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What Is Community Capacity?

Community Capacity is “a community’s ability to define and solve their own problems” (Doug Easterling, The Colorado Trust). 

The more skills, assets and strengths that a community group has, the better prepared they are to achieve their goals.

There are ten defined factors that contribute to a community group’s ability to achieve their goals:
• Leadership
• Citizen Participation
• Skills
• Resources
• Social and Inter-organizational Networks
• Sense of Community
• Understanding of Community History
• Community Power
• Community Values
• Critical Reflection.

For a more detailed exploration of the dimensions of community capacity, please refer to “Identifying and Defining the Dimensions of Community Capacity to Provide a Basis for Measurement” by Robert M. Goodman, et. al.  Health Education and Behavior, Vol. 25 (3): 258-278 (June 1998).