Community Building Toolboxes/Toolkits/Handbooks

These guides available through the communitybuilders.nsw website contain a wealth of practical information on community building and development.

Building Your Community: An Asset based Community Development Toolbox (NSW Australia)
The Toolkit provides a practical guide on how to build on a community’s strengths and assets through a range of community activities
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_started/needs/abcd.html

Centre for Participatory Change Toolbox (USA)
Presents a set of skills and techniques on community organising, running a non-profit organisation, fundraising, leadership skills, developed out of community work in Appalachia USA.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/capacity/pctbox.html

The Citizens Handbook: A Guide to Community Building (Canada)
Contains useful information on community organising, community building activities, articles, case studies, bibliography and links to other useful sites.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/builder/participation/chbook.html

The Community Development Handbook: a tool to build community capacity (Canada)
An introductory guide to community development and capacity building, the Handbook chapters include: Understanding the Terms; When Does community Development Happen; Developing a Process; Attitude, Knowledge and Skills; Common Problems and Solutions.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/setting_up/cdhfg.html

The Community Development Facilitators Guide: a tool to support the Community Development Handbook (Canada)
The Guide contains: workshop exercises on the chapters of the Community Development Handbook; evaluations; facilitators information and tips.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/setting_up/cdhfg.html

Community Development Toolbox (USA)
An online support tool for communities to survey needs and plan community development – from the University of Illinois.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_started/needs/cdt.html

Community Engagement Handbook (NSW Australia)
The handbook and interactive website from Planning NSW provide planners and developers with comprehensive, easy-to-use tools, leading practice principles and practical stories from the field.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/builder/participation/censw.html

Community Toolbox (National Park Service of the USA Northeast Region)
Useful guidelines on decision making, events and gatherings, facilitation, organisation, visual and written communication, outreach, collecting information.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/planning/ctbox.html

Environmental Sustainability Kit (USA)
A set of tools, ideas, procedures, and resources to help local leaders, residents, and businesses work toward making their own communities more sustainable.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/building_stronger/safer/env_sustain_kit.html

The People’ Network Change Management Toolkit (UK)
Practical ideas, insights, and tools to help you think through different approaches to change and to apply key principles to your own situation.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/managing/pnet.html

Public Participation Toolkit (IAP2 Australia and NZ)
The International Association for Public Participation has produced resources that give a variety of techniques and strategies to enhance people’s participation in decision making.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/builder/participation/res_iap2.html

Strengthening Rural Communities Resource Kit (NSW Australia)
A practical manual to assist in planning and undertaking a process of community renewal, it functions as a toolkit and reference manual for information about community sustainability and resilience, especially in rural and regional communities.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/rural_regional/resources/srctoc.html

Tools for Non-profits (USA)
A directory of websites covering starting, running and funding a nonprofit organization; recruiting and managing volunteers and information technology advice.
http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/getting_organised/managing/Idetool.html