How to Work With

Coalitions

...The Best Start Experience

One of a series of

“How to...” resources developed by

Best Start: Community Action For Healthy Babies

The “How To”Series

The Best Start “How To” resources were developed tohelp you work with specific audiences. Participation fromthe audience you want to reach is critical in creatingeffective initiatives. Young mothers, small businessowners, students, physicians and other communitymembers have unique and important skills. However,they are often busy people and their time needs to berespected and input valued. There are manycommonalities when working with different audiences.However there are also considerations and challengesspecific to each. The “How To” series will help youinvolve different groups and individuals in your work.

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September 2000

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Why Work with Coalitions?A coalition is a group of differentorganizations and or individuals that cometogether to work on a common goal.Coalitions have many different strengths.Certainly there is strength in numbers. Agroup of people has more skills, insights,ideas, time and money than a singleindividual or organization. A coalition is aunified community voice, showing thatmany groups and individuals are concernedabout an issue and are working togethertoward solutions.

Coalitions are a good way to share the workif many people in a community areconcerned about the same issue. They canhelp organizations collaborate thoughincreased service coordination. Gaps inservice can be identified and addressed.Coalitions are an especially useful way todeal with complex concerns that involvemany services in a community. They alsoprovide an opportunity for people affectedby the issues to have a voice and to becomeinvolved in the process of change.

Comments on CoalitionsCoalitions take on a life of their own andcannot and should not be controlled by anyone agency or individual. They are anopportunity to work together in new ways,establish new partnerships and to look atvaluable work that may go beyond thescope or role of an individual agency. While

coalitions can take on large tasks andprovide a powerful united voice, they do notalways move quickly or smoothly. It takestime to discuss issues and reach agreementon initiatives. Groups of individuals need tolearn to work together. An ongoing effortmust be made to effectively communicateproblems, concerns, ideas and plans.

Best Start and Coalitions Best Start worked with coalitions to improvematernal newborn health in several differentcommunities. Coalitions guided Best Start,building capacity and mobilizingcommunities around the many risk factorsthat contribute to low birth weight. AlthoughBest Start coalitions all worked towardsimproving maternal newborn health, eachfocused on different initiatives, respondingto needs and concerns in their community.

The Best Start coalitions included a range ofservice providers and individuals interestedin the issues. Mothers, teens, nurses,physicians, business owners, healthpromoters, teachers and many otherconcerned citizens were active on thecoalitions. Because of the broad communityinput, Best Start was able to address actual,rather than perceived needs of thecommunities. Between 1991 and 1998, over1500 people contributed to the work of BestStart.

Due mainly to geographic differences,coalition structures varied within Best Start.

In general, each coalition consisted ofseveral subcommittees that concentrated onan individual risk factor and a planningcommittee that organized all of the workwithin a geographic area. Thesubcommittees worked on initiatives andreported to the planning group. Theplanning group, in turn, guided andcoordinated the work of the subcommittees,ensuring a coordinated communityapproach to maternal newborn health.

INSIDE:The Best Start Experience ..............4

Recipe for a Good Coalition............8

How To Work with Coalitions .........9

Quick Tips.......................................9

Successful Coalitions ...................10

Final Comments............................10

Where To Get More Information...11

HOW TO . . . Work With Coalitions

COALITIONS CAN HELP YOU

• Share information

• Make new contacts

• Get input from a variety of sources

• Minimize duplication and competition

• Address gaps in service

• Solve problems

• Do community planning

• Plan and launch initiatives

• Share initiative costs

• Work towards a common goal

• Accomplish things that go beyond your mandate

• Work on large tasks

HOW TO . . . Work With Coalitions

We invited an experienced communityadvocate for women who were victims ofviolence to make a presentation. Thistraining event brought people togetheraround the issue of woman abuse. Aboutforty participants spent the day identifyingissues and needs in the community. At theend of the day more than twenty peopleindicated an interest in building acommunity coalition focused on zerotolerance to violence against women.

