Community engagement takes a strategic approach to the relationships, communication and interactions between community members and an organization to try to influence outcomes for both.

The term community is used to broadly define groups of people based on interest or geography, including stakeholders, citizens, businesses, and more. And the term engagement encompasses both inclusion and agency – feeling that one is included in important civic and social activities and able to contribute meaningfully.

Community engagement leads to so many positive outcomes and benefits for organizations and the wider community.

As an organization, when you engage with communities, you’ll make better, more informed decisions, because you see the big picture and the full impact of your projects and initiatives. When community engagement is done right, it can help you develop a more socially responsible organization.

As a result, you can build trust with community members. This means they can increase their level of satisfaction with your brand, your initiatives and your projects. What it all comes down to is getting a social license to operate. In other words, you increase the chances of being accepted and reduce the chances of being rejected or blocked.

A huge part of community engagement involves talking to people. But it’s not a one-way thing – it means having a conversation, so that you’re both talking to your community and listening to what they’re saying.

But communicating with your stakeholders is always worth it. It means you’ll get more diverse perspectives and you’ll gather more information to better inform your decisions. Plus, you’ll share information that will better inform your community, so there’s better understanding on both sides.