Training & Information

Communication Strategies for Neighborhood Organizations         

Communication is the key to any successful relationship and that includes relationships with your neighbors. Effective communication within a neighborhood-based organization is critical because it allows leaders to distribute information, explain decisions, and build a sense of community. It also encourages residents to participate in important decisions that impact their quality of life. As a neighborhood leader, how you communicate is just as important as what and why you communicate. When there is clear and consistent communication between neighborhood leaders and residents it has a positive impact on the health and vitality of the organization. Therefore, it is important to take a proactive approach to communication within your organization. This presentation walks you through how to develop (or improve) an internal communication strategy for your neighborhood-based organization.

YouTube: Communication Strategies for Neighborhood Organizations

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Know to Grow Online Gardening Series

Interested in gardening? Want to learn more about chickens, composting, or growing veggies at home? Our partners at the Mecklenburg County branch of the NC Cooperative Extension have put together free online classes. Visit their website to learn more and view recordings online:

Video: https://mecklenburg.ces.ncsu.edu/know-to-grow-online/

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Digital Meetings for Neighborhoods

Are you interested in hosting a digital meeting for your neighborhood organization but don't know where to start? This training, presented by Next Stage Consulting, provides tips on how to ensure a quality digital meeting for your neighborhood organization. Topics include:

• How to choose a digital meeting platform

• How to develop a meeting agenda

• Digital meeting management 101 (with a step-by-step process for ensuring a smooth meeting)

• Structuring engagement

• Meeting follow-up

Video: Digital Meetings for Neighborhoods Training

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Queen City Crash Course

Neighborhoods are the heart and foundation of our city, though great places don't happen by chance. Our community is defined and fortified by the thousands of volunteers that commit time and treasure to taking care of their homes, caring for neighbors, building fellowship and improving the places we call home. Residents who dedicate themselves to lead in their neighborhoods—whether in an official capacity or not—are what make  Charlotte a premier city.

Video: https://youtu.be/NziP6_FjTHY

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How to Start a Neighborhood Organization

A neighborhood association is a group of neighbors that come together to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. Some benefits of an organized neighborhood include: stability, beautification, increased safety, and better relationships among neighbors. Organizing a neighborhood can be a huge undertaking; therefore, it is important to have a plan. This training will provide tips on how you and your neighbors can come together to start a neighborhood association.

Video: https://youtu.be/mINKeQk0org

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​Digital Communications for Neighborhood Groups

Digital communication can help build capacity in neighborhoods and foster a stronger sense of community. While communication technology should never replace face to face contact, neighborhood leaders can use the power of digital resources to leverage assets and engage residents. Strong digital communication requires understanding your audience, meaningful content, quality deployment and the ability to remain in touch. In this training, presented by Next Stage, you will learn how to use digital communication as a tool to improve communication in your organization.

Video: Digital Communications for Neighborhood Groups

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​Charlotte Neighborhood History Toolkit Online Tutorial 

Have you ever wondered how your neighborhood got its name? Who first lived in your house? What was your block like back in the day? The Charlotte Neighborhood History Toolkit can help answer these questions and more! This online tutorial will explain how to get started using the Toolkit.

Video: https://youtu.be/lhHjzQNnbD4

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​Office of Sustainability Overview

The City of Charlotte aims to become a global leader in environmental sustainability, balancing economic growth with preserving our natural resources. Our Office of Sustainability helps protect our natural resources, promote conservation, and improve the environment. This video provides an overview of the Office of Sustainability and the Strategic Energy Action Plan.

Video: https://youtu.be/rtkTLCxosVM

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​How to be a Bridge-Builder in your Neighborhood 

What does it mean to be a bridge-builder? A bridge-builder is someone who establishes relationships, improves communication and helps to build trust among varying groups. In this training we will be joined by Janeen Bryant, facilitator and community engagement specialist, who will help us better understand how to be a bridge-builder in our community. This training will focus on how to: - Understand your neighborhood in context using city and county data - Map resources and people - Build and heighten awareness of the neighborhood as an ecosystem of shared resources - Strengthen your relationships and connection to the City of Charlotte and to your neighborhood - Heighten your capacity to lead/discuss across difference and understand self-interest.

