COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

1. Define your community- Defining your community can give you a sense of why

gaps may exist. It also helps identify the group(s), or sub-communities, that tend

to feel the effects the most. You can define the community with: Population, Place,

Attitude and Values.

2. Decide on scope- Community needs are often interconnected and complicated.

It can be tempting to want to assess and address all the needs in your community.

But by identifying community needs based on your available expertise and

resources and narrowing your scope accordingly, you can better concentrate your

efforts on what will achieve the most impact. That’s why it’s important to define

the intended reach or scope of your program from the outset. 

3. Identify assets- It’s important to figure out the types of assets you’ll need in

your community needs assessment to create your program. These assets, also

referred to as resources, are necessary for your program’s success. Assets can

include: Organizations, People (volunteers, community members, and experts),

Funding, Policies

4. Make connections- To pull off your community needs assessment, you need to

know the right people. By having connections can help you assess needs and play a

key part in helping you address them. It’s important to have resources, support,

and ample expertise available to you before implementing a program.

5. Collect data- To conduct a community needs assessment, you need data.

6. Develop and prioritize strategies for improvement.

7. Create a community action plan.