One of the things that made this coalitionexciting was that key individuals showedan interest in working together. Membersof the legal and medical community,emergency services, service providers,community agencies and consumers werewilling to participate. From the outset, thisgroup was well intentioned and committed

to positive change. This coalition waslooking like a successfrom the verybeginning.

We were so anxious tomove forward that wejumped right into planningactivities. The groupwanted to create astandardized protocol tomake it easier for women toaccess services. Weproceeded to create posters,do surveys and invitedwomen to tell their stories atcoalition meetings aboutwhat had and had not workedfor them.

In one community, Best Start startedbuilding a coalition by asking forsuggestions from existing staff membersand by looking through the local servicedirectory. In the directory we searched forprograms, groups and organizations whosemandate aligned with Best Start’s work. Weput together a list of possible candidates.

Next, letters introducing the purpose andbenefits of the proposed coalition were sentto organizations, inviting them to participate.The letters were followed by a phone call. Ifthe individual sounded remotely interested,personal visits provided additionalinformation and face-to-face contact. Each

candidate was given an orientation packageabout Best Start and a draft vision statement.We emphasized that the contribution of eachperson would be valuable.

Many people stepped forward to be a part ofour work. Agencies were key in identifyingindividuals from the audience of interest andin involving them in the coalition. Only twomonths later the Body Image coalition hadtwelve members, the Empathy Belly coalitionhad eight members and the WorkplaceHealth coalition had ten members. Therewere also four coalition members who wereinterested in the administration and overallplanning of Best Start. As a result, we were

very busy planning and initiating projects.Within a year our initiatives took off likewildfire and overall participation grew toover 200 volunteers.

FORMING A COALITION

Getting People on Board

DEFINING THE COALITION

Learning to Work Together

Insight:There are committed people whereveryou are. Blanketing the communityworked, not only for finding volunteersbut also in heightening awareness of theissues. Face to face follow up to theletters paid huge dividends. Serviceproviders can help you find and involvecommunity members in a coalition.

In this section of the booklet you will hear how Best Start worked with coalitions on maternal newborn health. By involving communitiesthrough coalitions, Best Start was successful in identifying and addressing local issues of concern. The stories demonstrate the rangeof roles that can be taken on by coalitions and how, by working together, you can improve the reach and quality of initiatives.

THE BEST START EXPERIENCE

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A coalition decided that they would like todevelop a body image resource centre. Thishuge vision was somewhat daunting to thenewly formed coalition. There were manycritical steps to accomplishing it and itssuccess involved a lot of support from thecommunity. A crucial point was toencourage a partner organization to becomea stakeholder by offering free space tohouse the centre.

The coalition identified that we needed to gaincredibility before an established organizationwould take us seriously and offer space. Weagreed that we would first have to work on

other, smaller projects. We started a peersupport group and organized a resourcelibrary through an adopt-a-book program.

The preferred organization to host the bodyimage resource centre was a child & youthagency because they were established andcredible and they worked with young people.In addition, through the Body ImageResource Centre, we could help them offeran extra service to youth without incurringany additional staff-related expenses. By thetime we actually approached the agency, wehad no problem selling the coalition orconcept of the Resource Centre. In fact, the

Executive Director was so impressed with thegroup’s commitment and work that he agreedto donate space.

BUILDING CREDIBILITY

The Body Image Resource Centre

Insight:To gain credibility for larger initiatives,start with small ones that are easy to doand provide visibility in the community. Byworking on smaller projects first, it willhelp you learn to work together and definethe role of your coalition. Think big, andwork gradually towards your vision.

This causedconcern forsome agencies.A small numberfelt they wereportrayed in anegative light.They did not see itas an opportunityto collectivelyimprove how thecommunity providedservices for abusedwomen. We talkedthrough this, but lostsome members in theend. We reviewed oursteps, deciding that itwas time to develop amission statement,goals and objectives.We realized, inhindsight, we shouldhave spent more timedeveloping a commonvision.

