Advocacy Toolkit

Coalition Building

A coalition is a group of individuals and/or organizations with a common interest that agree to work together towards a common goal, often to execute a particular campaign. Coalition goals are as varied as coalitions themselves, but often contain elements of one or more of the following:

• Influencing or developing public policy, usually finding a specific solution to a specific problem
  
• Changing people's behavior
  
• Building a healthy community

Reasons to Form a Coalition Include:

• To address an urgent situation
  
• To empower elements of the community—or the community as a whole—to take control of their future
  
• To obtain or provide services
  
• To bring about more effective and efficient delivery of programs
  
• To pool resources
  
• To increase communication among groups and break down stereotypes
  
• To revitalize the energies of members of groups who are trying to do too much alone
  
• To develop and use political clout to gain services or other benefits for the community
  
• To create long-term social change

Questions to Ask When You Are Thinking About Building a Coalition

• What would your unifying issue(s) be?
  
• What resources could come from other organizations?
  
• What obstacles might you encounter?