Community means common ownership. Webster’s Miriam defines community as a unified body of individuals with common interests. The second definition stated is simply, "society at large." "It is a shared vision, shared norms, expectations, and values…" (O’Connell 1999). 

Historic Roots

The family depended on farming for its survival. Several generations would share the family land and they would form alliances with neighboring families to meet the needs they were unable to meet on their own. Rules were enforced in the communities to give residents a sense of belonging (Wachter and Tinsley 1996, 10) The punishment for not following the rules could and often did result in being expelled from the community. "Families found that when they lived together and shared responsibility for managing and protecting their lands and town, they had more time to care for their crops and domesticated animals" (Wachter and Tinsley 1996, 11).

With the disintegration of the traditional community, neighborhoods are left trying to piece together newly emerging communities. We no longer have the large homogeneous groups derived from family roots. Communities today struggle to reconstruct comparable structures of interdependency in what is now a very diverse group (Gardner 1992). "In a neighborhood that has suffered severe social disintegration and no longer enjoys a sense of community, the web of mutual support is missing" (Gardner 1992). The original sense of self-sufficiency that was once found in village communities is often lost with a never-ending one-way dependency (Gardner 1992). Members of a community must become participants who give back to the community. The shared beliefs and values of traditional communities worked to strengthen the community as a whole. Communities today are striving to get back to this "grass roots" form of community, while allowing for the ever-present diversity in our society.

Importance

Effective communities are vital in a civil society. John Gardner, in his keynote speech entitled "Building Community," presented five ingredients of a healthy community.

1. Wholeness Incorporating Diversity
2. Reasonable Base of Shared Values
3. Effective Internal Communication
4. Caring, Trust and Teamwork
5. Participation

Individuals in a community must feel that they belong. It is vital that every voice is heard to ensure that diversity is upheld while also allowing for a sense of wholeness. The sense of wholeness is what creates the community. "Each element in the diversity must somehow reach back toward the whole and say, ‘How can we make it a better community?’ " (Gardner 1992).

In years past people defined themselves by using terms like "my neighborhood" or "my family" because these groups were valued by the individual and they were key to defining an individual’s place in the community. Now, because of the ability to make rapid changes in our society and the cutting of the once deep-rooted ties, these connections are not always positive for the individual. "The village can no longer be defined as a place on a map, or a list of people or organizations, but its essence remains the same: it is the network of values and relationships that support and affect our lives" (Clinton 1996).

Ties to the Philanthropic Sector

Community is critical to the enhancement of the non-profit sector. The sense of "oneness" is an essential element of philanthropy in our society. Participation in and by a diverse community for the good of the whole is at the heart of philanthropy. Societies must maintain a responsible base of shared values for basic survival and vitality (O’Connell 1999).

Individuals give more money to philanthropic causes than do foundations or corporations. In 2004, individuals gave nearly 250 billion to charity (Giving USA Foundation, 2005). This monetary giving, as well as the giving of time, is often done to benefit community schools, churches, and nonprofit programs and projects. Communities with strong social ties have a high rate of giving and volunteering, as seen in the Community Social Benchmarking Survey conducted in 2000. Theoretically, the more individuals can become involved in their communities and support each other, the stronger the community and its individuals become.

Key Related Ideas

Important People Related to the Topic