The coalition still stands to this day.Numerous women’s groups across theprovince have reproduced the coalition’sorientation package on woman abuse. Thecoalition continues to be the lead organizationin local celebrations of International Women’sDay. Members are often contacted by themedia to provide perspectives on currentissues. The coalition plays a strong advocacyrole for women in the community.

Insight:A networking day with a good speaker is anexcellent way to get people excited aboutan issue. Asking for volunteers before theend of a networking day gains people’scommitment. Activity based work keepspeople involved. However, take the time todefine and structure your coalition, beforemoving to action. It is very important to laythe groundwork by agreeing on a mission,goals and objectives.

HOW TO . . . Work With Coalitions

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One spring day in 1997 our office receivedyet another call from a distressed pregnantwoman in need of baby supplies. Although itwas not our role to offer these services,other service providers in the communityrepeatedly referred people to us. Staffdiscussed needed community services forwomen in poverty. The manager thought apregnancy resource centre would be avaluable service. Further discussion broughtus to the concept of a “swap shop” wherepeople would be able to shop for used babyclothing, furniture and other items. Accessto healthy food during pregnancy, especiallyfor women living in isolation and poverty,was also an issue in the community.

Best Start brought together communitymembers who were interested in prenatalservices to discuss gaps in local servicesfor low-income pregnant women and waysthat we could meet those gaps. The localfood bank was the first partner that BestStart approached. Later, representativesfrom the hospital, the health unit andinterested community members joined us.These partners took ownership of the issueand formed a steering committee.

Getting the committee members to agree onvalues and beliefs was an important part ofthe mobilization process. Committeemembers felt that although they did not

have funding for a full pregnancy supportprogram, there was enough communityinterest to start with a core program. Thehospital provided a room, grocery storesdonated food and nurses volunteered theirtime. MotherCare opened its doors as a fullyvolunteer-driven model.

Later on, the MotherCare steeringcommittee successfully submitted aproposal to the Canada Prenatal NutritionProgram for ongoing funding to supportand enhance the service. This fundinghelped build the program to a weekly dropin service with food and an educationalcomponent. The MotherCare program isopen to women who are pregnant or whohave babies up to six months of age. Aboutforty needy pregnant women attend theprogram each week. Due to the success ofthis model, other communities in the areaexpressed interest in developing similarprograms. Today there are seven fundedMotherCare sites in the county. A “NextStep” project was initiated to continue toprovide support to women who were“graduates” of MotherCare.

Insight:Spend time planning and agreeing onvalues, beliefs and direction before youproceed to initiatives. Try to buildsustainability into your initiative. Iffunding is not available, look for ways todevelop community support for yourissue or program. Be ready to help othercommunities take on your successfulinitiatives.

FULFILLING A VISION

Pregnancy Support Program

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MODIFYING A DREAM

“Support Centre” to “Centres of Support”We decided that we wanted to develop adrop in support centre for pregnant women.A coalition of interested agencies andvolunteers was called together. One personfelt strongly that a centre would not work.She believed we did not have enough“needy” pregnant women to warrant such acentre. Because of her position and the skillsshe brought to the coalition, we felt it wasimportant for her to be involved, althoughshe made it clear from the start that shedisagreed with the goal of the coalition.

The coalition went through several planningexercises to clarify its vision. We wrote aletter of intent to a funding organization. Theletter was successful and we receivedapproval to develop and submit a fullproposal. However, one member still did not

support the concept. We wrote the proposalbut because there was not agreement, wefinally decided to abandon the proposal.

After a few months had passed, the coalitionmet again. We talked about what work wecould all support. After much discussion,we decided to look at many “centres ofsupport” rather than a single “supportcentre”. We wanted to improve resourcesand services at many locations in thecommunity.

We made lists of the resources at eachlocation, including libraries, health unit,clinics and parent resource centres. We thenpurchased replacement books, posters andmodels for those in poor condition or thatwere out of date. We also purchased

resources the services said they needed.The coalition developed a brief user-friendlyservice directory related to pregnancy foragencies and pregnant women. We felt wehad made progress as a coalition and finallyhad a unified voice. We never returned tothe idea of a support centre.

