The community readiness model provides an accessible and relatively fast way of assessing a community’s level of readiness on a given issue. Its assessment tool can be used and scored by community members with a minimum of training, allowing the community both to save the funds often spent on outside experts and to take responsibility for solving its own problems, using its own expertise and assets. With that responsibility comes a sense of ownership and pride that, along with steady progress up the readiness ladder, is likely to make community efforts successful.