Asset Based Community Development

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)

Our strategy for sustainable community-driven development. Unlike traditional approaches that

focus on community needs, deficiencies, and problems, ABCD focuses on identifying and

leveraging existing community strengths, assets, and resources. The core idea is to empower

communities by acknowledging and utilizing the talents, skills, and capacities of their members,

as well as the potential of local institutions, physical spaces, and networks.

ABCD operates on several key principles:

1. **Asset-Based:** The approach identifies and utilizes the strengths within the community,

such as the skills of its residents, the power of local associations, and the support of institutions,

rather than focusing on needs and deficiencies.

2. **Internally Focused:** Emphasis is placed on the use of internal assets, as opposed to

reliance on external aid, to initiate and sustain development projects. The belief is that

communities can drive the development process by mobilizing existing assets.

3. **Relationship-Driven:** ABCD stresses the importance of building strong, reciprocal

relationships among community members, believing that these connections are the foundation

of sustainable development.

4. **Collaborative:** It involves a collaborative approach that brings together various community

stakeholders to work on development projects. This includes nonprofits, government entities,

local businesses, and residents working in concert.

5. **Community-Driven:** Initiatives are led by the community, for the community, ensuring that

development efforts are tailored to the specific needs, desires, and cultural context of the

community.

The process often begins with asset mapping, an exercise that identifies the personal,

associative, and institutional assets within a community. This inventory then serves as a

foundation for planning and initiating development projects that are based on leveraging these

assets.

By focusing on what communities have, rather than what they lack, ABCD aims to build

stronger, more self-reliant communities capable of achieving sustainable economic and social

revitalization.