The Macro Lens

Category: How-To Guide

  • Coalition Building for Social Workers

    A practical framework for creating powerful partnerships that drive systems change

    Illustration of a city skyline with interconnected lines representing coalition building, community networks, and systemic collaboration in social work.

    Social Work Coalition Building

    When you work alone, you’re limited by your own capacity, resources, and sphere of influence. When you build a coalition and bring together diverse partners around a shared vision, you multiply your collective power to create lasting change.

    Coalition building is one of the most essential skills in macro social work, yet it’s rarely taught with the level of practical detail needed to do it well. This guide breaks down the process into seven concrete steps you can follow; whether you’re organizing around a policy change, launching a community program, or addressing a systemic issue that no single organization can solve alone.

    What Is a Coalition?

    A coalition is a temporary or long-term alliance between individuals, organizations, and groups who come together around a shared goal. Unlike a single organization with a formal hierarchy, coalitions work through collaboration, shared decision-making, and distributed leadership.

    Coalitions can be formal (with bylaws, officers, and structured meetings) or informal (loosely organized around specific campaigns). What matters most is not the structure, but the shared commitment to a goal that no one partner could achieve alone.

    In social work, effective coalitions have:

    • Advanced healthcare access by bringing together hospitals, community clinics, and patient advocacy groups
    • Reformed school discipline policies through partnerships between parents, educators, and juvenile justice advocates
    • Secured housing protections by uniting tenants, legal aid organizations, and faith communities
    • Changed child welfare practices when social workers, families with lived experience, and community organizations demanded better

    The 7-Step Coalition Building Framework

    Step 1: Define Your Shared Vision and Goals

    Before inviting anyone to the table, get clear on what you’re trying to accomplish. A coalition without a focused goal quickly becomes a social club—well-intentioned but ineffective.

    Ask yourself:

    • What specific change are we working toward?
    • What would success look like in six months, one year, or three years?
    • Is this goal achievable through collaboration, or could one organization do it alone?

    Be specific. “Improve mental health services” is too broad. “Secure $2 million in county funding for school-based mental health clinicians in underserved districts” gives partners something concrete to rally around.

    Pro tip: If your goal is too large to achieve within one to three years, you may need a movement, not a coalition. Start smaller and build momentum.

    Step 2: Map Potential Partners Strategically

    Not every organization working on a similar issue needs to be in your coalition. Think strategically about who brings what you need.

    Consider partners who offer:

    • Legitimacy: Credibility and trust in the community
    • Resources: Funding, staff time, meeting space, or technology
    • Expertise: Legal knowledge, policy analysis, or lived experience
    • Access: Connections to decision-makers, media, or grassroots networks
    • People power: Members who can mobilize for actions, hearings, or canvassing

    Power map example:

    • Decision-makers: Who has the authority to make the change you want?
    • Influencers: Who has their ear? (Staff, advisors, donors, community leaders)
    • Allies: Who already supports your goal and has influence?
    • Potential partners: Who could be persuaded to join if they understood the issue?

    Critical point: Always include people with lived experience of the issue. If you’re working on homelessness, unhoused individuals must be at the table—not only consulted but included in leadership.

    Step 3: Build Relationships Before You Ask for Anything

    Coalition building is relationship work. You cannot send a cold email asking someone to join and expect genuine commitment.

    Relationship-building strategies:

    • Have informal conversations: Learn about their priorities, challenges, and vision
    • Attend their events: Show up for their work before asking them to show up for yours
    • Find common ground: Identify where your goals naturally align
    • Be transparent about your own capacity and limitations

    If your first interaction is a request to sign a letter or attend a meeting, you’re starting from extraction, not partnership. Trust takes time. Let people see your consistency and genuine commitment to collaboration, not convenience.

    Step 4: Establish Structure and Decision-Making Processes

    Coalitions fail when no one knows who is responsible for what, or when power dynamics go unspoken.

    Key elements:

    • Leadership model: Lead organization, rotating leadership, or a shared steering committee
    • Decision-making: Consensus, modified consensus, majority vote, or delegated authority
    • Roles and responsibilities: Who facilitates meetings, manages communication, tracks action items, or handles media

    Put your agreements in writing. A simple Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) can prevent conflict by clarifying expectations early.

