Designed to help community colleges increase efficiency and make the best use of depleted funds, this monograph describes innovative and successful strategies currently in place at colleges to improve effectiveness. The innovative practices are organized into five broad categories approximating a "typical" community college's distribution of responsibilities, including 8 strategies related to business operations and facilities; 24 focusing on curriculum and instruction; 15 related to networks, technology training, and distance education; 5 in the area of planning and budgeting; and 11 concerned with student services. For each strategy, a brief description is provided, along with a discussion of the benefits accrued by the college and a college contact person. Sample strategies include the following: (1) a joint-use library constructed by Colorado's Front Range Community College and the cities of Westminster and Fort Collins; (2) a part-time practical nursing program established at Indiana's Ivy Tech State College to provide access to working nursing students and increase enrollment; (3) a dental hygiene program at Wisconsin's Northcentral Technical College employing interactive television and sharing resources among dental associations and other colleges; (4) an effort at Illinois' Parkland College to link strategic goals to the budget; and (5) a computerized assessment tool used by counselors at Central Florida Community College to reduce time spent searching for student records and progress reports. An index of colleges is included. (HAA)