Coalition Strength Self-Assessment
Diversity • Recruitment • Engagement
This self-assessment will help you identify where your coalition is doing well and where additional attention may be needed.
How to Score
Rate each statement from 1–5:
1 = Not at all true
2 = Rarely true
3 = Sometimes true
4 = Usually true
5 = Very true
1. DIVERSITY
Who is at the table?
| Statement | Score |
| Our coalition reflects the communities and populations impacted by our work. | ___ / 5 |
| We intentionally identify and reach out to communities, organizations, or perspectives that are missing. | ___ / 5 |
| Members from different backgrounds have meaningful opportunities to contribute and influence decisions. | ___ / 5 |
Diversity Score: _____ / 15
2. RECRUITMENT
How are we bringing people to the table?
| Statement | Score |
| We regularly identify new individuals and organizations we want to engage. | ___ / 5 |
| We use personal outreach and relationship-building to recruit new partners. | ___ / 5 |
| We clearly communicate why participating in our coalition would be valuable to potential members. | ___ / 5 |
Recruitment Score: _____ / 15
3. ENGAGEMENT
What keeps people involved?
| Statement | Score |
| Members understand our coalition’s goals and how their participation contributes to the work. | ___ / 5 |
| Members have meaningful opportunities to participate beyond attending meetings. | ___ / 5 |
| We regularly communicate with members, recognize contributions, and ask for feedback. | ___ / 5 |
Engagement Score: _____ / 15
Your Coalition Snapshot
| Area | Score |
| Diversity | _____ / 15 |
| Recruitment | _____ / 15 |
| Engagement | _____ / 15 |
Which area scored lowest?
□ Diversity □ Recruitment □ Engagement
This may be an area where your coalition can focus additional attention.
WHAT DOES YOUR SCORE MEAN?
TIER 1 — STRENGTHEN & SUSTAIN
Score: 13–15
You have a strong foundation.
Your coalition appears to have effective practices in place. Your next step is to sustain what is working while creating opportunities for deeper involvement and leadership.
Consider:
- Developing leadership opportunities for coalition members
- Creating committees or workgroups around key priorities
- Developing emerging coalition leaders
- Creating a leadership or succession plan
- Tracking participation and engagement over time
- Reviewing and updating your coalition plan annually
- Sharing successful strategies with other coalitions
Our Next Step:
One thing we can do to strengthen what is already working:
TIER 2 — BUILD & FORMALIZE
Score: 9–12
You have momentum, but there are opportunities to become more intentional.
Some strong practices may already exist, but they may happen inconsistently or depend heavily on a few people.
Consider:
- Creating or updating your Coalition Plan
- Setting specific Diversity, Recruitment, or Engagement goals
- Developing a list of priority partners to recruit
- Assigning coalition members to conduct outreach
- Creating different levels of participation for members
- Conducting a member survey or listening session
- Developing a process for welcoming and following up with new members
- Scheduling a Technical Assistance session with the Endgame Center
Our Next Step:
One practice we need to make more intentional or consistent:
TIER 3 — ASSESS & BUILD
Score: 3–8
This should be a priority area for your coalition.
Start by understanding the challenge and developing a few achievable steps rather than trying to change everything at once.
Consider:
- Scheduling a Technical Assistance session with the Endgame Center
- Completing a coalition mapping exercise
- Identifying who is currently involved and who is missing
- Developing a basic Coalition Plan
- Talking one-on-one with current, former, and potential members
- Identifying 3–5 priority partners or communities to engage
- Reviewing barriers to participation
- Improving meeting structure and communication
- Creating a recruitment and follow-up process
- Developing a 30-, 60-, or 90-day action plan
Our Next Step:
One area we need to address first:
OPTIONAL:
TURN YOUR RESULTS INTO ACTION
1. Our strongest area is:
□ Diversity □ Recruitment □ Engagement
What are we doing well?
2. Our greatest opportunity is:
□ Diversity □ Recruitment □ Engagement
What needs more attention?
3. One action we will take in the next 30 days:
4. Who needs to be involved?
5. When will we revisit our progress?
Need Additional Support?
The Tobacco Endgame Center for Organizing & Engagement can provide Technical Assistance to help your coalition:
- Assess coalition strengths and gaps
- Develop or strengthen a coalition plan
- Identify recruitment strategies
- Improve diversity and representation
- Develop member engagement and retention strategies
- Turn assessment results into actionable next steps