What is a Community Town Hall?

• A Community Town Hall is a gathering that includes discussion about the public policy topic being addressed by Arizona Town Hall that is informed and facilitated using Arizona Town Hall methods, that culminates in a written consensus statement that is published by Arizona Town Hall, and that contributes to the statewide Town Hall.
• Working in partnership with the Arizona Town Hall, each community designs the event to meet its particular needs.
• The length depends on the audience, and affects the quality of the discussion. Ideally the event lasts at least 3 hours, but it may be as short as 1-1/2 hours or as long as one or two days.
• Community Town Halls may be held as part of a previously scheduled event, such as a regular meeting, or a conference. Late February-October is the prime time for a Community Town Hall.

Why sponsor a Community Town Hall?

• To provide communities and leaders with tools that will help them resolve difficult issues.
• To educate community members about, and engage them in tackling, important policy issues.
• To provide communities a voice that will inform policymakers and others about the community’s perspectives and to share the community’s creative ideas.
• To empower communities and community members, through powerful discussion and connections to resources, to become more effective action agents.
• To enable those who cannot attend a three-and-a-half-day statewide Town Hall to share their ideas and recommendations.

How can my organization sponsor a Community Town Hall?

• Start by contacting Arizona Town Hall; we can help you to design an event that will best meet your community’s needs.*
• Your community should determine a date, time, location, and facility. Many communities minimize costs by obtaining in-kind donations of facilities and refreshments.
• Arizona Town Hall charges approximately $5,000 to support and facilitate a Community Town Hall. The fee varies depending on the community and the scope of the event; it does not include the cost of facilities or refreshments.
• Arizona Town Hall is actively seeking philanthropic funding to help support Community Town Halls. Funding also may be obtained from local governments and businesses or through registration fees and in-kind donations.

Why does Arizona Town Hall charge a fee and what does it cover?

• Arizona Town Hall staff provides operational guidance and support, training materials, background information on the issue, discussion questions and either training or trained facilitators.
• Arizona Town Hall will assist in finalizing your consensus report and will publish and publicize it as part of its annual program addressing the topic. We also may seek to engage participants in your event in our media campaign.
• Arizona Town Hall can provide additional services and resources including participant registration and related bookkeeping, press releases, and contacts for in-kind services such as facilities.
• Arizona Town Hall is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with limited resources. Our staff and volunteers, many of whom are highly skilled professionals, have special expertise developed over years of training and practice. Fees cover a portion of the costs of providing the services described above.

*For more information contact the Arizona Town Hall office at (602) 252-9600.