Insight:Look at common ground and decide whatactivities or initiatives you can all agree tosupport. Focus on what would work wellin your community and brainstorm thebest way to improve support for pregnantwomen. A diversity of viewpoints within acoalition can be enriching. Do notproceed without agreement as a coalition.

INPUT FROM THE INTENDED AUDIENCE

Pre-Testing Prenatal PostersA coalition, mainly made up of serviceproviders, decided to develop a poster abouthealthy pregnancies. Before coming up withdraft designs or messages, the coalitionwanted to have a better idea of what caughtthe interest of women in their reproductiveyears. It is difficult to gather women in theirreproductive years for focus testing. Thewomen may be pregnant and tired, verybusy with young children, or may beworking. We found the best way to testresources was to go to existing groups atToy Libraries, Resource Centres or otherdrop in type programs. The women werehappy to answer questions and to look atdraft resources.

Eight posters developed by otherorganizations were presented to threegroups of women. The comments wereconsistent and interesting. The womenpreferred a poster that showed a group ofpeople gathered around a pregnant woman.Everyone looked happy and supportive. The

colors were warm. The text was short, tothe point and used a positive voice. Thewomen felt it was the sort of poster theywould stop to read.

Interestingly enough, the coalition favored adifferent poster. The poster they liked bestwas the one the women least preferred. Itwas a gray and white poster showing fourpregnant women. Red circles with linesthrough them indicated things pregnantwomen should not do, including smoking,alcohol, drugs and X-rays. The groups ofwomen who reviewed the resources felt thatthis poster was preachy and negative. Itmade them feel annoyed. They said theywould not stop to read it. The serviceproviders liked it because they felt themessage was clear.

Being a community development project,the coalition decided to listen to, and learnfrom women in their childbearing years.What they like to look at, what they are

interested in reading, what makes themreceptive to change, is important. This pre-testing exercise showed how easily thecoalition could have designed a resourcethat did not appeal to the intended audience.The information gathered from this pre-testing process was valuable and was usedin many more ways than anticipated. Thecomments helped the coalition come upwith the first draft of their poster, and wereused when initiating other projects.

Insight:Asking women what they liked anddisliked was helpful prior to decisionsabout messages and images. Don’t relyon input from a group that is not theintended audience. A resource thatannoys the audience or does not interestthem is not going to be helpful. Payattention to your audience, they knowwhat works for them.

NOTE:When making this recipe, don’t be afraid to add more humourand enthusiasm anywhere you think it is needed.This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. (Boston and Miceli 1995)

HOW TO . . . Work With Coalitions

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One coalition wanted signage in licensedestablishments regarding the effects ofalcohol on pregnancy. We felt the first stepwas to get local businesses to support theidea of signage. Eventually, once awarenesshad been raised in the community, weplanned to propose that the signage becomemandatory.

A list of places thatserved alcohol wasdrafted. The list waslong, especiallyconsidering the smallsize of the community.As a municipal councilorcommented, “There isenough licensed seatingfor every man, womanand child, plus all thedogs in town.”

The coalition talked with three people whoworked in restaurants and bars about theproposed alcohol and pregnancy signs. Thesigns needed to be bilingual, resistant tovandalism, and easy to install securely on a

wall. We came up with a draft script anddesign after reviewing signage used in othercommunities. Our signs stated, in Englishand French, “Drinking alcoholic beveragesduring pregnancy can cause birth defects.”

Letters about thesigns were sent torestaurants, barsand communitycentres. Weencouraged theowners of thelicensedestablishments toact as caringmembers oftheir community

by requesting andposting the signs. The signs could be

posted at the point of purchase or in maleand female washrooms. The coalition wasdisappointed that only three locationsresponded.

A few months later the coalition sent asecond letter to restaurants and bars, again

encouraging them to request and put upsigns. As expected, there were noresponses to the letter. One week after theletters were mailed out, we called eachowner. As a result of the phone calls, all but2 licensed establishments agreed to put upsigns about alcohol and pregnancy. Theserestaurants and bars were also thanked fortheir participation through an ad in thepaper. Follow up phone calls indicatedowner satisfaction with the signs, littlevandalism, and no negative feedback fromtheir clientele.