Video: https://youtu.be/AiEsM_0hwZU

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Charlotte Community Toolbank

Does your neighborhood or non-profit need to borrow giant jenga in January? Adirondack chairs in April? An outdoor movie screen with projector in October?

If your neighborhood group would like to rent tens of thousands of items for pennies on the dollar, watch this video tour to learn more about the Charlotte Community ToolBank. The ToolBank has a wide variety of tools including lawnmowers, shovels, wheelbarrows, ladders, pressure washers, drills, and more.

Video: https://youtu.be/P7-sGVUJMw4

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​A Good Gathering: Listening and Sharing When Neighborhoods are in Transition

Charlotte is growing and changing rapidly. Our neighborhoods are more diverse than ever which can bring about challenges but also opportunity. In this training, we will be joined by Janeen Bryant who will help us learn tangible ways we can be better neighbors as our neighborhoods transition. This training will focus on how to: 

• Plan impactful conversations to share and discuss important issues

• Understand conflict as a part of the process

• Prioritize needs and follow-up with real outcomes

Video: https://youtu.be/kqvrOEMI-EU

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HOA Basics

As a homeowner in an HOA community, it is important to understand the role of the HOA. In this training you’ll learn some commonly used HOA terms, the role of the board, the president and other leadership positions, your rights and responsibilities as a homeowner, and effective ways you can actively support your HOA.

Video: https://youtu.be/8tgqf2sGCco

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Tree Care Grant Pre-Application Workshop

Looking for tree care resources for your community? This workshop will provide an overview of the Tree Care Grant Program: what it is, why it’s important, and what funds can be used for. Learn how to complete the online application and grant reporting through the Tree Care Grant Program.

Video: https://youtu.be/1hu2uh0rz_w

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​Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) Beautification Grant Pre-Application Workshop

The Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) Beautification Grant is an annual opportunity which awards up to $5,000 for community beautification projects. This competitive grant is open to neighborhoods, businesses, nonprofits, schools, and individuals citywide. This workshop will provide information on grant specifics, project ideas, and how to apply.

Video: https://youtu.be/XvWqZ4_IkCY

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Understanding Affordable Housing

Join the City of Charlotte Housing & Neighborhood Services, Mayfield Memorial Community Development Corporation, Charlotte Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, and local residents in an informational webinar about the effects of affordable housing on neighborhoods. The presentation will address concerns about the addition of affordable housing in communities across the city of Charlotte by using research, statistics, and personal testimonials to dispel pervasive myths and to illustrate the impact that affordable housing in its various forms can have on the Queen City.

Video: https://youtu.be/nhG3FX_q4Hk

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Orientation to NC HOA Board Service

Serving on an HOA Board is a huge commitment. These volunteers are responsible for the overall business and success of the community. Many boards do not provide a formal orientation to new board members leaving them to feel overwhelmed and underqualified. Properly orienting new board members is an important first step and offers the opportunity for them to better understand the organization and their role. Orientation to NC Homeowners Association Board Service will discuss the basics of HOA board service and how to properly welcome and onboard new board members.

Video: https://youtu.be/ejvj4CMyYqA

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HOA Board Support: How to Work with a Property Management Company

Many homeowners associations require boards to enlist the services of a property management company to help manage the business of the HOA. The health of your organization is greatly impacted by how well the Board and the property management company co-exists.  In this training, we will focus on how to establish and maintain a good relationship with a property management company. We'll discuss what to consider before selecting a property management company. We'll explore the roles and responsibilities of a property management company vs the board. We'll learn how to review a property management contract and how to evaluate the performance of your property management company. Lastly, we'll discuss how to appropriately end a relationship with a property management company.

Video: https://youtu.be/qH4THxdRLTo 

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Introduction to Non-Profit Bylaws

HOA bylaws govern how an HOA operates. Bylaws set out clear roles and responsibilities that can help to address concerns or settle disputes within the organization. It is important that organizations have a clear understanding of their bylaws and refer to them regularly. In this presentation, we will help to demystify bylaws and discuss how to make them work for your organization.

