Coalitions Work Tools
We develop custom tools or adapt any of our existing tools. Download any of the following Microsoft Word document to help your coalition.
All Documents are in PDF format.
Coalition Start-Up Tools
- Is a Coalition Right for You?
A set of questions to help your group decide whether a coalition is the right organizational structure for meeting your group’s goals. - Coalition Guides
5-part series of guides that describe 5 stages of coalition development: pre-formation, formation, implementation, maintenance and institutionalization. Each guide describes what to expect, structure and overall strategy, tasks and products/outcomes. - Model Commitment Letter
A sample letter to use with coalition partners that outlines your vision for collaborative work and the responsibilities and resources that each organization or individual intends to commit to the effort. - Checklist to Become a 501 c(3) Non-Profit Organization
A checklist that details the 15-steps to help your coalition become a non-profit organization. - What Makes a Good Lead Agency?
A checklist of attributes that any good lead or fiscal agent should have in order to support the development and operation of a community coalition.
Coalition Planning Tools
- Plan Quality Index (PQI)
A checklist for staff and key leaders to assess the quality of community action planning efforts. - State Plan Index (SPI)
A checklist for staff and key leaders to test the quality of state strategic plans. - Coalition Action Plan Form
A template for developing annual coalition work groups action plans. - Coalition Roles & Job Descriptions
Sample descriptions, duties and responsibilities, and qualifications that can be adapted for your coalition staff, volunteer leaders and members. - Coalition Vision, Mission & Goals
Definitions of SWOT Analysis, coalition vision and mission statements, goals and strategies. - Coalition Bylaw Contents
Description of coalition bylaw sections and their content. - The Strategic Planning Process
8 steps to developing a customized strategic plan for your coalition
Coalition Building Tools
- Potential Member Grid
A table for recruiting organizational partners that lists their activities, accomplishments, contributions, self interests and potential conflicts. - Am I a High Functioning Coalition Member?
A tool to help you self-assess your coalition roles and responsibilities. - Am I a Transformational Coalition Leader?
A tool to help you self-assess whether you have what it takes (or are willing to learn) to become a leader for change. - Stages of Team Building
1-page summary of 5-stages of team building: Forming, storming, norming, performing and mourning (or re-forming) – Great for coalition work groups. - Coalition Meeting Check-Up
10 questions to help your coalition keep its meetings on track. - Chair or Facilitator’s Meeting Guidelines
Guidelines to help coalition Chairs or facilitators plan their before, during and after meeting tasks. - Guidelines for Coalition Meeting Etiquette
Guidelines for conduct among members that assures smooth, effective meetings. - Meeting Agenda Template NEW!
- A tool for creating your meeting agenda and organizing your proposed meeting.
- Meeting Minutes Template
A tool for taking and sending minutes that are in easy-to-follow, brief tabular format. - What Kind of Member Are You?
A role play activity where members assume defined roles and simulate a coalition meeting to show how individual attitudes and actions can help or hinder meeting progress - Skills Inventory Worksheet
An inventory of member and leader attributes and skills that can help volunteers assess their potential contributions to the coalition. - Member Orientation Packet
A description of items that might be featured in a 2-pocket member recruitment folder or virtual folder on your coalition website. - Coalition Member Gap Analysis A group activity for determining the organizations and individuals who are missing from the table that could better represent your vital community sectors and diversify your coalition.
- Buddy Program for Member Recruitment
A method for recruiting members to your coalition by connecting with current members. - Partnering with Community Sectors
A document that describes key community sectors (faith, business, education, schools and government) and tips for understanding and working with each.
Coalition Assessment & Evaluation Tools
- Ignite Coalition Task Template NEW!
- A diagnostic checklist based on the Ignite 4-stage framework to assess what coalition tasks need to be completed in each stage and which Coalitions Work tools will help you accomplish the tasks.
- Are You Ready to Evaluate Your Coalition?
15 questions can help you decide whether your coalition is ready to evaluate itself and its work! - Coalition Initial Needs Assessment
A form for assessing coalition resources, structures and functions. - Coalition Member Survey
A 49-item survey for members to rate the coalition on aspects related to planning, implementation, leadership, local and statewide involvement, communication, participation, progress and outcomes. - Coalition Effectiveness Inventory (CEI)
A diagnostic checklist for coalition staff and key leaders to assess coalition effectiveness. - Meeting Effectiveness Inventory (MEI)
A tool for evaluating work group and coalition meeting effectiveness and productivity. - Prioritizing Your Strategies
A tool for assessing whether potential strategies fit criteria that are hallmarks of successful ones in order to prioritize the key strategies for your coalition to use. - Is This Group Really A Coalition?
10 questions that can clarify whether an existing community group is a coalition. - What to Do When Things Go Wrong
A diagnostic tool that provides guidance on how to deal with common coalition challenges.
Coalition Sustainability Tools
- Key Sustainability Tasks for Coalitions
A graphic model of the Community Coalition Action Theory (CCAT) (Butterfoss & Kegler, 2009) with descriptions of each stage of coalition development and related tasks. - Coalition Sustainability Characteristics
10 characteristics that help make coalitions sustainable over the long haul. - 1-Page Organizational Message for Coalitions
Marketing tool that describes your coalition, its purpose and strategic initiatives for funders, potential members and the media. - Coalition Resource Development Plan
15 steps to help your coalition develop a realistic, durable resource development plan. - Seven Tips for Retaining Coalition Members
7 sure-fire tactics for keeping your coalition members engaged and active. - Six Steps to Successful Fund Raising
6 steps to help your coalition realize its fund-raising goals. - Fostering Innovation in Your Coalition
7 conditions or characteristics that can help assure creativity and innovation in your coalition. - Should You Disband Your Coalition
Critical questions that your leadership team should ask about whether or not to continue your coalition and its efforts. - Collective Impact
- 5 essential conditions of collective impact – Which ones do you already have? Which ones do you need to develop or improve?
- Factors that Promote Sustainability
- Checklist that helps your coalition decide where to focus in making sustainability a reality.