WORKING TOGETHER

Signage about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Insight:Raise community awareness andcommitment to the issues before movingto policy. Talk to others to find out abouttheir concerns. All coalitions encounterdiscouragement from time to time, butlook for ways to persevere. Use earlyadopters and personal contact to helpconvince others to make changes.

Recipe For a Good CoalitionINGREDIENTS:

• 1 raison d’etre (“reason for being”)• 1 or 2 dozen voices• 1 comfortable, open forum• 1 plan of action• 1 plan “B” (in case the first one fails)• 1 lb. of leadership• a pinch of humour• a dash of enthusiasm• 10 gallons of patience• 1 ripe political climate (optional but certainly makes

things go faster)• 10 lbs. of perserverance (if climate isn’t ripe)

DIRECTIONS:• Using many hands, mix the first 5 ingredients

together.• Pour into a bowl and let meld together in a warm

place.• Throw in a pinch of humour and a dash of

enthusiasm.• Let the attainable goals rise to the top.• Divide into small manageable parts.• Have the 1 or 2 dozen voices spread the word and

keep the message burning and the paper churning.• Keep the temperature hot in a ripe political climate.• Cover completely with perserverance in a cool

climate.• Mix with a little luck and timing.• Bake until completed or well done.

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Bringing People TogetherHaving the right people at the table iscrucial to the success of a coalition. Invitepeople who work directly or indirectly onyour issue, with the networks and skillsneeded to support the work of the coalition.This could include representatives fromschools, business, the media, health,service providers, community champions,young parents or government. Think aboutwho would be interested in the issue, whocould make a difference, and who has theneeded skills to contribute. Mostimportantly, make sure that the coalitionincludes people affected by the issues.

An ad in the paper or on the radio can raiseawareness about your coalition andencourage people to participate. If youwould like a certain group to participate onyour coalition, write them a letter. Ask themto consider sending a representative fromtheir organization. Follow up by phone andencourage them to be involved in some way.If you have an individual in mind, contactthem and arrange to talk in more detail.Once you have a core group assembled,they can help you think of other people whocould be approached.

As initiatives evolve, you may need new peoplefor new tasks or to take the place of coalitionmembers who are no longer able to participate.Recruiting coalition members should be seenas an ongoing task for a coalition.

Training the TeamAs new coalition members are recruited,they will need an orientation to the issuesand the work of the coalition. Take time totalk to each new member about the purposeof the coalition and its accomplishments todate. Provide them with the vision, goalsand objectives, previous minutes andinformation about the issue of concern. Letthem know about the other coalitionmembers.

If this is a new coalition, a training event mayhelp ensure that everyone has a goodunderstanding of the issues. Periodic trainingmay be necessary to help individuals or thecoalition take on new tasks.

Involving the CommunityEven if your coalition has a good crosssection of interested service providers andconcerned volunteers, you may not have allthe input you need to complete your work.Coalitions also need to gather informationfrom surveys, talk to the audience ofinterest and get input on draft resources. Acoalition should be seen as a tool to involvethe community, rather than the voice of thecommunity. A coalition still needs to ask theaudience of interest what their concerns areand how they can best be addressed.

Determining a VisionBefore starting on any initiatives, it isimportant to discuss the vision of thecoalition. Although this can be frustratingfor a group of action-orientated individuals,it will help you define the coalition, itspurpose and approach to the issue. Let eachmember talk about what they think thecoalition can accomplish. Look for commoninterests and concerns. Then clearly definewhat you want to achieve in the long term.Once everyone agrees, you can discuss howyou will accomplish your vision thoughshort-term goals and objectives andindividual activities.

