Abstract

BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY IN INNER-CITY NEIGHBOURHOODS: LEARNING AND RESOURCE NEEDS OF VOLUNTEER BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Evelyn (Lyn) Ferguson and Lynn Skotnitsky

This paper will explore an innovative model to enhance social development of low-income urban communities through adult education of inner-city residents sitting on boards of directors of non-profit organizations. Community organizations are increasingly being seen as important vehicles for development in terms of the degree to which they increase citizen participation, and stabilize and revitalize neighbourhoods through the creation of social capital (Temkin and Rohe, 1998; Gittel, Orega-Bustamente, and Steffy, 1999).

Drawing on a “community research as empowerment” model (Ristock and Pennell, 1996), the project combines research and community capacity building. We explore the learning processes and identify the resource needs of a sample of Winnipeg inner city volunteers through the utilization of an adult education model of experiential learning (Kolb, 1984, 1991). Concurrently we collect data through audio taping and observing these workshop/focus groups.

Discussion of preliminary findings will include a description of the processes and learning styles of participants as well as recommendations to voluntary organizations for ways to facilitate effective learning for volunteer board members, especially for strengthening the abilities of inner-city volunteers engaged in non-profit governance. We will also discuss possible policy recommendations to federal, provincial and municipal governments concerned with developing initiatives to enhance the potential of the voluntary sector for future community capacity building.

Bios

Evelyn (Lyn) Ferguson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in social policy and social work practice with women, research in social work, and supervision and staff development in the human services. Her previous research and publications have focused on volunteerism, the delivery of childcare services in Canada, parent/consumer involvement in licensed childcare centres, and the value of women’s labour in childcare and social services.

Lynn Skotnitsky has 14 years experience as a consultant, facilitator and researcher in academic, organizational and community contexts related to themes including gender, cross-cultural relations, inclusion and community capacity building. She has designed and facilitated a wide variety of adult learning events and multi-stakeholder consultations in sectors as diverse as childcare, healthcare, housing, tourism, financial services, language immersion and foreign student exchange. Lynn has international experience on projects in the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico and Thailand.

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