Many thanks to Douglas Dawson for this wonderful review of my new book! It was a real pleasure to talk with Doug recently about the book. His review is incredibly comprehensive, yet concise and accessible to the general public.
Here’s an excerpt from Doug’s blog post:
“The book draws many specific conclusions. As somebody who has participated in several local coalitions, the book’s conclusions ring true. Here are just a few of the many conclusions reached by Rhinesmith:
- Coalitions have a better chance at sustainability if they are created organically by community members or non-profits than if the effort is led by a local government.
- A successful coalition needs some permanent funding to support a few core people who keep the coalition operating. A coalition needs a full-time core effort to be effective since it’s difficult to keep a coalition of all volunteers going for the long haul.
- To keep coalition members engaged, a coalition needs to regularly meet goals and accomplish specific tasks so that members can see the value of sticking with the effort.”
It is always rewarding as a researcher to learn that my work resonates with those real champions in communities, like Doug, who are committed to and engaged in this work everyday. Thanks again, Doug!