Balancing Planning andActionIt is critical to balance planning with actualinitiatives. Planning is a continuous andimportant process for a coalition. However,many participants will need to see someaction in order to feel the coalition isworthwhile. It is possible to start with smalleasily agreed on projects to buildconfidence and ownership while taking timeto work methodically through thedevelopment of goals and objectives.

Organizing the CoalitionAfter setting the framework for the work ofthe coalition, talk about how you will sharethe tasks. Deciding how to select a chair,how often to meet, who will take minutesand set the agenda are necessary tasks. Itcan be helpful to also define a few groundrules, for example respecting others,

avoiding side conversations etc, especiallywith a diverse coalition. Discuss how toallocate the work, taking advantage of skillsand interests on the coalition. Someindividuals may be interested in planningand overseeing the project; others may wantto be involved in individual activities. Get toknow people on the coalition and find outabout their skills and interests.

Discussion on the best way to worktogether will help individuals in a newcoalition become a functional group.Members will be more likely to feel that theyhave a say in what happens, that they arerespected and that they are an importantpart of the coalition.

Resolving ConflictCoalitions can expect to experience someproblems along the way. Regardless of themagnitude of the problem, deal with it assoon as possible. Denying the problem isnot helpful. It does not take long for evenminor problems to escalate. The longer you

QUICK TIPS• Respect the opinions and experiences

of everyone at the table

• Ask about the best location and time tomeet

• Have a clear agenda for meetings

• Look at ways to involve people whodon’t have time to attend meetings

• Make it easy for them to be involved

• Learn about different members

• Hold an awareness event to developinterest in the community

• Ensure agreement on what you want toaccomplish

• Deal with problems promptly

• Provide food at meetings

HOW TO WORK WITH COALITIONS

HOW TO . . . Work With Coalitions

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wait, the more difficult it will be to resolve.The best way to address a problem is toface it immediately, openly and honestly.

Start by admitting that there is a problem.Talk about your concerns and ask othershow they feel. Listen to their perspectiveand talk about possible solutions. Focus onfinding a solution rather than on layingblame. Occasionally, an impartial facilitatormay be required to help you work throughthe problem. Although problems in acoalition are uncomfortable to deal with,resolving them will make your coalitionstronger.

Evaluating the WorkEvaluation provides key feedback to acoalition. A carefully designed evaluationdefines the successes and barriers in eachstage of an initiative. Evaluation results canhelp you select and develop futureinitiatives. For evaluation to be effective, acoalition needs to have a clear idea of whatthey want to change and how it can bemeasured. Evaluation is everyone’sresponsibility. Decisions about how toevaluate an initiative should be made beforetaking action.

Coalitions may want to set aside timeperiodically to ask themselves how they aredoing. Have a few simple questions readyand allow each member to talk about whatthey like about the coalition and anychanges that might improve the way youwork together. It can be an opportunity toreassess or redefine partnerships and roles.

Sharing the ResultsSuccessful approaches, interesting surveyresults and useful resources should beshared with other groups working on thesame issues. Designing effective initiativestakes time and money. By sharing yourwork, you can make it easier for anothergroup to make an impact in their community.Consider mailing information about yourwork to others, posting a sample on awebsite or writing an article for an issuespecific newsletter. Make it part of your planto provide others with samples or electronicversions of any resources you develop.

Ending the PartnershipAs a coalition grows, a few initialparticipants may find that they are no longerneeded, and that their tasks are finished.Similarly, a coalition may find that it hascompleted its work. Be ready to thankcoalition members who feel they are readyto move on to something else. Continuallyevaluate the purpose and effectiveness of acoalition. Communities change and theremay be a time when there is a moreeffective way to accomplish the work or thetasks of the coalition may be finished. Youmay want to discontinue the coalition and tolook at new ways of working together.

This booklet offers you tips, stories and insights about working with coalitions, based on the experience of Best Start. Coalitions are aneffective way to promote health and to mobilize communities. Bringing concerned and committed people together around an issue suchas maternal newborn health is a powerful way to look at long-term change. By asking, respecting and involving those affected by the issuesyou can impact actual needs and implement effective solutions.

