CED CED Community Engagement & Advocacy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a 'memorandum of understanding' (MOU) in a community partnership?
- A legally enforceable contract for service delivery
- A non-binding agreement outlining roles, responsibilities, and expectations between partner organizations (Correct answer)
- A grant agreement between a funder and grantee
- A board-approved budget document
Correct answer: A non-binding agreement outlining roles, responsibilities, and expectations between partner organizations
An MOU formalizes a collaborative relationship without creating legal liability, providing clarity on each partner's commitments and contributions.
Question 2: What is 'constituent voice' in program design?
- Allowing community members to vote on board elections
- Incorporating feedback and perspectives from the people served into program development and evaluation (Correct answer)
- Publishing annual reports for public review
- Hosting town halls for general public input
Correct answer: Incorporating feedback and perspectives from the people served into program development and evaluation
Centering constituent voice ensures programs are relevant, effective, and responsive to the actual needs and preferences of the community being served.
Question 3: What is 'earned media' in a nonprofit communications strategy?
- Revenue generated by selling advertising in newsletters
- Press coverage and publicity gained through outreach and newsworthiness rather than paid advertising (Correct answer)
- Social media posts boosted with paid promotion
- Sponsored content on news websites
Correct answer: Press coverage and publicity gained through outreach and newsworthiness rather than paid advertising
Earned media — such as news stories, op-eds, and TV segments — builds credibility because it comes from independent journalists rather than paid placement.
Question 4: What is the role of a 'community advisory board' (CAB)?
- To replace the board of directors in smaller nonprofits
- To provide guidance and community perspective to organizational leadership without formal governance authority (Correct answer)
- To manage day-to-day operations of community programs
- To approve the organization's annual budget
Correct answer: To provide guidance and community perspective to organizational leadership without formal governance authority
CABs bring diverse community voices into strategic conversations, helping organizations stay accountable and connected to the populations they serve.
Question 5: Which approach best defines 'participatory action research' in a community context?
- Academic researchers studying a community from the outside
- A research process where community members are co-investigators who help design and conduct the study (Correct answer)
- A nonprofit commissioning a third-party evaluation
- Focus groups conducted by a marketing firm
Correct answer: A research process where community members are co-investigators who help design and conduct the study
Participatory action research is a collaborative methodology that positions community members as active partners in generating knowledge about their own conditions.
Question 6: In advocacy, 'grasstops' engagement refers to:
- Organizing large numbers of ordinary citizens to contact legislators
- Mobilizing influential community leaders to communicate with policymakers on behalf of a cause (Correct answer)
- Hiring professional lobbyists to testify at hearings
- Organizing social media campaigns for policy change
Correct answer: Mobilizing influential community leaders to communicate with policymakers on behalf of a cause
Grasstops advocacy leverages the credibility and relationships of respected community figures — such as clergy, business leaders, or former officials — to persuade policymakers.
CED CED Community Engagement & Advocacy 2
What is the purpose of a 'memorandum of understanding' (MOU) in a community partnership?