What is community capacity?

Short Answer #

Community capacity refers to the skills, people, systems, and organizational strength needed to sustain language revitalization efforts over time.

Expanded Answer #

Technology alone cannot revitalize a language. Funding alone cannot revitalize a language. Successful revitalization requires people. Community capacity includes:

• Language teachers
• Coordinators
• Administrators
• Translators
• Elders
• Leadership support
• Educational programs
• Governance structures

Communities with strong capacity are often better positioned to sustain long-term language initiatives. This does not mean they begin with large teams or significant resources. Many successful programs begin with a small number of committed individuals. Over time, those individuals help train others, create systems, and expand community participation. Language Cloud supports capacity building by helping communities organize knowledge and reduce duplication of effort. When information becomes easier to access, more people can contribute to revitalization work.