FINAL COMMENTS

SUCCESSFULCOALITIONS

• Respect and trust other members

• Are seen as a leader and have aunique role

• Have a good cross section ofmembers

• Include those effected by theproblem

• Share a vision

• Have attainable goals and objectives

• Have a good understanding of theissue

• See the benefits of the partnership

• Can compromise

• Feel they own the work

• Have an equal say

• Are flexible

• Develop clear roles

• Provide training

• Communicate clearly and frequently

Best Start resourcesHere is a list of Best Start resources which may be of interest to you.To order these resources call 1-800-397-9567 or visit our websitewww.beststart.org

A Guide to Developing Partnerships with Business

Best Start Interventions Inventory

How to Build Partnerships with Physicians: The Best Start Experience

How to Build Partnerships with Workplaces: The Best Start Experience

How to Build Partnerships with Youth: The Best Start Experience

Insights from Best Start

Prevention of Low Birth Weight in Canada: 2nd Edition

Working Together: Forming Project-Based Alliances in the Non-ProfitSector

Other relevant sources of informationAHEC/Community Partners - From the Group Up: A Workbook onCoaltion Building and Community Development Tel. 413-253-4283

Amherst Wilder Foundation - Collaboration HandbookCollaboration: What Makes it Work Tel. 651-642-4000

Amherst Wilder Foundation website: www.wilder.org/pubs

Centre for Health Promotion website: www.utoronto.ca/chp/

Civic Practices Network (CPN) website: www.cpn.org

Community Development Society website: http://comm-dev.org

Community Tool Box website: http://ctb.lsi.ukans.edu

Health Canada - Community Action Pack Tel. 613-957-2991

Heart Health Resource Centre website: www.web.net/heart/

OHPE Bulletin #152.1 - Developing Leadership to SustainCommunity Coalitions website: www.ophe.web.net/index.cfm

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food - Effective CommunityDecision Making Tel. 1-888-466-2372

Ontario Healthy Communities Coaltion website:www.opc.on.ca/ohcc/

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care - Community Mobilization ManualCommunity Health Promotion in ActionTel. 416-327-4327

OPC - Building Effective Coalitions Trainer’s ManualCommunity Action HandbookFactors Influencing the Success of CollaborationTel. 416-408-2121

OPC website: www.opc.on.ca/pubs/index.html#hp

Sustainable Communities Network website: www.sustainable.org

Tools of Change website: www.toolsofchange.com

US Foundation and Fundraising Coaltions Resource website:www.idealist.org

WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION

Please feel free to copy all or part of this brochure.

Best Start is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Careand supported by OPC.

How to contact Best StartThe Best Start Resource Centre

c/o OPC#1900-180 Dundas Street West

Toronto, ON, M5G 1Z81-800-397-9567

Fax: 1-416-408-2122www.beststart.org

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Best Start: Community Action for Healthy Babies is a uniquehealth promotion project funded by the Ontario Ministry ofHealth and Long-Term Care. It is a comprehensivepopulation-based model for improving maternal newbornhealth through community development. Two locations,Algoma and Barrie, were selected by the Ministry to developand demonstrate the Best Start model. From 1992 to 1998the two sites worked with their communities on areas ofconcern to maternal newborn health. They were supportedand guided by the Best Start Resource Centre in Toronto.

Best Start addressed a wide range of factors that contributeto the birth of low birth weight babies. Low birth weight as ahealth indicator lends itself to a community wide approachand Best Start initiatives were directed at the entire childbearing population. Poverty, smoking, substance abuse,violence, nutrition, stress and workplaces, all have asignificant effect on the health of an unborn child and were afocus of Best Start’s work. Best Start brought togetheragencies, services and individuals to form working groupson local concerns. The community groups were involved inselecting, designing, implementing and sustaining initiativesthat increased awareness, provided support and addressedpolicy.

The Best Start Resource Centre continues to offer support toindividuals and groups working on maternal newborn healthin Ontario. Best Start services include on-site consultations,training, facilitation of planning, telephone support,information, resources, and a web site.