Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

S.Y. 2021-2022 Second Grade Level/Section:

Trimester
MODULE 6 – CESC Subject Teacher:

WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATION

FOR RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND SOCIAL ACTION
I. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Define Resource Mobilization and Social Action
 Evaluate the importance of partnership with local communities and organizations
 Prepare for a proposed community action plan

II. DISCUSSION

A. Working with Local Communities and Organizations

Whilst there is no single path to successful working with communities, there are a number of principles that we have
found particularly useful. Seeking mutual benefit between a stakeholder and the communities it seeks to work with has
been central as it gives a clear incentive for partnerships to last.

Whilst working with local communities is hugely rewarding, it is important to manage expectations about what you can
do together. The following suggestions will help you to think through how you might approach developing work in this
area:

1. Don’t assume that the community is waiting to be ‘rescued’ or that there is a lack of information, skills and
resources within communities as a whole that are waiting for input. In fact there will already by sophisticated
community development work underway and active and informed individuals ready to collaborate. You will need to
sensitively negotiate the stakeholder’s role with community partners.
2. Both parties may need to be persuaded of the value and potential of partnership working. Consider how
community partnerships might fit with the stakeholder’s mission. If this can’t be demonstrated the activity is unlikely to
be sustained. Consider also the strategic benefits to communities and the organizations and networks that support them.
High quality ongoing communications will be needed to keep the value of the work to the fore, and to share how much
progress is being made.
3. Think local. If you are new to community engagement partnerships, it is likely that the more local the partnerships are,
the more likely they are to work.
4. Begin work with people who want to work with you. Concentrate on beneficiaries of the work and develop
communities of practice to link those involved. Prioritize your attentions on those who want to work with you and address
the barriers to their participation.
5. Find creative ways around different processes – working with communities probably won't fit standard procedures.
This can be stressful and difficult – culture change requires a bold heart! When we've found ourselves needing to be brave
and do things outside certain bureaucratic structures the adage 'Don't ask for permission, ask for forgiveness', has been
useful.
6. Develop the ability of staff to communicate and build relationships with diverse communities – explore
integration into staff development programs. Decide what you are going to measure and how. Consider leaning on any
benchmarks and approaches developed by others rather than inventing your own; consider how the process and outcomes
of measurement are useful to community and to you.

Why work with community-based organizations?

As resources for local governments and public agencies dwindle and the demand for services grows, public
entities will out of necessity turn to other sources in the community to fill in gaps or provide for unique needs. Among the
partnerships and collaborations public entities will turn to are community-based organizations.
Community-based organizations interact daily with members of the community and are often located in
neighborhoods. These organizations have unique and important insight into the challenges and opportunities facing
children and families in their neighborhood. Frequently staff at community-based organizations speak the language(s) of
the surrounding community and from the ethnic and cultural populations being served. People in the neighborhood trust
community-based organizations to understand their unique situation and to offer sound advice and appropriate services.
There are also non-profit organizations that provide other types of services like community housing developers, visitor
bureaus or non-profit hospitals to name a few. While the purpose of the organization or the scale and nature of the work

This module is an intellectual property of the University of the Cordilleras Senior High School. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, distribution, display or transmission in any
form, medium and manner of any of the contents of the modules (digital or printed) for whatever purpose is strictly prohibited.
 Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

S.Y. 2021-2022 Second Grade Level/Section:

Trimester
MODULE 6 – CESC Subject Teacher:
may be different from the social service type of organization, the financial management and reporting will be similar as
will their greater knowledge of the community.

Some things to consider about community based organizations. In planning how to work with community-based
organizations, consider the following observations:
• Each community-based organization has a mission that guides its work. It is important that the work you
are asking the community-based organization to undertake fits within its mission.
• While community-based organizations can do many things very well, they also have limits. They have
smaller staff size and more limited budgets than a public agency. In developing a request for proposals or a contract with a
community-based organization, keep in mind their capacity. However, they do offer greater flexibility in how a program
or project is implemented.

