Community Canvas Worksheet

The Community Canvas is a framework that helps people and organizations build stronger communities. It provides a template for anyone who brings people together.

Identity

❀ Who are we and what do we believe in?

Member Identity

❀ How does the community take special care of them?

❀ How is diversity defined and what is its role?

❀ How is diversity enacted in all parts of the organization?

Values

❀ What is important to us as a community?

❀ How do we want our members to treat each other?

❀ How do our values help fulfill the community’s ultimate purpose?

❀ What is the “vibe” of our community?

❀ What is the aspirational way of life our community promotes?

❀ How do we capture and communicate our values, both internally and externally?

Success Definition

❀ How does the community define success?

❀ What does the ideal community look like?

❀ What kind of membership in the community is considered a success?

❀ What kind of value does the community create for its members?

❀ How does the community measure success?

Brand

❀ How does the community express itself?

❀ How does it use language, visuals and objects to strengthen its identity?

❀ What is the community’s esthetic?

❀ How does the community’s brand reflect its values?

❀ How does the community communicate its identity to the world?

Experience

❀ What happens in the community & how does it create value for the members?

Selection

❀ How do people join the community?

❀ Is this an open or a closed community?

❀ For open communities: what marks the difference between a member and a non-member?

❀ What is the onboarding process for new members?

❀ How are the people identified who should be part of the community?

❀ How actively does the community want to grow and add people?

Transition

❀ How do members leave the community?

❀ Is there ever an end to the experience or does membership continue on indefinitely?

❀ Is there a separate structure or experience for people who have left the community (e.g. an alumni community)?

❀ How does the community handle inactive members?

Shared Experiences

❀ What experiences do members share in the community?

❀ How do the individual experiences connect to the community’s overall goals?

❀ Why are certain experiences more important than others?

❀ How are shared experiences organized: is everything organized top down for the members? Or do members organize experiences for each other?

❀ Do the shared experiences speak to a diverse group of members?

Rituals

❀ Which rituals enhance the community experience?

❀ Which rituals deepen the bonds among members?

❀ Which rituals embody the community’s values?

❀ Which rituals mark specific milestones in the membership experience?

❀ Which rituals happen online?

❀ Which rituals happen in person?

Content

❀ What content creates value for members?

❀ How can the community tell the stories of its members?

❀ What content will create deeper bonds among members?

❀ How do members contribute valuable content to the community?

Rules

❀ What are the community’s rules?

❀ What does the community expect from each member?

❀ What can the member expect from the community?

❀ What is considered “out of bounds” misbehavior?

❀ What are the rules guiding the online interactions?

❀ What are the guidelines for in-person gatherings?

❀ How does the community deal with inactive members?

❀ What happens if someone doesn’t follow the rules?

❀ Which entity has the authority to create, change and enforce rules?

Roles

❀ What roles can members play in the community?

❀ Why do the different roles exist?

❀ What are the expectations for each role?

❀ What are the rules for how handovers and transfer of responsibilities happen?

Structure

❀ What gives us stability in the long-term?

Organization

❀ Who runs the community?

❀ How is leadership organized?

❀ Who does what?

❀ How is leadership incentivized for their work?

❀ Who hires and manages staff?

❀ What functions are considered critical for survival?

❀ What is the legal entity of the community and what requirements come with it?

Governance

❀ How are decisions made in the community?

❀ What are the community’s decision-making bodies?

❀ How is decision-making power distributed or concentrated within the community?

❀ What gives the decision-makers their authority?

❀ How are conflicts handled within the community?

Financing

❀ What is the community’s plan to be financially sustainable?

❀ How is the community financed?

❀ How does it generate revenue?

❀ Non-profit vs. for-profit: Does the community have a profit motive?

❀ Does the community rely on revenue from its members (internal), or other sources (external)?

Channels & Platforms

❀ What channels does the community use to communicate and gather?

❀ What are the core digital needs of the members and which platforms can fulfill them?

❀ What is the existing digital behavior of the members and how can the community integrate into that?

❀ Where does the community meet regularly - physically or digitally?

❀ How does the community communicate internally? With the outside world?

❀ What are the requirements of the community towards their physical spaces?

Data Management

❀ How does the community manage the data of its members?

❀ How does the community keep its member contacts up-to-date?

❀ How can members search for other members within the community?

❀ What insights are critical for the community to regularly derive from its members?

❀ How does the community capture insights and knowledge generated in the community?

Links to blank templates

• https://community-canvas.org/
• Community Canvas worksheet in Google Docs
• Community Canvas worksheet summary in Google Docs