“The world does not need a better definition of issues, or better planning or project management. It needs the issues and the plans to have more of an impact, which is the promise of engagement.” - Peter Block
Elevate Your Engagement
Not all community engagement is created equal. Engagement that's superficial in nature leads to status quo results. Rigid methods are ineffective when needs change. And drawn-out processes provide critical insights when it's too late to take action on them. These approaches don't move your project forward and squander your precious time, energy, and resources.
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Here are a few ways choosing the wrong public engagement approach puts projects at risk of failure:
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Damages relationships with stakeholders.
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Harms the organization's reputation.
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Wastes resources on underutilized or unsupported community programs and services.
Understand The Difference
The term "community engagement" is often thrown around by those who mainly focus on promoting brands, selling products, or writing academic papers. But making a real impact for an important cause requires more than the gift of gab, a slick slide deck, or long-winded reports.
That's why New Reach Community Consulting specializes in developing dynamic and responsive engagement strategies to help organizations make informed decisions that drive positive change in communities. You'll gain vital insights from diverse voices that reflect stakeholders' opinions, needs, challenges, motivations, and priorities. New Reach will provide a practical course of action for community collaboration to address problems.
With New Reach's strategic guidance and support, your organization can:
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Better plan for public engagement.
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Build community participation and trust.
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Deliver more effective community programs and services. ​
Get The Right Expertise You Need
You deserve more than chameleon consulting. Working with New Reach, you'll benefit from specialized consulting expertise with long receipts and deep roots to help you address your community outreach and engagement needs. Since New Reach isn't a dabbler, it can advise on solutions for success based on in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience of current best practices in public engagement. Working with New Reach means you won't need to sacrifice the right expertise you need for the community goals you want to accomplish.
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Below are some examples of expert public affairs services New Reach provides to inform decision-making processes, achieve policy objectives, and address complex social issues:
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Stakeholder Outreach and Community Engagement
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Public Awareness and Issue Advocacy
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Messaging and Communications
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Community Needs Assessment
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Social Impact Coaching
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Social Innovation Facilitation
Your Trusted Social Impact Partner
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A community’s opinion of your organization’s engagement success is measured by more than just hype and high-fives. Those are fleeting moments. That's why New Reach consistently maintains a credible focus on social impact. Partnering with New Reach means a shared commitment to making a difference in communities. Its values align with those of organizations that strive for long-term solutions to meet community needs. It's Ohio's first public affairs business to receive B Corp certification. The international nonprofit B Lab grants this designation for meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This high standard confirms that New Reach is among the select group of businesses that effectively demonstrate their commitment to making a meaningful impact on stakeholders and communities.
About New Reach
New Reach Community Consulting is a purpose-driven public affairs consulting business based in Columbus, Ohio. Its mission is to help organizations connect with communities to improve lives. New Reach works in communities, with communities. It keeps a finger on the pulse of communities, and its work centers on adding value to society in authentic ways.
Business Certifications
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National Diversity Veteran Small Business (NDVSB)
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US Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)
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State of Ohio Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
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State of Ohio Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE)
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City of Columbus Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
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Columbus City Schools Local Economically Disadvantaged Enterprise (LEDE)
New Reach also has a strong multidisciplinary network of other purpose-driving businesses that do good work to help advance communities and organizations. You can check out some of them by clicking this link.
Meet Your Expert
Coby C. Williams is the Founder and Principal of New Reach Community Consulting. He's an experienced strategist and practitioner who brings valuable knowledge, experience, and credentials. Coby has nearly twenty years of professional experience in community engagement, group facilitation, issue advocacy strategy, and digital outreach planning. His thought leadership is frequently sought after for national discussions on community engagement. He has collaborated with organizations across the United States to advance local, state, and national initiatives.
Coby was selected to participate in the Direct Action Research and Training (DART) Center Institute for grassroots community organizing. He also completed the Advanced Public Engagement for Local Government program from Davenport Institute at Pepperdine University. Coby served on the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) USA's national Board of Directors and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Governance Committees. He also served on the Steering Committee for the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG).
Coby earned an Associate of Applied Business in Computer Information Systems from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Franklin University. He also possesses professional training in advanced problem-solving and stakeholder engagement frameworks, including appreciative inquiry, design thinking, human-centered design, and intercultural group dynamics.
Agile Project Management
Digital Strategies Intensive
