Tools & Templates | Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Resource Center

BNCP Documents

Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Program Description

The Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Description outlines the core components of the program, as well as the partners and neighborhoods involved.

Guidance on Planning for Technical Assistance

The Guidance on Planning for Technical Assistance helps BNCP neighborhoods plan for technical assistance in support of deepening their capacity to achieve results for children and families.

Revitalization Plan

The Revitalization Plan describes how the different stages of the BNCP process will culminate in a Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

Capacity Assessment Tools

The Capacity Assessment tools help neighborhoods establish benchmarks of their existing capacity and set targets for growth and development.

Capacity Building Framework

The Capacity Building Framework illustrates the capacities that research and practice show are essential to neighborhood revitalization.

Work Plan Tool

The Work Plan tool is used to support Site Directors' planning throughout the BNCP process.

Process Map

The Process Map describes the four strands of BNCP work: a community results process, a capacity building process, a “learn while doing” project and a revitalization plan

Site Director Job Description

The Job Description template was used to recruit Site Directors in each BNCP neighborhood.

BNCP Performance Agreement

The Performance Agreement identifies the shared values and respective responsibilities of the organizations committed to BNCP in each city.

A Community Process to Achieve Results

Why Begin With Results

This resource, an excerpt from the center's Community Decision-Making Guide, provides an introduction to a results-focused community change process. (The Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood: A Handbook for Using Community Decision-Making to Improve the Lives of Children, Youth and Families

This handbook provides an introduction to community-decision making and provides practical recommendations and tools that can be used to build capacity. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

What Is Results-Based Accountability?

This resource provides a brief introduction to results-based accountability, a step-by-step method that communities can use to manage a results-focused community change process. (Results Leadership Group)

Results-Based Accountability Implementation Guide

This web resource is designed to help people working to implement results-based accountability systems move from theory to practice. (Fiscal Studies Policy Institute)

Making an Impact through Results-Based Accountability

This presentation provides a detailed introduction to results-based accountability, a method for managing a results-focused community change process, and provides an example from Connecticut. (Results Leadership & National League of Cities)

Resident Engagement

Join with Others to Make a Difference: How to Reach Out to Your Neighbors

This resource provides ideas for reaching out to others and talking about what you want for your neighborhood. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Tips for Holding Effective Meetings

This resource provides tips on planning meeting logistics, preparing an agenda and assigning roles. (The Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Tips for Active Listening, Building Trust and Showing Respect

This resource provides tips on important values for working together and an activity to help assess and improve listening skills. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

How to Get More People Involved in Your Neighborhood Effort

This guide provides helpful tips and ideas that can stimulate resident engagement. (Yes We Can! A project of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation)

How to Work on Community Projects Involving People of Diverse Backgrounds

This guide highlights how community work can bridge relationships among people of diverse backgrounds. (Yes We Can! A project of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation)

Café to Go: A Tool for Facilitating Group Conversations

This resource provides an introduction to World Cafés - a facilitation tool that can be used in large group conversations. (The World Café)

Effective Partnerships with Parents: Community Café Conversations

This website provides resources for using the World Café technique to build parent voice and facilitate action to improve the lives of children. (National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds)

Growing and Sustaining Parent Engagement: A Toolkit for Parents and Community Partners

This toolkit provides strategies for maintaining and growing parent engagement. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Using Story Circles to Guide Community Conversations and Planning

This handbook provides guidance on how to use story circles as way to bring neighborhood residents together. (Orton Family Foundation)

Resident Leadership and Facilitation Workbook

This workbook has activities and exercises focused on resident leadership and facilitation. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Participation Tools for Better Community Planning

This guidebook outlines tools to encourage resident engagement in the planning process for land use and transportation in communities that have been historically under-served. (Local Government Commission)

Engaging Neighborhood Residents in Violence Prevention

This resource discusses how to engage residents and neighborhood groups in a violence prevention initiative. (Institute for Community Peace)

From Input to Ownership: How Nonprofits Can Engage with the People They Serve to Carry Out Their Missions

This article explores how some nonprofits have engaged clients and residents in order to deliver services more effectively and have a deeper impact on the social concerns they strive to address. (Bridgespan Group)

Engaging Youth in Community Decision-Making

This toolkit provides strategies and activities for engaging youth and young adults in community decision-making. (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the International Initiative and the Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Sustaining Neighborhood Change: the Power of Resident Leadership, Social Networks and Community Mobilization

This guide discusses the role of leadership, social networks, community organizing and civic participation in the Making Connections initiative. (The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Resident-Centered Community Building: What Makes It Different?