    Step 5: Create Sustainable Meeting Practices

    Meetings are where coalitions live or die. Effective meetings build energy and accountability; poor ones drain both.

    Meeting essentials:

    • Consistent schedule (monthly or quarterly)
    • Clear agenda shared 48 hours ahead
    • Defined outcomes for every meeting
    • Rotating roles (facilitator, note-taker, timekeeper)
    • Accessibility measures (hybrid options, interpretation, childcare)
    • End each meeting with action items and accountability

    A simple flow that works:

    1. Check-in and wins (10 min)
    2. Updates from working groups (15 min)
    3. Decisions and strategy (30–40 min)
    4. Action steps and closing (10 min)

    Only meet when coordination or decision-making truly requires it. Otherwise, share updates by email.

    Step 6: Navigate Conflict and Power Differences

    Coalitions bring together organizations with different cultures, resources, and levels of power. Conflict is inevitable—and healthy when handled well.

    Common tensions:

    • Resource disparities
    • Credit and visibility
    • Pace and tactics
    • Representation in messaging

    Strategies for balance:

    • Name and discuss power differences openly
    • Center grassroots and lived-experience leadership
    • Rotate visibility and speaking opportunities
    • Encourage resource sharing from larger to smaller partners
    • Establish conflict protocols before disagreements arise

    Avoiding conflict doesn’t build trust. Addressing it respectfully does.

    Step 7: Celebrate Wins and Evaluate Honestly

    Momentum sustains coalitions. Celebrate progress, however small, and reflect on lessons learned.

    After each milestone:

    • Celebrate publicly through social media or community events
    • Acknowledge contributions by name
    • Reflect on what worked and what didn’t
    • Document insights for future use

    When it’s time to close:
    If you’ve achieved your goal or the coalition has run its course, end intentionally. Hold a closing conversation about what was accomplished, which relationships will continue, and what resources can be shared with others.

    The Bottom Line

    Coalition building isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about trusting that collective wisdom will surface them. When diverse people, organizations, and communities align around a focused goal, they create power that no single entity can replicate.

    Systems change never happens in isolation. It happens when social workers, community members, advocates, and organizations move in the same direction, united by a vision of justice.

    You don’t need permission to start. You need a clear goal, authentic relationships, and the humility to share power. Start small. Reach out to two or three partners. Find your overlap. Take one action together. That’s how movements begin.

    Ready to Take the Next Step?

    Building coalitions is just one piece of macro social work. For more tools to strengthen your systems-change practice, visit our Macro Social Work Resources Hub: a curated list of 37 free systems work resources across 8 categories.

    Also, subscribe to The Macro Lens newsletter and download your free Intro to Macro Social Work: A Beginner’s Guide.

    This 10-page workbook will help you:

    • Map your transferable skills from micro to macro practice
    • Identify opportunities for systemic change in your current role
    • Reframe barriers that hold social workers back
    • Build your professional network for collective action

    Subscribe today and take your first step from casework to catalyst.

  • How to Build a Career in Social Justice: Four Professional Paths to Meaningful Systemic Change

    A minimalist aerial view of four golden paths converging toward a bright horizon, representing different routes to build a career in social justice.

    Your Career in Social Justice

    When most people think about social justice work, they picture direct service; careers built around helping one individual or family at a time. But real justice asks us to look deeper, beyond individual acts of kindness, to the roots of inequality. How do we shift the systems that create inequality in the first place?

    Four major professional pathways offer meaningful routes to systemic impact: macro social work, law and legal advocacy, community organizing, and public administration. Each aligns differently with social justice values, requires different levels of education and investment, and offers distinct strengths and challenges.

    Here is a comparative analysis of the four best pathways toward a career as a changemaker. If you’ve ever felt the call to create large-scale positive change, this guide can help you find your path.

    Macro Social Work

    Focus:

    Policy advocacy, program design, systems reform, and organizational leadership

    Macro social work is one of the few professions built explicitly around systemic change. Macro practitioners tackle structural issues (poverty, inequity, discrimination, and access to resources) through community-level, organizational, and policy interventions.

    For more information, read our article “Why Social Workers Make Effective Agents of Systemic Change“. Visit the Social Work Education Center to learn more about career paths in macro social work.

