Taking the plunge to visit the community you’ve researched can be scary. Here are five tips to consider when contacting a community for the first time through ic.org.
1. Be respectful of people’s time and busy lives. Communicate with the essential aspects of your request. How long would you like to say? What are your skills? Have you visited other communities before?
2. It helps if a community can quickly understand your intention for wanting to visit. Do you intend to live in a community? Do you have specific concerns or questions you hope to remedy through a visit? Keep it short and honest.
3. Demonstrate that you have taken the time to understand the intentions of the community you hope to visit. Refer to their mission statement or another aspect of the project that you resonate with. This will help the community determine if you are a good fit for what they have going on.
4. Make sure you are contacting the right person. Look for the person with “guest management” or “visitor inquiry” in their job title or email address. By reaching out through the contact form on each community listing at ic.org we will automatically connect you with the appropriate contact point. If you don’t hear back for any reason, let us know so we can assist you in making the connection.
5. Include your contact information in the request. Let the community know what is the best way to reach you. Let them know your long term plans and if a visit will be an option in the future if they do not have availability now. Sign off with a friendly note and appreciation for their time.
Alright! That should give you what you need to reach out to the community you have in mind. And if you’re still searching for the right community, be sure to browse our extensive online map of communities around the world.
Wishing you all the best on your community journey!
– Cynthia, the Communications Director at FIC