This report discusses the building blocks for effective, resident-centered community building work. (The Aspen Institute Roundtable for Community Change and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation)

Recipes for Rising Neighborhoods

This report discusses resident engagement in four diverse community-based organizations. (Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America)

Accountable Partnerships

Does Our Partnership Have A Balanced Membership?

This resource can help you assess whether your partnership is inclusive of the right stakeholders, ensuring a wide range of perspectives and expertise. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Sample Discussion Questions for Community Residents and Partners

This resource provides sample questions to generate discussion among community partners, including residents and local organizations. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

How To Develop a Partnership Agreement

This resource provides questions to consider when developing a partnership agreement and a template for developing a memorandum of understanding. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

How to Partner with Local Community Organizations

This guide focuses on building and sustaining partnerships with local community organizations. (Yes We Can! A project of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation)

Building Effective Community Partnerships

This toolkit provides guidance and case studies on developing community partnerships. (Institute for Educational Leadership)

Partnerships: Frameworks for Working Together

This web resource provides guidance on establishing and managing partnerships. (Administration for Children and Families)

Empower LA Leadership Academy

This web resource provides tools and templates designed to help Neighborhood Council members be more effective. While designed for councils in Los Angeles, many of the materials are relevant for other neighborhood partnerships. (Empower LA)

Engaging Effective Violence Prevention Collaboratives

This resource provides guidance on developing effective violence prevention collaboratives. (Institute for Community Peace)

Involving the Philanthropic and Corporate Community in Violence Prevention Planning and Action

This guide discusses how to engage business and philanthropic partners in community-based violence prevention. (National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention)

Community Collaboratives White Paper

This white paper identifies the attributes of successful community collaboratives and distills lessons from case studies on communities throughout the nation. (White House Council for Community Solutions and Bridgespan Group)

Useable Data

Getting the Facts: Uncovering the Strengths and Challenges of Your Neighborhood

This resource provides an introduction to learning about your neighborhood and using data to inform action. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Collecting and Analyzing Data

This resource provides an introduction to data collection, analysis and reporting. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Using Data to Track Your Progress

This resource discusses how to track your neighborhood’s progress toward achieving results. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Using Data to Drive Change: A Basic Primer

This primer discusses how to use data as a driver to change systems. (Living Cities)

Mapping Community Assets Workbook

This workbook provides a guide for mapping your community – a process that can uncover existing assets and resources. (Northwest Regional Education Laboratory)

Community Mapping Tool

This web resource contains a variety of community mapping tools, including a step-by-step how-to explanation and case study examples. (PolicyLink)

Conducting a Community Assessment

This web resource discusses the steps for conducting a community assessment through a series of videos and written information. (Administration for Children and Families)

Analyzing Data and Communicating Results

This web resource discusses how to analyze data and communicate results with a series of videos and written information. (Administration for Children and Families)

National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership

This web resource provides information about the development and use of neighborhood information systems in local policy making and community building. (Urban Institute)

Effective Solutions

Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention - National Training and Technical Assistance Center

This document highlights resources from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's National Training and Technical Assistance Center. Resources include tools, news from the field and links to various technical assistance opportunities.

Defending Childhood Initiative

This document describes the Department of Justice's Defending Childhood Initiative, which aims to address children's exposure to crime and violence.

National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention

This document describes the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, which is a network of communities and federal agencies working together to share information and build capacity to prevent youth violence.

Bureau of Justice Assistance - National Training and Technical Assistance Resources

This list highlights training and technical assistance resources available through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, including resources related on Crime Analysis on Demand and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.