    Time and Cost:

    • Bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) or related field, followed by a Master of Social Work (MSW)
    • Typically 6 years of education total
    • Average MSW tuition: $30,000–$70,000 depending on school and residency
    • Licensure is often optional for macro roles, but many hold the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) or equivalent

    Potential for Impact:

    Macro social workers operate across government, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and think tanks. While it can take time to gain the experience needed to break into leadership roles, the field is incredibly broad. This allows you the freedom to focus your career on the populations and issues that matter most to you. The profession is also deeply aligned with social justice values.

    Compensation and Stability:

    • Median: $60,000–$65,000
    • Senior or leadership roles: $90,000–$125,000+
    • Stability: Moderate to high, especially in government or large nonprofits

    Strengths:

    • Deep philosophical alignment with equity and advocacy
    • Diverse career options (policy, research, community planning, administration)
    • Expanding field with above-average growth

    Challenges:

    • Requires advanced degree for meaningful leadership
    • Required practicum experiences are often unpaid
    • Modest early-career salaries

    Bottom Line:

    Social work incorporates justice, equity, dignity, and cultural humility into every aspect of the profession. Macro practice can offer you a direct and intentional path toward social justice leadership. However, it takes patience and persistence to rise into influential roles.

    Law and Legal Advocacy

    Focus:

    Rights enforcement, litigation, and legislative reform

    Law remains one of the most traditional and visible social justice careers. Civil rights, public defense, immigration advocacy, and nonprofit legal work all fall under this umbrella. Attorneys often influence systems through litigation, policy design, and strategic interpretation of the law.

    Explore the social justice lawyer career path.

    Time and Cost:

    • Bachelor’s degree (4 years) + Juris Doctor (JD, 3 years)
    • 7 years total education
    • Average cost: $120,000–$200,000 for law school alone
    • Must pass the bar exam to practice

    Potential for Impact:

    Lawyers can achieve sweeping systemic change through precedent-setting cases, legislation, and public policy. However, the field can be adversarial and hierarchical, making early systemic influence slow to achieve.

    Compensation and Stability:

    • Median: ~$146,000 nationally (varies widely)
    • Public interest and nonprofit roles: ~$60,000–$90,000
    • Stability: Moderate; government roles are stable, private practice less so

    Strengths:

    • Direct pathway to policy and legal influence
    • High earning potential and strong professional status
    • Potential for transformative systemic wins

    Challenges:

    • Extremely high cost and time investment
    • Competitive field; slow to reach leadership or impact roles
    • Can feel disconnected from community-level realities

    Bottom Line:

    A legal career can give you unmatched structural leverage, but requires immense upfront investment and patience. Its impact depends on your ability to balance advocacy with systemic realities.

    Community Organizing and Development

    Focus:

    Grassroots mobilization, coalition building, and movement leadership

    Community organizing is the most accessible and immediate way to engage in large-scale justice work. Organizers build people power through community engagement and needs assessment. They confront systems of inequity directly, whether through campaigns, policy demands, or civic engagement.

    See a detailed guide to community organizing careers.

    Time and Cost:

    • No formal degree required (though many hold degrees in social sciences or social work)
    • Low educational cost relative to other paths
    • Leadership often grows through credibility, experience, and relationships rather than credentials

    Potential for Impact:

    Organizing is the fastest route to visible impact, as practitioners engage communities in real time to change policy or culture. Yet sustaining grassroots movements can be difficult, and funding instability often limits long-term career security.

    Compensation and Stability:

    • Typical salary: $40,000–$60,000
    • Leadership in larger organizations: up to $90,000+
    • Stability: Low to moderate; depends on grants and political context

    Strengths:

    • Direct alignment with democratic participation and empowerment
    • Quick path to leadership and visible impact
    • Grounded in lived experience and relational credibility

    Challenges:

    • Often low pay and inconsistent funding
    • High burnout risk due to emotional labor and unstable job structures
    • Success depends on sustained community momentum

    Bottom Line:

    If you prioritize immediacy, movement energy, and bottom-up change, organizing offers rapid influence. However, it remains the least financially stable path and depends heavily on passion, perseverance, and community trust.