Topics include:

• Understanding the relationship of bylaws to the articles of incorporation

• Learning how to deal with ex officio directors, term limits and board committees

• Learning the critical issues in removal clauses

• Updating bylaws

Video: https://youtu.be/9txxL5pyOZQ

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Understanding your HOA Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) 

The Declaration of Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&Rs) is a legally binding document that detail the rights and obligations of the homeowners association to its members and vice versa. This document establishes a set of guidelines for maintenance and architectural standards, and also gives the board the power to issue violations to any homeowner who is not in compliance and to govern what an owner may, may not, or must do with respect to their property. Whether you are a homeowner in an HOA community or if you serve on an HOA board, this workshop will help you better understand the CC&Rs and your rights and responsibilities.

Video: https://youtu.be/t1uwYntel54

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Are You Up to Code? 

We can all agree that Charlotte is a growing and thriving city. With that said, we all have a shared responsibility to maintain a safe and desirable community. One way you can be an active participant in improving our quality of life is to become more knowledgeable on city code ordinances. This training, presented in partnership with Code Enforcement, Keep Charlotte Beautiful and CharMeck 311, will focus on how to:

• Achieve compliance by educating yourself on the most common code violations

• Identify and remedy possible violations in your neighborhood

• Properly report observed code violations

• Improve and beautify your community through Keep Charlotte Beautiful

Video: https://youtu.be/aQMfzrk4ITg

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How To: Sign Toppers 

Sign toppers are a popular project among neighborhoods in Charlotte. This video provides information that will help you and your neighbors plan and prepare to install sign toppers in your community.

Video: https://youtu.be/HumK68-ix-Q

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How To: Speed Humps 

Speed humps can help reduce vehicular speeds on streets across Charlotte. This video provides information that will help you and your neighbors work with the Charlotte Department of Transportation to request speed humps within your neighborhood.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJiLtcpuqs0

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Understanding through History: Lessons from the Legacy Commission

Like so many others across the country, the Charlotte community has voiced a strengthened call for social justice. In response, the City of Charlotte’s Legacy Commission recommended “changing street names and reimagining civic spaces to create a new symbolic landscape that is representative of the dynamic and diverse city Charlotte has become and reflective of the inclusive vision it strives to achieve.” While the work ahead is of the utmost importance, this session will provide important background on how a Confederate landscape came to be, what that means here in Charlotte and in the South generally, and why better representation of the City's history is needed. This presentation features Dr. Karen Cox of UNC Charlotte and Dr. Willie Griffin of Levine Museum of the New South, who share about Charlotte’s history from the 1860s to the present.

Video: https://youtu.be/TP5B_4R-0Ig

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Youth Programs

The City of Charlotte has a rich legacy of supporting our children and youth. Did you know that youth under the age of eighteen make up twenty-four percent of the population in Mecklenburg County? Our youth add so much vibrancy to our community and the City is proud to offer an array of programs that benefit these young residents and their families. This video provides information on the Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance, Job and Career Readiness Training, the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council.

Video: https://youtu.be/3J4YPKZdr7Y

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Youth Programs - Spanish Version  

Durante varias generaciones, la ciudad de Charlotte ha apoyado a los niños y a los jóvenes. La juventud aporta una gran vitalidad a nuestra comunidad y la ciudad se enorgullece de ofrecer una variedad de programas que benefician a los jóvenes residentes y a sus familias. Este video proporciona información sobre la Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance, una capacitación de preparación laboral y profesional, el Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, y el Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Council.

Video: https://youtu.be/ALnROZvFNKU

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What's the 311?  

CharMeck 311 is your access to city and county services. CharMeck 311 serves as the customer contact center, providing information and services for customers in the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. This training will discuss the many ways CharMeck311 supports residents.

Video: https://youtu.be/xCX5cwY149g

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Keep Charlotte Beautiful (KCB) Overview

In 2020 alone, volunteers contributed over 4,000 hours towards picking up over 6,000 bags of litter throughout Charlotte. This video provides a step by step guide to how you can get involved in keeping our city clean and litter free. Contact KCB@charlottenc.gov for more information.

