ComNetworkLOCAL
Building Community Where You Live And Work
Enabling Foundation and Nonprofit Professionals to Connect, Gather, and Build Community
ComNetworkLOCAL focuses on building relationships where you live and work, with folks who work in comms for good, local nonprofits, foundations and practitioners, with the local community and among The Network.
LOCAL groups build and deepen a sense of community by building relationships and a local support network. You can expect LOCAL gatherings to focus on community, connection, learning from each other, with the goal of building the next generation of leaders in the social sector.
Why Gather:
- Gathering builds relationships
- Connection and relationships build support and community
- Community drives change
How is ComNetworkLOCAL Different?
ComNetworkLOCAL is different than other professional gatherings that focus solely on learning a new skill or lecture style events, because LOCAL groups focus on building your support network. The goal is for you to come back to gatherings and continue to get to know your social sector community on a deeper level.
What LOCALs Are and What They’re Not
- LOCAL gatherings aren’t about fancy food or flashy speakers. Hosts build relationships through discussions, in-real-life connections, introducing and connecting people.
- LOCAL gatherings are for people who want connection, and not sales pitches.
LOCALs are Led by Network Members, They are Open to Anyone
ComNetwork LOCAL gatherings are run by passionate volunteer Community Leads and their LOCAL Leadership Teams. ComNetwork HQ works closely with every Community Lead, and there is a formal application process to start an official LOCAL group in your area.
In order to be a LOCAL Leader you need to be a member of the network in good standing. But ComNetworkLOCAL events are always open to anyone, free of charge. The key audience is Network members—and folks in the social sector who are passionate about building community to advance the field and work of communications for good are welcome to attend.
We limit only one LOCAL group per city and recommend that LOCALs are based in cities and populous areas. We typically have LOCALs in cities with a population of over 500,000, but we are open to hearing why you think the social sector in your community could use a LOCAL group.
LOCAL groups are led by individuals who work in foundations and nonprofits. A company can’t lead a LOCAL. In some instances, a LOCAL Leader’s company supports their employees by donating space, covering the costs of snacks, etc. But at the end of the day our official relationship is with the individual, and if that person leaves his/her current role, the LOCAL group would remain with that person.
Interested in starting a LOCAL in your city?
If you have read through the above info and meet the following requirements, please reach out to Carrie cclyne@comnetwork.org to talk more.
Each ComNetworkLOCAL needs to have the following:
- One dedicated Community Lead who works at a foundation or nonprofit, who volunteers to oversee the LOCAL Leaders Team, and is responsible for making sure 4-6 gatherings happen a year.
- A dedicated LOCAL Leaders Team made up of 3-7 people in the social sector who commit to attending, planning, and hosting 4-6 gatherings a year
- We recommend each gathering have a minimum of 6-10 people so we ask that you feel out your community to see if you’ll be able to pull in enough people consistently for a LOCAL gathering before launching
ComNetworkLOCAL is made possible thanks to the generous support of:
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. It believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.