I have been a member of the Pennsylvania state breastfeding coalition since
its beginning in 1992.  In the past year we have been going through a
reorganization process, including incorporating, writing bylaws, and
strategic planning...all in all, getting ourselves better organized in order
(we hope) to become more effective.  Now because of my new job with WIC in
New Jersey, I am a new member of the New Jersey breastfeeding task force.  In
New Jersey I will also be involved in the Best Start breastfeeding promotion
plan to start this summer, and that includes coalition-building.  SO...since
so much of my time and energy is now going into this organizing effort, I
would like to know what experience you-all have had with task forces and
coalitions, both local and regional.  We might begin a thread here on
Lactnet.  We might also meet as an ad hoc group at the ILCA Conference this
August.  If people have a lot to say to me via private e-mail, I will try to
summarize it for Lactnet later.

Here are some of my questions.
1.  What does your coalition hope to accomplish?   (In other words, what is
your mission?)
2.  Who is part of your coalition?  Individuals?  Organizations?  Have you
been able to bring in a wide variety of interested people and keep them
involved?
3.  If some members are representatives of organizations, in what sense do
they "represent" their organizations?
4.  What are you doing for money?  Dues? In-kind donations?  Fund-raising?
 Grants?
5.  How is your coalition organized?  Who does the work of running the
coalition?
6.  What kinds of projects have you done?
7.  How do you communicate within the coalition?

I look forward to hearing from you.
Chris.