The Community of Kindness Index

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

1.Volunteer Participation

• What percent of the citizens volunteer their time to non-profits and civic-minded organizations?
• Is there evidence of a community effort to recruit and fully utilize volunteers from all sectors of the community?

2. Support from Government Officials

• Do government officials appear at community events and celebrations that recognize the acts of kindness of individuals and organizations?
• What evidence exists that city and county government employees practice kindness with each other and with the public they serve?
• Does the Mayor’s office issue proclamations and provide official sanction of Community of Kindness activities and events?
• Are there effective ways for citizens to bring their ideas, concerns & problems to the attention of elected officials?
• Are the ideas, concerns & problems of citizens treated with kindness & respect by elected officials?

3. Support from the Business & Non-profit Community

• Do businesses & non-profits become Community Sponsors of programs that promote acts of kindness?
• Do businesses & non-profits encourage their employees to join community efforts to recognize acts of kindness?
• Do the employees of businesses and non-profits practice kindness with each other and with their customers and clients?
• Do businesses & non-profits provide monetary or in-kind support to community kindness programs & events?

4. Support from the Religious Community

• Do the religious communities participate in community interfaith celebrations of kindness?
• Is there evidence that the religious institutions actively promote kindness activities and events in the community?
• What evidence exists that the religious institutions engage in outreach efforts to groups or individuals in need, such as the disabled, the poor, the elderly and those confined to nursing facilities?

5. Involvement from the School Community

• Are there kindness activities & events in area schools?
• Are there effective bullying and put-down prevention programs in area schools?
• Have area schools created systematic ways of recognizing acts of kindness among their students, faculty and staff?

6. Community Vision & Spirit

• Does the community have a far-reaching vision that was created with the input of a representative sample of its citizens?
• Is that vision updated on a regular basis? How often? In what ways?
• Is there evidence that this vision is used by community leaders and elected officials to guide their actions and decisions?
• What evidence is there of a healthy community spirit?

7. Efforts to Build Cooperation & Consensus

• Do community leaders and elected officials actively promote cooperation and consensus building in major decisions that affect the citizens?
• What evidence exists of cooperative & collaborative efforts to solve community problems?

8. Support by the Media

• Does the media report on kindness activities and events in the community?
• Does the media sponsor & promote kindness activities & events?
• Does the media actively seek ways to recognize citizens and organizations that are involved in doing acts of kindness?

9. Efforts to Involve Diverse Segments of the Community

• What evidence exists of efforts to recognize the efforts of and include diverse segments of the community in decisions that affect them and in community activities?
• What evidence exists of efforts to bridge racial, ethnic, religious, age, gender or sexual orientation differences in the community?

10. Community Efforts to Recognize Kindness

• What evidence is there of community-wide efforts to recognize acts of kindness by individuals or organizations?
• What evidence exists of community outreach efforts to extend kindness to visitors, the environment, animals and other communities?