B. Resource Mobilization and Social

Action Social Action

Social action is a method of social work used for mobilizing masses in order to bring about structural changes in
the social system or to prevent adverse changes. It is an organizedq effort to change or improve social and economic
institutions. Some of the social problems like dowry system, destruction of natural resources, alcoholism, poor housing,
health, etc. can be tackled through social action.
As a method of professional social work, social action has remained an issue with wide ranging of opinions
regarding its scope, strategies and tactics to be used, its status as a method and its relevance to social work practice. Mary
Richmond was the first social worker to use the word ‘social action’ in 1922. She defines social action as “mass
betterment through propaganda and social legislation”. However, Sydney Maslin (1947) limits the scope of social action
by considering it as a process of social work mainly concerned with securing legislation to meet mass problems. Baldwin
broadens the scope of social action by emphasizing on bringing about structural changes in the social system through
social action.
Baldwin (1966) defines social action as “an organized effort to change social and economic institutions as
distinguished from social work or social service, the fields which do not characteristically cover essential changes in
established institutions. Social action covers movements of political reforms, industrial democracy, social legislation,
racial and social justice, religious freedom and civic liberty and its techniques include propoganda, research and
lobbying”.
In the same line Friedlander (1977) defines social action as an individual, group or community effort within the
framework of social work philosophy and practice that aims to achieve social progress, to modify social policies and to
improve social legislation and health and welfare services.

Resource Mobilization

Resource mobilization refers to all activities involved in securing new and additional resources for your
organization. It also involves making better use of, and maximizing, existing resources. Resource mobilization is often
referred to as ‘New Business Development’. The figure below shows how New Business Opportunities – which are
intended to mobilize resources – form part of an organization’s overall functioning.
Resource mobilization is the process of getting resource from resource provider, using different mechanisms to
implement the organization’s work for achieving the pre- determined organizational goals. It deals in acquiring the needed
resources in a timely cost effective manner. Resource mobilization advocates upon having the right type of resource, at
the right time, at right price with making right use of acquired resources thus ensuring optimum utilization of the same.

Why is resource mobilization so important?

Resource mobilization is critical to any organization for the following reasons:

 Ensures the continuation of your organization’s service provision to clients
 Supports organizational sustainability
 Allows for improvement and scale-up of products and services the organization currently provides
 Organizations, both in the public and private sector, must be in the business of generating new business to stay in
business

What is meant by sustainability?

This module is an intellectual property of the University of the Cordilleras Senior High School. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, distribution, display or transmission in any
form, medium and manner of any of the contents of the modules (digital or printed) for whatever purpose is strictly prohibited.
 Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

S.Y. 2021-2022 Second Grade Level/Section:

Trimester
MODULE 6 – CESC Subject Teacher:
Although sustainability is often identified with having sufficient funds to cover an organization’s activities, it is
actually a broader concept. There are three fundamental streams of sustainability: institutional, financial and
programmatic. Each is vital to the survival of an organization. Below are the definitions of these three areas of
sustainability:

Programmatic sustainability. The organization delivers products and services that respond to clients’ needs and
anticipates new areas of need. Its success enables expansion of its client base.
Institutional sustainability. The organization has a strong, yet flexible structure and accountable, transparent governance
practices. Its structure and good governance allows it to respond to the shifting priorities of its supporters and to new
responsibilities toward its clients, while creating a positive work climate for its staff.
Financial sustainability. The organization draws on various sources of revenue, allowing it to support its ongoing efforts
and to undertake new initiatives.

Why social action is important?

