95 Examples of Community Action

John Spacey, updated on September 20, 2023

Community action is when the people living in a place take action to improve that place. This includes community improvement projects, community volunteering, community fundraisers, political activism and feedback processes whereby governments and organizations involve the community in initiatives of change. The following are common examples of community action.

Arts festivals	After-school programs
Beach cleanups	Bicycle infrastructure projects
Bike repair workshops	Campaigns to support local businesses
Caregiver support services	Childcare cooperatives
Choirs and singing groups	Civic engagement initiatives
College readiness programs	Community art exhibitions
Community awards & recognition programs	Community concerts
Community dance classes	Community gardens
Community job fairs	Community kitchens
Community music groups	Community nutrition programs
Community sports clubs	Community swimming pools
Community theater	Community wellness programs
Conflict resolution workshops	Conservation projects
Cooking classes	Cooperative commerce
Crime prevention initiatives	Cultural exchange programs
Cultural festivals	Cybersecurity workshops
Dance festivals	Digital literacy programs
Disaster preparedness initiatives	Exercise classes
Farmers markets	Financial literacy workshops
Flea markets	Food drives
Food pantries	Foundation of new playgrounds & parks
Green roof projects	Heritage preservation initiatives
Historical restorations	Holiday celebrations
Home building projects	Home repair assistance
Intergenerational programs	Language classes
Legal aid services	Literacy programs
Living streets projects	Local networking events
Local wildlife protection projects	Meals on wheels
Multicultural festivals	Music lessons
Nature experience programs	Neighborhood restoration projects
Organizing block parties	Organizing community events
Outdoor education programs	Parades
Pet rescue services	Pollution monitoring projects
Protests and political activism	Recreational activities
Repair cafes	Restoration of playgrounds & parks
Reuse projects	Safety patrols
School supply donations	Senior activities
Social events	Street cleanups
Summer camps	Support groups
Tactical urbanism	Tourism promotion programs
Traffic safety initiatives	Tree planting campaigns
Tutoring services	Visitor information centers
Voter registration	Community media projects
Waste reduction campaigns	Youth activities
Youth centers	Youth councils
Youth employment programs	Youth entrepreneurship programs
Youth leadership programs	Youth mentoring programs
Youth sports leagues

In some cases, central governments use community action as an excuse not to solve community problems with the massive resources of government. This can even extend to global problems where large scale problems are given to individual communities to solve where the power to solve these problems really lies with governments and industry. In this case, community action can play a role with protests designed to pressure these power structures to act.

Community action centers around the idea of agency whereby people and communities are viewed as having the power to change their own lives. This can be contrasted with paternalism whereby it is assumed that individuals and communities are unable to solve any problems and require a central government to control things.

Community action can be designed to create a sense of community and build relationships amongst community members.

Next: Community Building