Video: https://youtu.be/HqxWvlsLuFQ

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Emergency Preparedness

Life can be unpredictable and unfortunately, disaster can strike at any time. There are, however, steps you can take to be better prepared. The Housing & Neighborhood Services Community Engagement Training Team has partnered with the American Red Cross to help you and your neighbors become “Red Cross Ready.” This workshop will help you understand, prepare for and respond appropriately to disasters. Learn general emergency preparedness to include how to develop a family emergency plan, what essential supplies are needed for a family survival kit and how you can support your neighbors in the event of an emergency.

Video: https://youtu.be/990Rt1hUqDI

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Insurance and Risk Management Basics for Neighborhood Associations and HOAs

In this workshop, we will discuss common types of insurance policies that neighborhood associations and HOAs secure, review common elements contained in an insurance policy, and some pointers on how to work with an insurance broker/agents.

Video: https://youtu.be/6lojimJ-n4I

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Home Fire Safety

In a fire, seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. In this workshop, you will learn how to prevent home fires, escape from a home fire and how to recover if you are personally impacted by a home fire.

Video: https://youtu.be/YEtcKEMO31Y

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Emergency Preparedness: Winter Storm Safety

Winter can bring a wide variety of potentially dangerous weather. This workshop will discuss how to protect your family, pets, and home during a winter storm.

Video: https://youtu.be/stZwJkjjy2s

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How To: Paint the Pavement

In recent years, Charlotte residents have expressed interest in decorating their streets to celebrate unique aspects of their neighborhoods and strengthen community bonds. This video provides important information to neighbors who want to come together to install a “Paint the Pavement” project within a City maintained right-of-way.

Video: https://youtu.be/mabYzTGSK-I

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Recycling During COVID-19: Impacts & Solutions

Guest speakers representing City, County, and nonprofit recycling initiatives discuss the impact the pandemic had on the local recycling system, how they met challenges, and what the future of recycling looks like in Charlotte.

Video: https://youtu.be/nbx4KMKrzr0

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Introducción a CharMeck 311

CharMeck 311 es el centro de contacto con el cliente que brinda información sobre los servicios de la ciudad de Charlotte y el condado de Mecklenburg. CharMeck 311 puede ayudar con problemas con el servicio de agua y preguntas sobre facturación, reportando violaciones del Código Municipal o solicitudes de servicios policiales que no sean de emergencia y mucho más. Únase a nosotros para conocer las muchas formas en que CharMeck 311 apoya a los residentes.

https://youtu.be/ZZPkT__gL6k

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HOA Management Succession Planning for Neighborhood Organizations

Succession planning for neighborhood organizations is imperative. Whether a board vacancy occurs due to an emergency or the anticipated transition of a long-term leader, being deliberate, thoughtful, and having a written succession plan in place can help neighborhood organizations avoid the challenges of leadership changes.

In this workshop we discuss:

• What is succession planning?

• Benefits of succession planning

• Best practices of succession planning

• How to create a succession planning framework

https://youtu.be/NfxgmLOYEB4

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Water Conservation Tips and Tricks 

Did you know the average residential water customer uses 70 gallons of water per day? Water conservation is the practice of using water efficiently to reduce unnecessary water usage. Conserving water is an important way to protect the environment, while also saving energy and money. There are many incremental changes you can make in your home to lower water consumption. In this training, Housing & Neighborhood Services, Charlotte Water, and She Built this City share water conservation tips and tricks that can help you reduce your water usage.

https://youtu.be/CbuM8UzA0I4

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Social Media for Neighborhoods Training

Using social media can be an effective way for neighbors to organize and connect with each other. This workshop is your opportunity to learn how neighborhoods can benefit from using social media, and best practices for using various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor. The session also includes tips on creating shareable newsletters, and provides information about resources and tools available for additional help.

https://youtu.be/0d3Fu7jkGXI

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Should your Neighborhood Seek Tax-Exempt Status from the IRS?

You've been told that you can't apply for a grant for your neighborhood unless you are a 501c3. You might have heard that you could get a tax deduction if you donated to your neighborhood group (but only if it was registered as a 501c3). These all sound pretty good. At the same time, applying for tax-exempt status can cost hundreds of dollars and require lots of paperwork which comes with legal responsibilities. So many questions that need to be answered, right? This workshop discusses the pros and cons of becoming a tax-exempt organization.

https://youtu.be/OzXpeuK3QZQ

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