#772

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 15:44:12 -0400
From: Fern Walter Goodhart <goodhart@RCI.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: help us test community capacity tools


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...We need more participants from the Northeast.=20


Thanks,=20
Michele


Dear List Serve Members:


Members of a research team at Tulane University School of Public Health =
and Tropical Medicine and the Xavier University Deep South Center for =
Environmental=20
Justice seek your help on a project to develop measures of community =
capacity funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. =20


We are currently assessing the reliability and validity of a survey =
instrument that will ultimately assist community organizations in =
examining factors that help and hinder them in achieving their goals. =
The survey is to be administered to a national sample of 400 =
grassroots/community-based=20
organizations in order to assess the properties of the survey - not the =
capacity of organizations who complete it. We are seeking groups with =
diverse constituencies, causes, and ages from various geographic areas =
across the United States to add to our understanding of the survey's =
utility and applicability across a broad range of issues and =
communities. =20


We believe that you, as members of this list serve, can be a great =
resource for our team in identifying grassroots, community-based =
organizations from your area to complete the survey. We are seeking =
three respondents from each=20
organization working on a specific initiative. Respondents should be:=20


o The central leader of the initiative (executive director or the most =
active leader)
o A core member of the project's volunteers (or support staff), and
o A member who is affiliated with the project but is not involved with =
it day-to-day=20


PLEASE NOTE: This survey is not an assessment of the organizations who =
complete it. Rather, we are administering the survey for reliability =
testing and refinement of the instrument.=20


What we can offer in return to groups participating is the instrument =
once it is tested and results of the reliability testing when they are =
complete.=20


If you would be interested in helping identify some candidate =
organizations in your area, please contact Michele Lempa, Survey =
Coordinator, at capacity@tulane.edu or (504) 585-7100.=20


We are in the process of contacting potential organizations. Any help =
or direction you can provide as soon as possible will be appreciated! =
Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or for additional =
information.


Thank you for your consideration.


Michele Lempa.


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