"The difference between a community association and a neighborhood housekeeping organization has everything to do with the values and priorities of the people who lead them." —Brent E. Herrington
Does your association have what it takes to be a community builder?
Does your association have the rocket fuel that blasts volunteers into action?
Does your association aspire to civic well-being?
Does your association engender a sense of community pride?
Does your association provide leadership and inspiration?
Does your association promote a sense of shared responsibility among residents?
If you answered No to any of these questions, this book is for you! Build stronger, more active, more caring communities by following the simple advice offered here by the nation's top experts on community associations and the people who lead them.
Contents
Part I: Partners in Planning
Chapter 1—Strategic Planning: How One Community Made it Happen
By Robert Schwarting
Chapter 2—Market Research Techniques for Community Association:
How to Gather the Data You Need to Make Decisions
By Bill Greer
Chapter 3—Good Meetings Make Good Neighbors: How to Increase Morale and Encourage Attendance
By P. Michael Nagle
Part II: Fostering Community Spirit
Chapter 4—Community Spirit: How to Create It in Your Association
By Jo-Ann M. Greenstein
Chapter 5—Community Spirit: How Gain and Maintain Momentum
By Drew Mulhare
Part III: Good Governance
Chapter 6—Model Governance: How to Create the Ideal Framework for Your Community Association
By Ron Perl
Chapter 7—Good Rules: How They Promote Community Spirit
By Lucia Anna Trigiani
Chapter 8— Alternative Dispute Resolution: How Mediation Solved a Tough Problem & Saved $50,000
By Beth Grimm
Excerpt
Preface
By Bill Overton, PCAM
Like a fine wine or an artist's masterpiece, the notion of Building Community just keeps getting better with age. In fact, as a philosophical movement within the Community Association Institute (CAI), it has become a full-blown juggernaut and has literally changed the face of the association management industry for the better. This phenomenon can only be explained by accepting the fact that our competitive marketplace, as defined by our customers—the homeowners, demands it.
This has been an interesting process to watch unfold over the last few years. We began with some CAI conference sessions on how to build a sense of community in condominium and homeowner associations rather than focus only on rules enforcement. These sessions were well received by managers, but they clamored for more "how to" information. This feedback set the Institute on the course of developing publications such as Be Reasonable! How Community Associations Can Enforce Rules Without Antagonizing Residents, Going to Court or Starting World War III and Community First! Emerging Visions Reshaping America's Condominium and Homeowner Associations. Educational programs such as"Leadership Practices in Building Community" also were developed. These were big steps that added practical content to CAI's resources for managers. Still, managers asked for even deeper how-to assistance.
CAI went back to the drawing board to meet its customers' needs and came up with the concept for this practical, strategy-oriented guidebook. This book is intentionally designed to be collaborative and anecdotal. Many of the industry's best management and legal practitioners share their successes, their best practices, with you in their own words.
Try out those practices that seem workable for your community and run with them—refine and improve on them. Help us continue to raise the bar as we serve our country in perhaps its most important area—at the grass roots community level.
If September 11th has taught us anything, it's the importance of our connection and interactions as Americans. As such, what higher mission could possibly get us out of bed in the morning than helping people make a difference in their communities? Thankfully, the practical tools to do so just keep on growing at CAI.
Manage well, and with passion for helping people!
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