The ineffectiveness of community boards as avenues for meaningful citizen participation in providing public human services may be traced to problems in service institutions, in communities, and in the boards themselves. In service institutions, community participation in the provision of services is discouraged by: (1) professionals' condescending attitudes toward community residents who are not trained in their field; (2) power struggles within service programs, which have overshadowed concern with community participation; (3) Federal sponsorship's failure to specify the nature of community participation in programs; (4) service professionals' use of strategies to limit community participation; and (5) unavailability of training to prepare community board members for participation in planning. In the communities, residents have found it increasingly more difficult, psychologically and economically, to maintain commitment to programs. On the community boards, three factors have tended to minimize board impact: (1) the fact that board members do not represent most community interests; (2) members' inability to work together; and (3) absence of self-sustaining mechanisms for board members. In general, these obstacles to effective community participation stem from persistent problems of institutional racism. To strengthen community control over service institutions, residents must intervene in community planning, identify potential leaders, and maintain linkages with other community oriented boards. (Author/MJL)