neighbors, and we'll fund it.
Neighbors work in community garden.

BLOCK CLUBS

You may already have a vision for what you want your neighborhood to be, and if so, consider forming a block club. These action-oriented groups are formed at the grassroots level by residents who want to improve the areas in which they live.

Sign up for our newsletter for the latest news and opportunities to get involved!

SIGN UP