    Public Administration and Policy

    Focus:

    Government or nonprofit program management, policy implementation, and systems governance

    Public administration professionals translate social policy into real-world systems. They manage public programs, oversee budgets, and design policies that shape social equity on a broad scale.

    Learn more about careers with a Master of Public Administration.

    Time and Cost:

    • Bachelor’s degree (4 years) + Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Public Policy (MPP) (2 years)
    • 6 years total education
    • Average MPA tuition: $30,000–$70,000
    • No licensure required

    Potential for Impact:

    Public administrators can enact widespread reforms, but change often moves slowly within bureaucratic structures. Political cycles and competing priorities can dilute social justice goals.

    Compensation and Stability:

    • Salary range: $60,000–$100,000+
    • Stability: High, particularly in government roles
    • Benefits and pensions often strong

    Strengths:

    • Direct influence over social policy and program design
    • Clear advancement structure in government and nonprofit systems
    • High job stability

    Challenges:

    • Bureaucracy and political pressures often limit agility
    • Early roles may feel far removed from justice outcomes
    • Social justice values can clash with administrative or political constraints

    Bottom Line:

    Public administration is ideal if you thrive in structured systems and want to institutionalize equity through policy, budgeting, and governance. It rewards patience with long-term influence and the chance to institutionalize equity from within.

    Comparative Overview

    Each of these careers can advance justice in different ways. The comparison below summarizes how they differ in structure, opportunity, and the kind of change they make possible.

    PathwayEducation & CostEntry TimelineEarning PotentialStabilityAlignment with Social JusticeBarriersDistinct Advantage
    Macro Social WorkMSW ($30k–$70k)Moderate$60k–$125kModerate–HighDirect and explicitBureaucracy; degree requirementsPurpose-built for systemic equity
    Law & Legal AdvocacyJD ($120k–$200k)Long$60k–$200k+ModerateStrong but adversarialHigh debt; slow early impactLegal authority to shift policy
    Community OrganizingMinimal formal educationFast$40k–$90kLow–ModerateDeep grassroots connectionFunding instabilityQuickest path to leadership
    Public AdministrationMPA/MPP ($30k–$70k)Moderate$60k–$100k+HighVariable by agencyBureaucracy, politicsDirect influence over programs

    Choosing Your Path Forward

    Every social justice pathway requires trade-offs between access, influence, and sustainability.

    • Community organizing offers immediate, people-powered impact but limited financial stability.
    • Law delivers powerful structural leverage but demands immense time and money.
    • Macro social work blends systems theory, advocacy, and community connection, offering a versatile route for sustained justice work.
    • Public administration turns policy into practice, shaping institutions from within, though it often requires navigating slow-moving systems.

    The right path depends not just on your skills and resources, but on how you want to wield power. Ask yourself: are you drawn to grassroots mobilization, legal frameworks, policy systems, or social work’s values-driven approach to justice?

    For me, I found my true calling in social work. Its core commitments to social justice, equity, dignity, cultural humility, and the inherent worth of all people resonated deeply. It is a profession that not only supports the pursuit of justice and systemic change, but demands it. It is the perfect reflection of my personal values in professional form.

    Of course, every journey is unique. No single profession owns systemic change. Whether you build policy, organize neighbors, or challenge laws, you hold a piece of justice in your hands. Carry it wisely, share it freely, and together we can achieve more than we ever thought possible.

    Ready to start engaging in systems work? Visit our Macro Social Work Resources Hub for free tools, guides, and resources to create meaningful change.

  • Listening as Leadership: How to Lead a Community Needs Assessment

    A diverse group of six adults seated in a semi-circle during a community needs assessment meeting, one person speaking while others listen attentively in a sunlit room.

    Why Community Needs Assessments Matter

    A community needs assessment is a structured way to listen deeply to your community; to understand what is working, what is not, and what is missing. It is the foundation of effective macro social work and systems change because we cannot solve problems we have not clearly defined.

    At The Macro Lens, we believe systemic change begins with listening. A strong needs assessment helps social workers, nonprofit leaders, and advocates uncover the real barriers and strengths shaping community well-being, even without a research budget or academic team.

