When we look at coalition membership we look at it in terms of “Targeted Recruiting and Engagement”. This means when recruiting people to “join” the coalition, we are not recruiting them just to come to our coalition meetings and eat our chicken sandwiches. Targeted recruitment and engagement means “getting the right person to the right meeting at the right time.”

This process may be different than the way some coalitions operate. In the past some coalitions recruited based on a “shotgun” approach – where they recruit anybody and everybody whenever they can – new members are asked to show up at the next coalition meeting. The Primer describes building coalition membership through an approach that targets individuals and organizations based on what activities the coalition is engaged in, and what specific needs to coalition has at the current point in time. This “targeted recruiting process includes four distinct steps: