An equity-driven collective impact movement should seek to disrupt and reform unequal power dynamics. To meaningfully reform those systems requires engaging communities in the social movement itself. One of the most important roles of the collective impact table is facilitating and supporting capacity building in communities. The goal of this work is to nurture and leverage civic power and place it at the center of collective action and policy work. Such efforts require an explicit discussion of race and equity and the institutionalized structures that support inequity.
The purpose of the checklist is to keep these guiding questions in mind as you plan and implement your community engagement work. It might help you uncover blind spots you might have and begin to interrogate the unavoidable power dynamics at play. This checklist was adapted from a blog post by RTI International: A Path Towards Community Engagement where you can go deeper on these guiding questions.