A community effort is when a group of people come together to solve a problem and have consensus on the solutions that are in the best common interests of their community. They are usually a close-knitted community and hence intrinsically motivated for the cause that they have come together for.
A community group would aid the sharing of information of the resources within themselves to constantly innovate and improve the best ways to tackle the problem. They would set their own rules or norms and rarely involve government agencies. If they do, the government agencies would be seen as working and supporting the community instead of taking over the problem.
One good example of a community effort is on Koh Tao Island, Thailand.