Build Coalitions That Reflect the Community

Public officials pay attention to who supports a project as much as how many people support it.

     A diverse coalition demonstrates that the project delivers value across the community.

Depending on the project, that coalition may include:

• Chambers of commerce

• Local employers

• Labor organizations

• Agricultural leaders

• Community organizations

• Educators

• Faith leaders

• Neighborhood advocates

• Residents from communities with similar successful projects

These third-party validators provide credibility that developers cannot create on their own.

Prepare for Opposition Before It Appears

Every major infrastructure project will face questions.

Traffic. Noise. Environmental impacts. Community character. Property values.

     Successful outreach doesn't wait for those concerns to surface at a public hearing.

     Instead, developers identify potential issues early through stakeholder research and community engagement, allowing them to provide clear, fact-based responses before misinformation gains traction.

     When supporters understand both the concerns and the facts, they're better prepared to participate in productive conversations—online and in person.

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Choosing the Right Public Affairs Partner

Not every communications firm is equipped to manage community engagement for complex development projects.

Developers should look for firms with experience navigating public hearings, building grassroots support and managing stakeholder outreach for infrastructure, renewable energy and land use projects.

When evaluating a communications partner, ask questions such as:

• Have you successfully supported projects through contentious public hearings?

• How do you identify and recruit local supporters?

• What is your approach to coalition building?

• How do you measure community sentiment?

• How do you prepare supporters for public meetings?

• What metrics do you use to demonstrate success?

     Most importantly, look for a partner that prioritizes authentic community engagement over manufactured support. Long-term credibility with elected officials and community leaders is built through transparency, not shortcuts.

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Building Support Before It Matters

Successful public hearings rarely begin on hearing day.

They begin months earlier by building relationships, identifying trusted advocates and creating opportunities for community members to become informed supporters.

     Projects that invest in supporter activation early are better positioned to shape the conversation, demonstrate broad community support and earn the trust needed to move through the approval process.

     At Davies, we help clients build grassroots support through strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, coalition building and community outreach. By engaging residents early and activating credible local advocates, we help ensure decision-makers hear from the full community, not just the loudest voices.

Your application for a data center can check every technical box and still fail at a public hearing.

     Too often, developers spend years on engineering, environmental studies and permitting, only to discover that a small but organized group of opponents has taken control of the public conversation. While supporters quietly stay home, opponents dominate public meetings, flood social media and shape the narrative before decision-makers cast a vote.

     Successful projects don't leave community support to chance.

     They build a strategy to identify, educate and mobilize supporters long before a hearing is scheduled. When residents, business leaders, labor organizations and other trusted voices speak in support of a project, elected officials see something every decision-maker looks for, broad community backing.

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Community Support Doesn't Organize Itself

Many developers assume supporters will naturally show up when it's time for a hearing, or worse that they are not needed.

     In reality, the opposite usually happens.

Opponents are often highly motivated and organized months before a project reaches the approval stage. They build email lists, coordinate messaging, recruit speakers and generate media attention.

     Supporters rarely organize on their own.

     Developers too often assume they cannot find supporters or these supporters will not speak out in favor. And they may be right - as without a deliberate engagement strategy most in support, or those who would support a project, never participate. The result is a public hearing that appears one-sided, even when the broader community feels differently.

     The most successful projects build support early, giving advocates the information and confidence they need to participate when it matters most.

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What Supporter Activation Looks Like

Supporter activation is more than asking people to attend a public hearing.

     It is a comprehensive outreach strategy that identifies trusted community voices, provides clear information and creates opportunities for residents and stakeholders to become advocates.

Effective programs typically include:

• Community and stakeholder research

• Grassroots outreach and supporter recruitment

• Coalition building with local organizations

• Third-party validator engagement

• Consistent messaging and talking points

• Email and digital outreach campaigns

• Public hearing preparation and speaker coordination

Together, these efforts create a visible coalition of support that extends well beyond the project developer.

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Build Relationships Before You Need Them. 

Mark Twain once said something like: “When you need a friend, it’s too late to make one.  So true, as the strongest advocates aren't recruited the week before a hearing.

     They are cultivated months in advance through meaningful engagement and regular communication.

Community leaders, business owners, labor organizations, educators, environmental partners and local residents all bring different perspectives and credibility to the conversation.

     By building relationships early, developers create a network of trusted voices who understand the project, believe in its benefits and are prepared to speak authentically when approvals are on the line.

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Equip Supporters to Tell Their Story

People want to support projects they believe in, but many are unsure what to say or how to participate.

     Developers should make it easy.

     Provide supporters with clear project information, frequently asked questions, talking points and opportunities to ask questions before public meetings.

     The goal isn't to script testimony.

     It's to ensure supporters understand the project well enough to explain, in their own words, why they believe it benefits the community.

     Authentic voices are always more persuasive than rehearsed ones.​