Community engagement: A complete guide

What is community engagement?

Community engagement is the process of helping residents stay informed, share feedback, participate in community life, and understand what is happening in their condominium community. For Alberta board members, strong community engagement can create more opportunities for residents to contribute while helping the board understand community priorities.
 

What causes low community engagement?

Low community engagement can happen for several reasons, including:

• Information is hard to find: Residents may not know where to look for updates.
   
• Feedback feels ignored: People may stop participating if they don’t think that real changes are made after feedback is shared.
   
• Messages are sent too often: Too much information, or information that is difficult to understand, can make residents tune out.
   
• Communication feels disconnected from daily life: Residents are more likely to engage when updates are relevant to their experience in the community.

Boards can improve participation by making communication more consistent and showing residents how their input connects to community decisions.
 

10 ways to increase community engagement

1. Ask residents for their input

   Ask residents to assist in understanding the issues, obtaining feedback, and developing possible ideas. Utilize effective communication channels available to your board: signs in common areas, direct mail, social media, or by using your community’s online communication platform.
    

2. Plan your engagement strategy

   Plan an engagement strategy for those who are already involved and those who are not supportive. Community stakeholders can participate in a variety of ways, so it’s best to develop a plan to use your influencers effectively and at the right time.
    

3. Collaborate beyond your community

   Collaborate with residents, local organizations, and governments to identify solutions and develop best practices. Reaching out to the community at large can generate different perspectives and amplify the scope and value of your plan.
    

4. Enable residents to take ownership

   Enable residents to make decisions for their neighbourhood. Making everyone part of the solution is empowering. Enabling members of the community to take ownership of neighbourhood successes creates a sense of pride for everyone involved.
    

5. Keep communication consistent

   Residents are more likely to stay involved when they know where and when to expect information. Establish dependable channels for project updates, meetings, maintenance notices, and other community news. This way, residents don’t have to search across several places to understand what is happening or determine whether they need to take action.
    

6. Close the feedback loop

   Collecting resident feedback is only useful if people understand what happened afterward. Once the board has reviewed feedback, share an update explaining the outcome when appropriate. The board may not be able to act on every request, but showing residents that their input was considered can make community engagement feel meaningful and encourage people to participate again.
    

7. Make meetings easier to participate in

   Meetings are a chance for owners to understand what’s happening in their community and have a voice in important conversations. Share enough background before the meeting so residents understand the issue and why it matters.
   
   Just as importantly, make it clear how they can take part, whether it’s an in-person meeting, a virtual meeting, or a hybrid of both. When people know what to expect and how to participate, they are more likely to feel comfortable joining the conversation.
    

8. Create focused volunteer opportunities

   Not every resident who wants to contribute has the time to serve on the board. Short-term committees, event support, community projects, or other defined opportunities can give more people a practical way to participate. Keep the purpose and time commitment clear. Residents may be more willing to get involved when they know exactly what they are being asked to do and when their responsibility ends.
    

9. Welcome new residents

   From condo rules to key contacts, there’s a lot to learn when you’re a new resident in a condominium community. A simple welcome process can make those details easier to understand from the beginning.
   
   Give new residents clear information about how to contact their condo manager, where community information is shared, and how they can become involved.
    

10. Recognize resident contributions

    Residents who volunteer their time help make many community initiatives possible. A simple thank-you at a meeting, in a condo newsletter, or through another channel can show that their contribution is appreciated.

How to measure community engagement

There is no single measurement that tells a board whether residents are engaged. Instead, look at patterns over time, such as:

• Meeting attendance: Are more owners attending annual general meetings, information sessions, or other community meetings?
   
• Survey participation: Are residents responding when the board asks for feedback?
   
• Volunteer interest: Are owners willing to join condo committees or help with events?
   
• Event attendance: Which types of events attract the most participation, and which consistently fall flat?
   
• Resident feedback: Are questions and comments becoming more informed and focused on community priorities?

Tracking these trends can help the board see which community engagement efforts are working and where a different approach may be needed.
 

How can technology support community engagement?

Digital tools can make community engagement more convenient by giving residents easier access to community information. For example, FirstService Residential Connect™ gives Alberta board members, community managers, and residents access to tools designed specifically for condominium communities.

Residents can use the platform to find community information and documents, view account details, submit service requests, reserve amenities, and stay up to date on community news. At the same time, managers can send notifications, track work orders and inspections, and manage architectural requests, while board members can access documents and share updates with the community.
 

About FirstService Residential

As Alberta’s leading property management company, FirstService Residential supports boards and owners with local expertise and national resources. Our teams help boards and owners stay organized with governance support, recordkeeping systems, financial management, maintenance planning, vendor coordination, resident communication, and 24/7 customer care.

To learn more about how we can support your community, contact FirstService Residential today.

This information is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal, regulatory, financial, or operational advice, or as a representation or guarantee of any specific services, capabilities, or outcomes. Property management needs, regulatory requirements, market conditions, and available services vary by jurisdiction, property type, and community. FirstService Residential provides services through locally based affiliates and associates, and services and results may vary by community, region, contractual terms, and applicable law.