    This guide will walk you through a practical, justice-driven process for conducting your own assessment using accessible tools, participatory approaches, and real-world examples. You will learn how to define your purpose, gather meaningful data, analyze what you find, and turn insights into action that fosters equity and accountability.

    If you’re new to macro practice, check out Why Social Workers Make Effective Agents of Systemic Change, an internal article exploring why social workers are uniquely equipped to lead systemic reform.

    For technical guidance on designing assessments, consider the Community Toolbox: Assessing Community Needs and Resources, a comprehensive and free step-by-step resource created by the University of Kansas. You can also browse additional tools in our Macro Social Work Resources Hub.

    Step 1: Define Your Purpose and Scope

    Every effective community needs assessment begins with clarity. Before collecting any data, ground yourself in purpose. Ask: What do I want to understand, and why?

    Your purpose shapes everything that follows, from your questions to the people you engage.

    Examples of purposes:

    • Designing or improving a program
    • Informing advocacy around a policy issue
    • Supporting a funding proposal
    • Guiding a multi-organization coalition

    A narrow scope might focus on one issue, such as barriers to after-school care for working families.

    A broad scope might explore overall community well-being, including health, safety, and economic opportunity.

    Mini Checklist: Define Your Scope

    • Who is your target population (for example, youth, single parents, older adults)?
    • What geographic area are you focusing on (for example, neighborhood, city, county)?
    • What’s your timeframe for collecting and sharing results?
    • What’s your intended use (program design, funding, advocacy)?

    Defining your scope keeps your work focused and achievable, especially when you’re a team of one.

    Once you’ve clarified your purpose, you’re ready to invite others into the process.

    Step 2: Engage the Community From the Start

    A justice-oriented needs assessment begins with partnership, not extraction. The community is not your subject; they are your co-designers.

    Start by connecting with:

    • Grassroots organizations already doing trusted work
    • Informal leaders such as faith advocates, youth mentors, or small business owners
    • Community members with lived experience related to the issue you’re exploring

    Sample outreach message:

    “I’m gathering insight from community members about what’s working and what needs to change around [topic]. Would you be open to sharing your perspective or connecting me to others who might be?”

    Ethical Considerations

    • Be transparent about your purpose and how the results will be used
    • Obtain consent before collecting or sharing stories
    • Make sure all voices are heard, especially those from marginalized or underrepresented groups
    • Practice cultural humility by listening more than you speak

    This stage is crucial for building trust, something social work has not always succeeded at. For a deeper look at how professional practices can alienate the very communities we aim to serve, see Alienating Vulnerable Communities: The Hidden Cost of Clinical Saturation.

    Including community members from the beginning builds trust and ensures your findings reflect real experiences rather than assumptions.

    Once you’ve built those relationships, you can begin gathering data in a way that feels collaborative and authentic.

    Step 3: Choose Your Data-Gathering Methods

    You don’t need advanced software or formal research credentials to conduct a strong community needs assessment. What matters most is curiosity and structure. Combining quantitative and qualitative methods gives you both the facts and the human stories that bring them to life.

    Quantitative methods (numbers-based):

    • Public data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the official source for national demographic and economic statistics
    • National datasets through Google Data Commons, a free online aggregator of public data
    • Create short online surveys using Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform
    • Quick polls shared through your organization’s social media or email list

    Qualitative methods (story-based):

    • One-on-one or small-group interviews
    • Focus groups or story circles
    • Observations at community events
    • Open-ended questions on digital or paper surveys

    Example questions to ask:

    • What barriers make it hard to meet basic needs?
    • What resources are most helpful in your community right now?
    • What gives you hope or pride about your neighborhood?
    • If you could change one thing, what would it be?

    Blending data types captures both the realities and the emotions that shape community life, and those insights drive real change.

    When you’ve collected your data, the next step is to organize what you’ve learned and look for patterns that reveal deeper truths.

    Step 4: Organize and Analyze Your Findings

    Information without meaning is just noise. The goal is to identify patterns, priorities, and blind spots that reveal what your community truly needs.

    Start organizing your data using:

    • A simple Excel or Google Sheet to list responses
    • Color-coded sticky notes to group common themes
    • Use a free AI assistance tool like ChatGPT to summarize text and highlight patterns, or Notion AI to quickly categorize and tag responses by topic

    Simple ways to analyze your data:

    1. Read everything once to get a general sense of what people said.
    2. Highlight recurring words or ideas such as “transportation,” “mental health,” or “trusted places.”
    3. Create categories or themes by grouping similar answers together.
    4. Note how often key issues appear.
    5. Check who participated — and who didn’t.

    Example: You might notice that “affordable childcare” appears in 60 percent of responses, but fathers were underrepresented.

    Equity is not only about who speaks, but also about noticing whose voices are missing.

    Once you’ve identified themes, the next step is translating them into clear and actionable priorities.

    Step 5: Translate Insights Into Actionable Priorities

    Data becomes meaningful when it guides action. After identifying common themes, convert them into priorities your community can rally around.

    Three steps to move from data to priorities:

    1. Group related findings such as transportation access, childcare costs, or employment barriers.
    2. Identify root causes behind those findings.
    3. Craft short, plain-language statements that turn evidence into clear priorities.

    Sample priority statement:

    “Affordable childcare access was identified as the top barrier to employment for single parents in Eastview. Next step: convene local nonprofits, city employers, and parents to explore collaborative childcare solutions.”

    Your findings can guide:

    • Program design: piloting a childcare stipend or after-school program
    • Policy advocacy: pushing for municipal childcare funding
    • Coalition agendas: aligning partners around shared goals

    Data becomes powerful when it points clearly to what needs to change and who can take action to make it happen.

    Find additional examples and templates for turning data into action in our Macro Social Work Resources Hub.

    Once you’ve identified priorities, share them back with the people who helped you uncover them.

    Step 6: Share Back With the Community

    Sharing your findings strengthens trust and accountability. When people see how their input shaped the results, they feel ownership in the solutions.

    Accessible ways to share results:

    • Host a short community presentation or town hall
    • Use tools like Canva or Piktochart to design quick, eye-catching visual summaries
    • Publish a two-page snapshot report in plain language
    • Post short videos or visuals summarizing key findings on social media

    Tips for inclusive sharing:

    • Use plain language free of jargon
    • Translate materials when needed
    • Include visuals that show key takeaways
    • Ask for feedback: “Did we get this right?”

    Closing the loop turns research into relationship. It shows the community that their time and voice made a difference.

    Now that your findings are public, you can use them to spark new partnerships and collective action.

    Step 7: Use Your Results to Build Partnerships

    A well-designed community needs assessment is more than a report; it’s a relationship builder. Sharing your findings can open doors for collaboration, funding, and shared advocacy.

    Ways to leverage your results:

    • Present findings to local nonprofits, schools, or health departments
    • Share results with funders or elected officials to align priorities
    • Use your data in letters of intent or grant proposals
    • Convene a coalition meeting around your top community priorities

    Next-step examples:

    • Form a childcare coalition based on identified needs
    • Develop a data-informed advocacy platform
    • Launch a pilot program and evaluate its early outcomes

    When done well, a needs assessment becomes a bridge between community voice and institutional power: connecting lived experience with leadership.

    For advanced partnership-building strategies from university experts, explore the Community Toolbox’s guide.

    Common Pitfalls to Avoid

    Even strong assessments can falter if they lose sight of trust or action. Avoid these common mistakes:

    • Involving residents only as survey respondents rather than co-creators
    • Conducting multiple surveys without sharing results (“survey fatigue”)
    • Letting data sit unused instead of translating it into visible change
    • Focusing only on deficits instead of balancing needs with community strengths
    • Duplicating work instead of building on existing assessments

    A community needs assessment is only as meaningful as the change it inspires. The goal is always shared learning, accountability, and collective action.

    Conclusion: Listening as the First Act of Leadership

    At its core, a community needs assessment is not about data, it’s about dignity. Listening deeply, organizing collectively, and acting collaboratively are the first steps toward meaningful change.

    Start small: one survey, one interview, one conversation. Each insight deepens understanding and strengthens the fabric of trust.

    The Macro Lens believes listening is leadership: Transforming lived experience into lasting systemic change.

    To take the next step, visit our Macro Social Work Resources Hub for toolkits and templates. Be sure to subscribe to The Macro Lens newsletter, which delivers new updates and resources to your inbox every month.