Leveraging Bureau of Justice Assistance Resources

This list highlights the many resources that the Bureau of Justice Assistance has available - including technical assistance, funding opportunities and publications - to help communities design effective solutions to challenges around crime and safety.

Developing an Action Plan with Effective Strategies

This resource provides an introduction to researching promising practices, assessing programs and practices and selecting effective strategies that will impact your community. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Directory of Evidence-Based Practice Databases

This resource provides links to evidence-based practice databases across a range of issues areas. (Promise Neighborhoods Institute)

Choosing and Adapting Community Interventions

This chapter from the Community Toolbox discusses criteria for choosing promising practices and interventions and adapting them for your community. (Community Toolbox)

Find Youth Info

This web resource provides information on programs that lead to positive, healthy outcomes for youth. (Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs)

Crime Solutions

This web resource provides research on what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice and crime victim services. (Office of Justice Programs)

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Community Safety Resource Center

The LISC Community Safety Resource center is an interactive website that features free tools, templates, case studies and trainings, which draw on the proven strategies of hundreds of crime-fighting partnerships. (LISC)

Financing

How to Create a Sustainable Financing Plan

This resource includes tools and tips that can help your community develop a sustainable financing plan. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Locating and Using Resources to Support Your Work

This resource discusses how to find the resources you need to achieve results and put them to good use. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Guide to Successfully Preparing for Federal Grants

This guide shows how to successfully access federal grants by incorporating a focus on: results, data to demonstrate need, solutions that work, learning and accountability, effective partnerships and sustainability. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Acquiring Public Grants

This web resource provides guidance on finding and applying for public grants. (Administration for Children and Families)

Tools for Identifying and Developing Donors

This web resource provides guidance on identifying and developing donors with a series of videos and written information. (Administration for Children and Families)

Grant Proposal Writing Tutorial

This web resource provides an introduction to writing grants for foundation and corporate donors. (Foundation Center)

Organizational & leadership capacity

Core Functions in Leadership

This chapter from Community Toolbox discusses core functions in leadership such as building and sustaining relationships, learning from constituents and making decisions. (Community Toolbox)

Collaborative Leadership: Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes

This resource describes the knowledge, skills and attitudes of collaborative leaders. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Resident Leadership and Facilitation Workbook

This workbook has activities and exercises focused on resident leadership and facilitation. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Leading a Nonprofit Organization

This web resource provides tips and tools for executive directors and team leaders on leading a nonprofit organization. (Administration for Children and Families)

Resources for Nonprofit Financial Management

This web resource includes more than 60 free tools and other features related to four key elements of nonprofit fiscal strength: planning, monitoring, operations and governance. (Wallace Foundation and Fiscal Management Associates)

Empower LA Leadership Academy

This web resource provides tools and templates designed to help Neighborhood Council members be more effective. While designed for councils in Los Angeles, many of the materials are relevant for other neighborhood partnerships. (Empower LA)

Reflections on Leadership

This report documents the insights and experiences of the local site coordinators of Making Connections, a 10-year community change effort. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Sustaining Neighborhood Change: the Power of Resident Leadership, Social Networks and Community Mobilization

This guide discusses the role of leadership, social networks, community organizing and civic participation in the Making Connections initiative. (The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Paths to Leadership in Community Change

This report discusses best practices for communities interested in developing strong local leaders, drawing upon lessons from the Rebuilding Communities Initiative. (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Policy influence

How to Influence Public Policy to Support Your Work

This resource poses questions that can help you begin thinking about how to influence supportive public policies. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

Cities 101

This web resource introduces and explains municipal government in the United States. (National League of Cities)

Working Effectively with Local Officials

This resource provides suggested strategies for working with local officials. (Institute for Local Government)

50-State Policy Wizard

This web resource can be used to create custom tables with information about state and federal policies that assist low-income families and children. (National Center for Children in Poverty)

Participation Tools for Better Community Planning

This guidebook outlines tools to encourage resident engagement in the planning process for land use and transportation in communities that have been historically under-served. (Local Government Commission)