Building a Coalition

Checklist: Building a Coalition

• Determine the benefits of building a transportation coalition in your community.
• Set goals for your coalition.
• Identify community groups and individuals for coalition membership.
•  Select the appropriate coalition structure.
•  Determine coalition activities, events and funding.
•  Review tips for leading a successful coalition.
•  Prepare coalition talking points and speeches.
•  Produce a coalition brochure and/or fact sheet on public transportation in your community.
•  Plan a successful first meeting.
•  Communicate with other public transportation coalitions to learn from their experiences and generate new ideas.  

Quick Tips for Building A Coalition of Support

• Respond to coalition members' concerns in tangible, quick ways.

• Communicate with members of the coalition on a consistent basis.

• Seek common ground with different groups of stakeholders.

• Recruit a prominent member of your community to become involved in the coalition. This will help give you instant notoriety and credibility.
• When telling your story about transit, make it relevant to everyday life. The messages that work best are opportunity, choice, access, and freedom/mobility.
• When starting to form a coalition, contact several existing coalitions to learn first hand about the steps they took and the lessons they learned.
• Your local transit story is rooted in the character and identity of your coalition.
• Although not necessary, becoming a 501( c ) organization also gives you more credibility when approaching public officials, Members of Congress and community organizations to promote public transportation.