work

Assignment #5

Community Based Organization Profile

Due April 16

You will identify a community based organization within your chosen community and produce a

well written (about 1000 words) profile of the organization. During your investigation, you

should reach out to the group to possibly speak to a representative who could augment the

information that is likely freely available on the organization’s website and print literature. Your

goal is to find answers to the “who, what, when, where, and whys” of the group regarding their

impact on the community

What does the CBO do? What are their goals? From what you can tell (your observations and

research), what has been the impact of the organization?

When was the organization created? Under what circumstances did this occur? What is the

organization’s history?

Who comprises the CBO’s membership/workforce? What population does the organization

serve? (This is a time to think about issues of class, race/ethnicity, age, ability, and gender. To

what degree is the organization representative of the population it serves?). Is the organization

large or small?

Where is the organization located? How “grassroots” (comprised of local members and focused

on the local community) does the organization appear to be?

Why was the organization established? As far as you can tell, have the goals/strategies shifted

considerably over time?

How does the organization go about its work? (Does it provide specific services to the

community? Does it organize community members to fight for their own interests?) How is the

group organized? How is the organization funded? How does the group present itself to the

larger community?

Considering findings from your larger community research project, what conclusions can you

draw about the organization? Consider some methodological issues as well: Was the group

difficult to locate or contact? Were they open to you inquiries? If you encountered any special

difficulties, why do you think that occurred? Does the group seem sustainable? (Is it firmly

established or on its last leg?) Does the organization appear to be impactful? How can you tell?