Sustaining CBPR Projects: Lessons Learned Developing Latina Community Groups

A significant challenge to community-based participatory research (CBPR) is establishing sustainable change as research projects and funding end. Building capacity among community members is one mechanism through which CBPR interventions can be made sustainable. This paper provides a case study reflecting on the development of two Latina community groups in two distinct neighborhoods located in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the country’s emerging 21st century immigrant gateways. Analyzing our process through the lens of four community group development stages, we critically explore our efforts to build capacity and ensure sustainability. We also assess how community members may or may not become ‘empowered’ through CBPR interventions to continue the efforts once the research ends. By identifying both the successes and failures of our work, we aim to provide a series of guidelines that other CBPR teams might adopt as they work to build capacity among similarly vulnerable populations and construct sustainable interventions at the neighborhood scale.