Ed Kirwan, project founder of Motivation of the Invisible shares some insights on why social action is important:
1. You realize what privilege actually means
When you have privilege – you should help other people. While he was teaching, he did a homeless experiment
where he went homeless for two nights. “I always knew I was going back to a bed but the two nights gave me a faint
experience of what others have to experience for years.”
2. You learn that stories are the most powerful tool in existence
Putting a human story behind statistics, and around an issue, can really encourage empathy and bring it to life. Ed
explains how his preconceived ideas were shattered just by having conversations with people.
“I definitely think dealing with different kinds of people help you to learn about the world. No group is
homogenous and the word ‘homeless’ encompasses so much.”
Ed’s knowledge and experience grew as he listened to more and more people. “I met this one woman, Tracy,
from Manchester, who actually refuses to beg. So instead, she makes these colorful friendship bracelets from thread –
which she then sells.”
3. It teaches you empathy
Despite what a lot of people think, homelessness is not a choice. It is a bleak reality for a lot of people – and it is
becoming worryingly common to be on the brink of homelessness.
“It’s something that could happen to anyone of us” Ed emphasizes. “If your circumstances had been slightly different…
We know that a lot of homeless people were in care, or were abused as a child. A lot of them suffer from a mental illness.
And, in actuality, some homeless people become addicted to alcohol and drugs after they become homeless, rather than
before – which, looking at their living conditions, actually isn’t all that hard to believe.”
Ed also adds that “empathy is something we have to practice and this might mean you might be scrutinized a lot,
but that’s part of it.” The more we learn about others, the more we grow.
4. You end up having more faith in the world.
You realize that most people, fundamentally, aren’t all that bad when you help out with social action.
Over the time Ed has been campaigning, one thing he has learnt is that, “people do care, it’s just that they don’t
know how to help. When I went homeless, there was a four year old who carried on turning around as she walked past,
but carried on being pulled aside by their mum. This just proved to me that human nature is to care and the innocence of a
child reveals that.” He tells us that, “to bring that back, we have to try to upturn our own societal upbringing and social
conditioning.”
5. You learn that societal issues are not black and white
There is SO much going on with the world. Specifically, there are so many elements to homelessness that we do
not realize. Ed adds that “rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg”.
He also found that that although Christmas and winter is when there is a huge influx of help, there are actually more
homeless people on the street in summer than winter – because that’s when the shelters close. “Also, in summer, there is a
dangerous risk of sunburn and dehydration,” he says.
6. You realize there is ALWAYS a difference to be made…
Ed emphasized the importance of this mentality whilst he was teaching. During discussions with his students, he
found that a lot of them would feel disheartened at the idea of helping because many of them didn’t have money to give.
He would say to them “you can smile, or nod or just some kind of recognition, to let them know you see them.” Ed tells of
another homeless person he spoke to called Richard, saying “He was a great guy and he actually told me that he would
rather someone sit next to him and have a chat, rather than have a sip of vodka, even though he was an alcoholic.”
7. You’re reminded that ‘togetherness makes your problems less of a problem’

This module is an intellectual property of the University of the Cordilleras Senior High School. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, distribution, display or transmission in any
form, medium and manner of any of the contents of the modules (digital or printed) for whatever purpose is strictly prohibited.
 Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Name:
Email: [email protected]; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

S.Y. 2021-2022 Second Grade Level/Section:

Trimester
MODULE 6 – CESC Subject Teacher:
Ed reminds us that exchange of human contact is everything. “Being homeless is like being extremely lonely but
never actually being alone. It’s a fact that you could save someone’s life just by chatting to them. That chat can remind
someone of life again and that they exist, and that they matter.”
8. It reminds us why it’s important to #DoSomethingForNothing
One thing that Ed felt quite inspired by is the movement #DoSomethingForNothing started up by Joshua
Coombes. A hairdresser by trade, Joshua began helping homeless people in 2015 by giving out free haircuts. His friend’s
Matt and Dave then launched a digital campaign encouraging random acts of kindness. Ed says, “it’s quite exhausting to
realize we live in a world where you don’t do something where you can’t get anything from it”. He found this campaign
to be a massive step forward and believes in embodying it as much as possible

III. ACTIVITY (WRITTEN WORK 2 – 25 POINTS)

Instructions: With your understanding of resource mobilization and social action. Provide five resources needed to
advance your organization’s advocacy. Put your answers in the table below.

Resources Needed (5 items, 2 pts each) Social Action (5 items, 3 pts each)
budget allotment from stakeholders Enough budget allocation will support important activities
and necessary actions to start and sustain the cause of the
advocacy.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

IV. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

What is Resource Mobilization and Why is it so Important?

https://healthcommcapacity.org/resource-mobilization-important/#:~:text=Resource%20mobilization%20refers
%20to%20all,as%20'New%20Business%20Development'.

Resource mobilization for health action in crises: Philippines floods

https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/resource-mobilization-health-action-crises-philippines-floods

V. REFERENCES
National Institutes of Health. Principles of Community Engagement (2nd Edition). NIH
Publication. USA; 2011.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Principles of community engagement (1st ed.). Atlanta (GA):
CDC/ATSDR Committee on Community Engagement; 1997.

This module is an intellectual property of the University of the Cordilleras Senior High School. Unauthorized reproduction, modification, distribution, display or transmission in any
form, medium and manner of any of the contents of the modules (digital or printed) for whatever purpose is strictly prohibited.